My Muted Alpha | ✔️

The lingering scent of spicy Cheetos and Takis still clung to the air, a testament to my late-night indulgence. My stomach rumbled, a reminder of the internal war waged hours ago. “Rhea, get your ass out of the bathroom right this instant!” Coco’s voice, muffled by the door, was a familiar prelude to our daily chaos. “You’ve been in there for hours, and I’d like to shower too!”

“Five more minutes!” I yelled back, a relieved sigh escaping me as I finally flushed the toilet. The door unlocked with a click, and Coco, my best friend and roommate, stormed in, her face immediately scrunching up. “Mother of living hell, what the fuck died in here?!”

I winced, feeling my cheeks flush. “My stomach… along with my ass. And maybe a little bit of my dignity?” It was a whimper, honestly. My ass was still burning, a fiery souvenir of my spicy food obsession.

“Damn girl, you need to lay off some spicy food,” Coco clicked her tongue, shaking her head. I whined in protest. “That’s like you telling me that I should die. My life isn’t the same without snacks. They’re comfort food since they fill my loneliness.”

She rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Okay, miss-killing-my-nose-from-your-explosive-diarrhea. We have to start going soon. We’re going to be late.” Her hand fanned her nose one last time, a gesture of profound disgust. I checked my phone, jaw dropping. An hour left. An hour until our flight to Canada, back to the old pack. An hour until the next chapter of my mateless existence began.