章節 21: Damon goes on a business trip

Damon tries to relax in his seat as best as he can. Private jet or not, there is something about being trapped in a flying mechanical contraption for hours that has him feeling stuffy. He just can't get used to it no matter how many times he flies.

Thankfully, Heath is holding his hand, doing his best to calm him down.

"Are you okay?" Heath asks after Damon looks at his phone for the tenth time.

"Yes, I'm good," he lies. He doesn't know what he's doing—why he keeps on checking his phone when nothing is there.

"Stay here. I'll get you a drink." Heath stands to do as he says; Damon doesn't fight to hold on, releasing his hand immediately.

He's feeling stuffy /and/ antsy for some reason; and, if he's in the right mind, he would've pointed out how Heath doesn't need to fetch a drink personally, he can simply press a button to ask for it, but he's not, so it slips under his radar.

When Heath goes to one of the flight attendants in the back, Damon rests his head on the backseat cushion while looking out the window. Of course, there's nothing he hasn't seen before. The view of the clouds and the sky is the same as ever so merely three seconds later, he's back to looking at his phone.

This time, he unlocks it.

As if with a mind of its own, his thumb is pressing open the messaging app and is searching through his limited contacts. It doesn't take long to find the familiar name and then he's quickly scrolling through the one-sided chat history.

[Kaiden], it says at the top.

Lucy, being one of the only people aware of their pheromone-sharing arrangement, added it for him. She says it's better to have it than not, in case of an emergency. He's still undecided if she is right or not, but judging from the unanswered messages Kaiden sent him, there isn't much to consider as an emergency.

[Hello. What time will you be home? Dinner tonight is beef and broccoli.]

[Good afternoon. I'll leave the dinner on the table, it's spicy chicken with cashews.]

[Do you like sweet and sour pork? Just heat it up if you're hungry.]

Pictures of said dishes are attached below the messages, making the chat history look like a restaurant menu. With each one more appetizing than the last, the images make his mouth water. He isn't even hungry.

Try as he may deny it, ever since Kaiden took on Uriel's role, Damon's been eating double his usual serving. Not to say that the Beta butler is a bad cook; he cooks well, but the way Kaiden seasons his food is perfect for Damon's taste.

Additionally, whatever he is craving will be presented on the table by the time he comes home.

The legal department forgot a page in an important contract before sending it out? There's a spicy dish to sweat off his stress.

The head of public relations badgering him to attend some red carpet event? A sweet dish welcomes him to balance the bitterness he feels.

Nothing happens and his day passes by in boredom? The right combination of savory and tangy is appropriately served to excite his taste buds.

As if by magic, Kaiden /never/ misses. The Omega is also self-aware enough not to join him at the dinner table—or maybe it's because he arrives late every time.

How long has it been since Uriel left? Three weeks—a month, perhaps.

And how long has it been since he employed Kaiden? Five months? Six months?

He thinks of Kaiden's cooking as a bonus for the high pay the Omega receives.

All things considered, his pheromone levels have risen exponentially. Although he's not stable yet, he can go on a business trip like this with no negative effects on his body.

Speaking of which, does the Omega know how long he'll be out for?

Maybe he should send a message telling him not to leave dinner out for the next ten days.

He starts typing exactly that but before he has put the third word on the first-ever message he would have sent to Kaiden, Heath returns.

Heath slides into his seat without a sound, graceful like the rest of his movements, as he hands Damon a glass of whiskey.

"Here," he says as he offers Damon the drink along with his best smile, "as thanks for helping the Valentino family. Dad told me that if this deal passes, the company won't be in trouble anymore."

Damon accepts the glass without a complaint. The drink is darker than usual yet the odor is familiar to him. He takes a sip in hopes that it relaxes him, and it does. A pleasant buzz flows through his nerves, dulling his senses and making his mind hazy.

"Of course," Damon says to Heath after he puts away his phone, the drafted message already forgotten. "Who else am I supposed to help if not my perfect lover?"

Heath smiles as he leans his head on Damon's shoulder; the Alpha melts at the contact, nuzzling his face closer to Heath's caramel brown hair.

"Let's go out and play too. Don't just work all the time. I already looked up famous date spots. I'm sure it'll be fun."

Damon hums his assent. "Anything for you."

Well, it looks like he'll be staying for longer than ten days.

Alone in the big residence, it's becoming harder for Kaiden to cope with the loneliness, even with the pleasant conversations he has with Grandpa Rei. So, for the first time since he has been living at the Lin Manor, he breaks a rule; he makes a call to his Aunt Jean.

It rings thrice before she picks up, her sweet voice muffled by some noise in the background, "Hello. Is that you, Kaiden?"

Kaiden chokes on a traitorous sob. "Auntie," he almost cries to the phone receiver.

There's a shuffling sound on the other side but it doesn't take long for it to go quiet. Jean's worried voice comes in clear and crips as she asks, "What's wrong, my dear?"

"Nothing." Kaiden breathes in and out. "I just miss you so I called."

The relieved sigh Jean releases is audible even through the device. She chuckles, "I thought no outside contact is allowed while you're in training. Hmm?"

Kaiden panics. He completely forgot this lie so he tries to make one up on the spot. "I … I s-sneaked away."

Jean laughs, her voice light and teasing, "I miss you too, honey. So how have you been? Is the company treating you well?"

Kaiden nods although she can't see him. "I'm doing well. No one treats me badly here." It's a lie, but she doesn't need to know that.

"That's good to hear." A pause, making Kaiden nervous. "You haven't forgotten to go to the hospital and have your pheromones reduced, right? You know it's bad for your body if you don't regularly go,"

He tugs on the thick choker around his neck at the reminder. Not only is he not getting treatment, but he also isn't even allowed to release his pheromones freely. But since he and Damon regularly 'shares' pheromones with each other, it should be fine, right?

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

Kaiden almost drops the phone in surprise. "Yes, Auntie. I was just thinking about when my next schedule is." He pats himself in the back at how smoothly that came out.

"Are you having money problems, dear?"

"No," he says with laughs but the sound is awkward, "money is all I have right now."

Then, a silence.

Jean has offered since the beginning to support Kaiden yet he refuses every time. He doesn't want to be a burden.

The silence prolongs until Kaiden is uncomfortable, so he breaks it first by saying, "A-anyway, don't worry about me. I just wanted to hear your voice so I called. I hope I didn't disturb you when you're busy."

"You can call me anytime. I'm always free for you."

Kaiden knows she speaks the truth, so he says, "I know. I love you."

"I love you too, dear."

The call ends.

Kaiden slumps to the floor, knees to his chest, as he tries not to cry.

Kaiden is setting the table as the clock hits 7 o'clock.

He asked Lucy and she said that Damon will be arriving tonight, so he made sure to prepare a meal that will be easy on the stomach in case Damon isn't feeling well from the long flight. He doesn't know why but he feels like that might be the case.

Before he is finished setting the last plate down, he hears Damon's cold voice saying, "Prepare for one more."

Two shadows cover him, and he doesn't need to look up to see whose shadow the second one belongs to, not when the owner speaks, "We meet again."

Kaiden slightly bows in greeting, not daring to make eye contact. He is preparing to go back to the kitchen when Damon suddenly says, "Heath will be staying here from now on. Be sure to serve him well."

The words strike like thunder to his ears, a bad omen creeping on his skin.

He makes the mistake of looking up. When he sees the smile on Heath's face, Kaiden knows his life is about to get much, /much/ harder.