The dinner was a rousing success.
They were papped together, and Warren even managed not to get too aggravated by Jordan's scent.
The one time he got somewhat snappish, Jordan simply looked him in the eye across the table and bared his throat a little. That appeased Warren's instincts well enough.
He obviously couldn't scent-mark him when they were in public—betas rarely scent-marked anything, so that would just look odd, but the mere sign of submission soothed Warren's raw nerves.
"I don't know how you do it," Warren said as they left the restaurant. He opened the door of the helicopter for Jordan and followed him inside, ignoring the flashes of cameras.
"Do what?" Jordan said, stretching in the seat.
Warren eyed him sourly. He did look exceptionally "pretty" tonight, his smoky gray suit making his laughing blue eyes pop. Everyone at the restaurant had stared at him.
"Make yourself submit," Warren said as the helicopter took off. He kept his voice quiet, mindful of their pilot despite the partition separating them from him. This new model of helicopter produced very little noise. It was really more of an aircar like those used on the Inner Core planets, and nearly as quiet.
Jordan cocked his head to the side, his long, muscular body stretching slightly as he yawned. "I don't know," he said, sounding a little thoughtful. A little surprised. "I guess I'm just used to living under another alpha's roof and curbing my own instincts in order not to rub him the wrong way." He funnily scrunched up his nose. "Though my father definitely never needed to scent-mark me." He looked at Warren. "Why are you getting worked up again?"
Realizing that the air was full of his pheromones, Warren flushed. "I'm not sure," he said stiffly. He could hardly tell Jordan that he… didn't fucking like the thought of Jordan submitting to any alpha but him.
It sounded bizarre even in his own head. It was none of his business what Jordan did in another alpha's house.
Jordan sighed and bared his throat. "All right, c'mere."
Warren didn't need to be told twice. He shoved his face against Jordan's scent gland and rubbed his nose into it, needing to put his scent on him.
"I used to have a shocat when I was a child," Jordan murmured. "You're just like him."
"I can stop if this is making you uncomfortable," Warren said, his eyes closed as he replaced Jordan's aggravating scent with his own.
"No, it's okay," Jordan said. "Just a little weird. My head feels funny when you pump out so many pheromones."
Having gotten permission not to move, Warren spent the rest of the flight with his face buried in Jordan's neck.
Jordan didn't seem to mind, talking about some North Veridian issues his father had him solving from a distance. Warren listened with half an ear, knowing that Jordan didn't mind his inattention. He just needed to vent a little.
By the time they arrived at Reeds, Warren was completely calm.
He pulled away and helped Jordan get out of the helicopter.
Laying a hand on Jordan's shoulder, he steered him inside the house, toward his bedroom.
"I know where my room is, Warren," Jordan said, sounding amused.
Warren dropped his hand. "Sorry," he said, frowning, baffled by his own behavior.
Jordan chuckled, laying a hand on the door handle and turning his head to smile at Warren. "Good night, honey."
Warren's lips twitched. "Good night."
Jordan entered his bedroom and shut the door.
Warren was left staring at it, his body crawling with a strange kind of agitation. He stared at the spot Jordan had just been in and shook his head to himself, feeling oddly off-balance. The corridor seemed a lot quieter and darker all of a sudden. It was inexplicable.
He turned and headed to his own room.
***
Jordan left four days later.
Warren walked him to his private jet.
"I should be back soon enough," Jordan said. "No later than in ten days. I think. Disbanding the army isn't exactly something we've ever done, so it's hard to say for sure." He grimaced a little. "Unless my father comes up with another reason, I need to absolutely be in North Veridia for."
Warren's lips thinned. "You need to return before Lord Kaito comes back to check how the peace is holding. I suspect he won't bother warning us about his visit beforehand."
"It's still about a month away," Jordan said, shrugging. "I'm sure I'll be back by then. Or you can come to North Veridia?"
Warren shook his head. "I can't leave my work in the Assembly. Your duties are a lot more flexible than mine."
Jordan's scent spiked with his annoyance, and Warren felt his own scent spike in response, too.
They stared each other down.
Jordan was the first to avert his gaze, to Warren's satisfaction.
"Fine," Jordan said, his voice sharper than it had been in a long time. Warren didn't like it. He liked it when Jordan was laughing or smiling.
When Jordan was in a bad mood, his alpha scent became much more pronounced, which only served to aggravate Warren more.
As Jordan started to turn away, Warren grabbed his arm. "Jordan."
Jordan looked back at him.
Warren opened his mouth and then closed it.
He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say. He wasn't going to apologize for stating the truth. Jordan's schedule was a lot more flexible than his. He was the general of an army in a time of peace.
Warren was an active senator and the leader of the Forward Party of the South Assembly.
Whatever Jordan saw on his face, it was enough to soften his expression a little. "I don't want to part on bad terms, either," Jordan said. A tentative smile formed on his lips. "I think we've become pretty good friends, yeah?"
Friends. The word didn't feel quite right.
He did like Jordan. He was likable. He was warm, patient, and good-natured. He was easy to talk to, easy to like, easy to trust—Warren hadn't expected to like him so much—but his presence always put him on edge. He could never relax around him.
"Yes," Warren said. "Of course we're friends."
Jordan grinned, which made his scent much more tolerable.
"Goodbye, then," he said, pulling Warren into a one-armed hug. "Don't be a stranger. Call me."
When he started pulling away, Warren didn't let him. Keeping him still, he shoved his face against Jordan's throat.
Jordan laughed. "Oh, come on." But he wasn't pushing Warren away, allowing him to thoroughly scent-mark him.
When Warren's instincts were finally satisfied, he stepped back and said stiffly, "Goodbye. Have a safe flight."
Jordan just nodded with a smile and strode away, smelling of Warren. Warren watched the jet take off and disappear in the direction of North Veridia.
He sighed, feeling his body relax for what seemed like the first time in a month. As much as he liked Jordan, Warren was glad to finally have some much-needed distance from him.
He hated the effect Jordan had on him: the primitive, territorial animal that he turned into around the other alpha. Away from Jordan's aggravating scent and blue eyes, Warren's head felt clearer. He felt calmer in general. More like himself. He no longer felt like he needed to fucking piss all over his house, and the strange alpha inside it.
Hopefully, the distance would settle his instincts, and when Jordan returned, they could be normal friends without Warren needing to scent- mark him every hour.
One could only hope.