ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

CHAPTER 4

Jeno arrived home feeling utterly drained.

The sheer amount of pheromones he had released that night had been far more than he was used to, overwhelming even his well-trained system. It had been a long time since he'd taunted someone so intensely, and it felt almost foreign to his body—his nerves were still on edge, and his system wasn't ready for the aftereffects.

He tossed his jacket onto the couch, his fingers automatically reaching for the buttons of his shirt, desperate to shed the weight of the evening. As he stripped off his clothes, the cool air of his apartment felt like a slight relief against the heat pulsing through his body. Without thinking, he walked toward the bathroom, heading straight for the bathtub. He turned on the cold water, watching it cascade into the tub. He didn't mind the chill, even welcomed it. The sensation grounded him as he waited for the water to fill up to his chest. Only when it reached that point did he switch it off.

He sank into the water, closing his eyes as the silence enveloped him. For a few hours, he sat there, eyes unfocused, just gazing through the heavily tinted glass wall of his bathroom. He couldn't see the outside world clearly, but the glow of the city lights through the shadows provided a sense of serenity. It was oddly calming—this quiet, his thoughts flowing freely in the stillness. It was the only time he could find peace, the only time he could escape the weight of everything.

Eventually, he decided to get out of the tub, his fingers wrinkled from the long soak. The water felt cool against his skin as he moved to the shower, rinsing himself off, but his mind kept drifting. Thoughts of the future, of what was to come, refused to leave him.

At 21, Jeno should still be enjoying his youth. He should be in school, hanging out with friends, savoring the freedom that came with being young. But his reality was different. His parents had died when he was just 15, and everything had come crashing down all at once.

His aunt had taken him in, but she was a loving beta with very little means. She had tried her best, of course, giving him all the care and affection she could muster, always telling him everything would be okay—even when he knew it wasn't. She couldn't provide the things a growing pureblood needed. She had given him all she had, but it wasn't enough. When Jeno turned 18, she passed away from cancer. It was like the world had turned its back on him.

He couldn't reach out to his father's side of the family. They had never been fond of his mother, and after her death, they simply abandoned him.

Yet, against all odds, strangers had stepped in to help him. The owners of cafés, convenience stores, and small businesses—people who barely knew him—gave him jobs. Their reasons for helping were simple: he was a pureblood alpha, and to many, that was a ticket to success. It was an honorary title, a golden ticket that granted you privileges for life. Alpha pairs were rare, and their children were seen as treasures.

Jeno lived off the status of being a pureblooded alpha. It wasn't much at first, but it was enough to get by. Slowly, he built himself up. He joined a gym, saved up for a modest but comfortable apartment, and learned how to stretch his meager earnings to make ends meet. His clothes were old and worn, but they were better than nothing.

At 19, Jeno was introduced to a job that would change everything: he became a Broadcast Jockey, or most called as BJ.

It sounded strange at first. He even remembered smacking his gym buddy in disbelief when he was first told about it. But the money was too much to ignore. The idea of earning a fortune in such a short time was irresistible.