Bound to the Alpha

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jhune's POV

"Good morning, Boss," I greeted Manager Ysa as I walked into the café.

She smiled upon seeing me. "Oh, it's good that you're here, Jhune," she said.

"Go ahead and get changed, then help clean the tables while there aren't many customers yet," she instructed me gently, and I nodded in response.

I quickly headed to my locker in the back to change clothes, then got straight to work.

After finishing cleaning the tables, I realized that Cain wasn't around, and only Ben was here with me today. So, I approached the counter to ask the manager.

"Manager," I called to Ysa, who turned in my direction. "Didn't Cain come in today?" I asked.

"Oh, that?" she said with a nod. "He can't make it to his morning shift because they have midterm exams today," she explained. "He'll be able to come in this afternoon."

Oh, he's a student? It must be tough to balance work and school.

I shrugged and went back to work. Today wasn't as hectic as yesterday's shift.

My morning shift went smoothly, with only a few customers at the café. But as the afternoon came, more customers started arriving, most of them students—probably because this café is the closest one to a nearby university.

Luckily, Cain showed up, so we weren't short-staffed, and everything ran smoothly.

After hours of work, Manager Ysa told us to take a 15-minute break. I'm currently in the locker room, taking a rest.

I leaned back against the cold wall, eyes closed, as I sat on a bench inside the locker room.

It's been a long time since I felt this exhausted. Maybe it's because I haven't worked in a while, and my body is still getting used to it.

I flinched when I felt something cold gently press against my cheek. When I opened my eyes, I saw Cain standing in front of me.

"For you," he said, handing me the can of soda he was holding.

I thanked him and accepted it, straightening up as he sat down beside me.

I opened the drink and took a long gulp, finishing it in one go. I let out a small burp and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

Cain remained silent beside me, and I did the same. I leaned back again but turned toward him when he suddenly tapped my arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked, catching me off guard and making me frown.

"Huh?" I responded, confused.

He looked away, loosening his collar slightly.

"You don’t look well—you’re pale," he said, glancing back at me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "I’m fine," I replied with a brief smile, scratching the back of my head. "Maybe I'm just a bit tired."

"That’s not what I meant," he said seriously, his eyes locking onto mine. "Your pheromones—they’re spreading."

His words sent a chill down my spine.
Shit! Did I just lose control of my pheromones? I didn’t even realize I was releasing them.

This is bad, since he’s an Alpha, if nothing is done, things could get out of control.

I’m feeling a bit dizzy, and my body is numb from standing all day, but I ignored it earlier, thinking it was just exhaustion.

I averted my gaze. "S-sorry," I muttered, putting some distance between us.