15 The day after

Kaiden has never slept so well before. Before he knew it, he was pulled into a deep slumber, feeling content and whole in all the right places. It would have been better if he didn't wake up in an empty bed, but he quickly pushed down the creeping emptiness inside him in lieu of starting his day.

He pulls the blanket away and is mildly surprised to see himself cleaned and clothed. Stretching to get the exhaustion out of his muscles, he catches a whiff of honey and ginger spice on the collar of his baby blue pajamas. He tries not to blush at the thought of Damon scenting his clothes before putting them on him, chucking it to instincts instead of anything personal. The big, bad alpha leaving his pheromones for the Omega he slept with, if this isn't marking then what is it?

Kaiden allows himself a second - just one - to indulge in the thought of Damon caring about him as he inhales more of that sated Alpha scent from the pillow next to him. The room still smells like them, of sex and arousal, but it is undeniably Kaiden and Damon's. Their combined pheromones mix into something new, something that feels like puzzle pieces fitting together, and Kaiden's purring before he can stop himself.

A knock breaks him out of his reverie, the blanket is quickly put back on again in an attempt to hide the redness in his cheeks and ears, and only with this sudden movement does Kaiden realize he's sore all over.

Not even including his hips and lower area, his shoulders, chest, and neck feel like they have been chewed and spat out. His back hurts, too, as if it strained under unbearable weight.

Nonetheless, the knock comes again, followed by Uriel's gentle voice calling, "Young master, I brought your meal."

The door is pushed open before Kaiden can protest and in enters the Beta butler, holding a silver tray.

"You didn't have to," Kaiden weakly contends as Uriel makes his way to the bed, "I could just come down for breakfast."

"You could," Uriel agrees as he sets the tray for a breakfast in bed, a slight teasing in his tone, "But it's well over noon and I've been instructed to let you rest."

The clock on the nightstand indicates that yes, it's already half-past twelve, leaving Kaiden no way to retort the butler's argument. He loses the will too when his meal is served: a sweet chocolate rice porridge topped with light milk. It has Kaiden drooling on sight, the appetizing aroma second only to the chocolatey visual. There are also scrambled eggs on the side for protein and some cut apples, but he doubts if he can touch those after he's done licking the bowl clean.

"Do you need anything else, young master?" Uriel asks after Kaiden finishes his staring contest with the steaming hot dish.

Kaiden gulps, eyes still on the bowl, before shaking his head.

With a wide smile still on his face, he informs Kaiden, "If you have no other request, please leave the tray by the door and I shall pick it up after a while. Please eat comfortably, young master."

Twirling the metal spoon in his hand, Kaiden looks back and forth between Uriel and the bowl. He bows his head low, afraid of being rejected as he speaks out, "I do have one, a r-request."

Uriel remains silent in anticipation, curious about their guest's first request.

Kaiden keeps his eyes trailed below, carmine eyes hidden underneath long lashes. "Please don't call me young master, I don't feel comfortable with that. Just call me by my name."

A gleam flashes in Uriel's eyes, but it disappears as soon as he looks at Kaiden's thin shoulder. He smiles even gentler, the corner of his eyes wrinkling with kindness, as he acquiesces to this simple request. "That will be no problem, Kaiden. Let me know if you need anything else."

The Omega nods in assent, and Uriel swears he saw something akin to joy in the way pink hair swayed with the bob of his head.

A slight smile on Kaiden's lips has Uriel filled with thoughts of how adorable he is like that. This young master is easier to please than he looks.

--

Kaiden has several surprises he obviously didn't expect:

First, the meal is more delicious than he thought. It's easy on the stomach but sweet and filling. It satisfied both his hunger and his sweet tooth. He scooped the contents like it was the antidote to his poison, and his only regret is that maybe he ate too quickly. He should've savored it longer. After all, when will be the next time he can eat that?

Second, the morning (or noon) after losing his virginity is torturous for his legs. Taking one step out of the bed has him like a baby deer learning to walk, shaking on wobbly knees that were stable until yesterday morning. If he lost his footing once or twice while heading to the bathroom, clutching the closest surface for dear life, only he and the four walls of the room need to know.

Lastly, and the biggest surprise of all, is the reflection currently staring back at him. His eyes are big, almost dazzling, and his lips are swollen from being relentlessly bitten. Hickeys and bite marks decorate from his neck to all the way below his collarbone. The realization that Uriel saw him like this has Kaiden palming his red cheeks in embarrassment, but most of all, despite his sinful appearance, Kaiden is absolutely /glowing/.

His skin looks as if it's been deeply moisturized and his hair has a shine that wasn't there before. Is this what one night with his fated mate can do? If so, Kaiden is positive that Damon must be looking more handsome than ever.

The Alpha's face flashes in his mind, those amethyst eyes and sharp nose, making Kaiden blush upon remembering how soft Damon's lips were against his. He's already attractive enough as it is, but he probably looks more devilish when he woke this morning, right?

The thought of doing something for the Alpha, no matter how small it is, puts him in a good mood. He swears to do more, even if it's just cooking and cleaning around the house, as Kaiden hopes that Damon is in a good mood too.

--

Damon is, in fact, not in a good mood.

He's been giving his employees hell ever since he walked through the private elevator doors, even Lucy lost the chance to compliment her boss on his glowing skin after the onslaught of orders she received. She has no courage to point it out, but to her eyes, it seems that her superior is avoiding something by burying himself in his work. It's almost as if having a second alone to himself will make him crumble.

It's cowardly, if you ask her, how the Alpha refuses to confront whatever it is head-on. It's not like him at all.

Although it is above her pay grade to care for her boss's emotional well-being, she has no other choice but to support her boss in his journey to torment himself. Her only wish for today is to get home on time.

Just as the employees are on the brink of their sanity, their salvation comes in the form of Heath arriving with a thermos in hand. Lucy doesn't have any good opinions of the Beta, but she doesn't have any bad ones either. She lets Heath waltz in Damon's office like he owns the place, neither stopping nor warning him of Damon's terrible mood. It's not her job to deal with the elite couple.

He only spends an hour inside the president's office, not enough time for Lucy to reorganize the meetings Damon canceled for no other reason than being annoyed, yet he subdues the Alpha into a tamed animal. Damon's shoulders are relaxed and his movements are less agitated. Although his speech and tone are as sharp as ever, Lucy knows something is vastly different from this morning. The crease on his brows is gone and his eyes keep darting back to the Beta on the couch, despite her reporting in front of him, as if he's a child afraid of being abandoned. She thinks nothing more of it, knowing how clingy this couple can get with each other.

Lucy goes back to her desk and a scent wafts through the open office doors that have the only Omega in the secretarial team retching. Immediately alarmed, she goes to comfort the female Omega, especially since this Omega is the most professional out of everyone working under her. She will not make a show out of her sickness for no reason.

Her Beta nose can only pick up the sweet yet acidic smell, but judging from the lack of reaction from the rest of them, only the Omega is affected by its undertones. She makes a mental note to investigate whatever it is, if she doesn't die from overworking first, that is.

Heath exits without looking at any of them as if their existence is nothing in his eyes, and she would've been irritated if she isn't used to this by now.

Watching the elevator close, Lucy wonders what sort of witchcraft the Beta did to get Damon like that. It's almost as if he has the Alpha in the palm of his hands.