Damon wakes up to an empty bed. There is nothing new or strange about it, except for the fact that he slept for nearly 23 hours.
With a groan, he stretches his stiff and naked body. The room, which should have been full of pheromones, has been properly aired out. Aside from the sheets that are impossible to remove from his heavy body, everything in the room is neat and tidy. There's even a bowl of cold porridge left for him by the side.
Despite having nothing to complain about, a flicker of anger lights up inside him. It catches him off guard, this surge of fury that came out of nowhere. With his brows creasing, he looks back to check if there's a reason for this irrational feeling inside him.
When he comes up with nothing, he decides to see if there's a problem with the company that he may have missed. However, before he can do so, he sees the message on his phone informing him that Lucy, his head secretary, has taken a week off for personal reasons.
His brows crease further, a sure sign that he'll be in a foul mood for the rest of the day.
Facts prove his assumption correct because even though he is well-rested, he spends the whole day with a heavy body and a tired mind.
--
Primo is very, /very/ excited, not only because he managed to successfully negotiate a whole day off today, no, it's more than that. For the first time ever, he's throwing a surprise party, and for his best friend to boot! How can he not be excited?
So what if it's not exactly his idea? He's still one of the guests, and that in itself makes him feel more special than all the exclusive invites he receives.
So what if it's only through luck that he met Kaiden's friend in the hallway a week ago? Luck is also a part of his skill.
Now, all he has to do is patiently wait for Kaiden to return. When he does, Rosa will ring his door first before they all head to Kaiden's place. Because he lives next door, he took it upon himself to take care of the food and beverages since it'll be easier to move. It's definitely not because he catered the food to his tastes.
Nope, he tells himself as he looks at the cart full of his favorite food and snacks, it's because he has a noble heart that he volunteered. No ulterior motives here.
Minutes tick by slowly as his stomach starts to grumble, and before long, the signal he's been waiting for arrives.
He pulls the door open with no hesitation and is met with Rosa's smiling face.
"Hiya! Are you ready?" She asks once their eyes meet.
Primo nods, the excitement practically vibrating through him.
When she sees that, her smile becomes wider, golden eyes lighting up to match her energy. "Oh! By the way," she turns to point a thumb at the person behind her, "this is my friend—"
"Lucy," Primo interrupts before she can finish. There's no way he doesn't know her.
Seeing her calm and composed face, the excitement within Primo is doused by cold water.
A shudder runs through him as the realization clicks in place.
--
"Happy birthday, Kaiden!" Three voices shout at him as he opens the door.
A party popper goes off; confetti and streamers sprinkle all over the open doorway.
Frozen in place, the unexpected guests usher themselves in before Kaiden has time to react. He still hasn't recovered from the shock by the time a cart filled with food is standing in the middle of the living room.
Lucy and Rosa quickly put the items in their arms atop the coffee table, covering the surface with colorful wrappers and ribbons. When Primo tugs on his arm to make him sit on the sofa, only then does Kaiden realize what's happening.
"Thank you, everyone," he says, barely a whisper, hands covering his face.
They hoot and cheer. Another party popper goes off. Someone pats him in the back but Kaiden can't see. He's overwhelmed by different emotions, warmth surging inside him.
When he removes his hands from his face, he stares in disbelief at the pile of gifts in front of him. The longer he looks, the more his eyes water.
This has never happened before. No one has surprised him like this on his birthday before.
"Thank you," he repeats, only because there's nothing else he can say that will properly convey his gratitude.
Rosa passes him a drink as she flops next to him. "Are you surprised?" She slightly nudges him with her elbow, brows wriggling to tease him.
"Very," Kaiden admits as he wipes his tears with the back of his hand. When he's done crying, he takes a sip from the drink in his hand. The sweetness of the mango juice bursts in his mouth, but it's nothing compared to the sweetness he's feeling right now.
"We wanted to celebrate it with you. I'm sorry it's late," Lucy says as she sits on his other side, passing a plate of finger snacks to him.
Rosa suddenly jumps in her seat, remembering something. "Hey!" She turns to Kaiden and with an accusing tone, she says, "You didn't tell me you were neighbors with a celebrity. Primo almost pounced on me when we met in the hallway."
Primo, who has snuck off to the edge of the couch with a plate in hand, swallows the food in his mouth at the mention of his name. "I did not!" He almost shrieks in his defense. "I did not pounce on you. Anybody would react that way if they see a stranger near their place."
Rosa's roaring laughter echoes in the air, obviously delighted at teasing the gluttonous Omega.
Seeing the two bicker, Kaiden's nerves wash away. With a small smile on his face, he asks, "How did you meet?"
"She came here on your birthday but you weren't in," Primo answers with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I rang the doorbell so many times, you know. Where were you anyway?"
"Oh. I was busy." Kaiden looks everywhere but their faces, avoiding the topic.
Lucy narrows her eyes upon seeing this but she doesn't press him for answers. There's always a later for that.
"By the way, what'll you do now that you're not working for the Lin Manor?" It's Rosa who asks this in between bites.
"Where? He's working where?" Primo's question goes ignored as a sharp glare from Lucy shuts him up. He averts meeting her eyes, sinking further into the sofa.
"I haven't thought about it yet," Kaiden honestly says.
Not one to let an opportunity slip, Primo interjects, "My offer still stands, Kaiden. I swear you won't do anything but cook. You won't even have to wash the dishes." Then, as if adding a bonus, he promises, "I'll make my manager do it if you want."
"Thank you but I can't," he rejects Primo again.
Primo pouts, quietly muttering, "You didn't even think about it."
"I know several places with good pay and great management. Should I introduce them to you?" Lucy is already scrolling through her phone as she says this, ready to pass on their contact info to Kaiden.
"I'll rest for a few days first." His body, still sore, is not in any condition to work.
Her eyes linger a little too long at his bandaged neck, but all Lucy says is, "You should."
"Even though you look like somebody chewed you up," Rosa says from his side, "you're glowing."
Kaiden keeps quiet, not knowing what to say. In this room, only he and Lucy know the true nature of his 'work' at the Lin Manor. His cheeks burn red at the thought of revealing the reason for this glow.
Of course, the silence doesn't even last for a second. Primo, having finished his plate, locks on to a different target. "Anyway, when are we eating those cakes? I saw you had five. Don't tell me you finished all of it already."
"Wow!" Rosa claps three times while shaking her head. "Did you really keep track of how many cakes there are?"
Primo bares his small fangs without a care for his image, trying to appear intimidating. "Shush, you lioness!"
Rosa laughs again, holding her stomach and rolling back onto the sofa.
"It's in the fridge. I'll get it for you." Kaiden says as they squabble.
"No, I'll do it." Lucy stands, not letting the celebrant move a single inch. "Just sit here and have fun."
Kaiden grabs his hand before she turns to leave, saying, "Thank you, Lucy. For everything."
"Anything for you," Lucy replies with a small smile, knowing she means every word.
When she turns her back, the smile on her face drops. Although she has no expression on her face, her mind is reeling at a mile per minute. It seems that there's a lot she needs to look into.