I recently ate something absolutely terrible.

My stomach's been doing backflips, and I can't stop running to the bathroom.

It's like my rear end's become a damn fountain.

As soon as I step out of the bathroom, the unmistakable sound rings out. A cold shiver runs through me, and I find myself stumbling back to the toilet, legs barely holding up.

Mentally drained and physically wrecked, I fumble for my phone, the call from Alpha Jason looming over me like a dark cloud.

"Alpha, what's up?" I say, trying to sound normal, but my voice is trembling from the ordeal.

"What the hell are you doing this time?"

"I'm... I'm in the bathroom,"

There's an explosion of frustration on the other end. "How many damn times today? My ass is about to split wide open!"

"Sorry, Alpha. I ate something bad."

"I've already sent some anti-diarrheal meds through my underling. You better take ten times the dose. Ten times!"

"Ten times?!"

"Listen, I'm at the border right now. About to start a war, and here you are-making me look like a damn joke! The enemy thinks I'm weak because I went to the bathroom 100 times!" Alpha Jason's anger pulses through the line like a roaring thunder.

"Don't worry, Alpha! I'll follow your orders!"

Jason huffs. "You better. I don't need any more surprises from you, Kamelia."

Who would have guessed that a lowly creature like me would end up with a shared connection to an Alpha?

Of course, it's one-sided. He can feel me, but I can't feel him.

Flashback to last month.

I was living the good life-chowing down on a feast of garlic-heavy pasta and fermented sauerkraut at home.

The door suddenly crashes open, and in walks Alpha Jason, flanked by a bunch of armed thugs.

His smirk was as sharp as ever, but there was something off about it. He looked like someone who had just tasted pure garbage.

"Kamelia," he drawls. "I finally found you."

I freeze, my stomach doing a somersault. "Alpha Jason, what's going on?"

He looks around the room, eyes settling on the table where my disastrous meal sits.

"What the hell is that smell?"

"Uh, garlic pasta and sauerkraut?"

He doesn't even bother to respond before gagging loudly, clutching his throat.

"Kamelia, for the love of the gods! Can you stop eating shit? You're turning into a walking garbage dump!"

"It's... It's just food, Alpha. It doesn't affect your mission, does it?"

"No! But it's making me sick!" He glares at me, trying to calm himself. "Why are you eating this crap every day? Are you some reincarnation of a pig?"

"Alpha, do you really want to stop me from eating?"

"Yes!" He shouts, exasperated. "You're killing me slowly. And this shared feeling... It's too much. Do you have any idea what it's like to feel every damn thing you do?"

I blink, confused. "What do you mean, shared feeling?"

"For some insane reason, I feel everything you experience when it comes to your digestion. Your gut pain, your bathroom trips, your. discomfort." His voice breaks a little, as if he's near the edge of losing it. "I'm in a damn meeting with the pack leaders, and suddenly-BAM!-I feel like I'm about to explode!"

"Oh, wow..." I murmur, trying not to laugh. "That's... really something, Alpha."

"I'm not done!" He cuts me off. "Every time you eat something disgusting, I feel it! I'm trying to lead a war, and I can't even focus because I'm dealing with your gastrointestinal drama!"

I can't hold it in anymore. "Well, I didn't ask for this, did I?"

He looks like he's about to explode. "If you ever eat anything garlicky again, I'll send you to the border as a military prisoner... or worse. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah," I reply quickly, still chuckling. "No more garlic pasta. Promise."

"Good," he growls. "And you better never touch yourself in the shower again, either! I swear, if I feel that one more time-"

"Okay, okay!" I cut in, horrified at the thought. "No more weird stuff."

"And," Jason continues, "you're banned from watching melodramatic shows. You hear me? No more tears, no more drama. Just clean, healthy living."

"Got it, Alpha. No drama,"

"Good. You better live like a damn saint. Purity, Kamelia. Remember it."

I take a deep breath.

And so, I found myself stuck with Alpha Jason-blooded pack, cruelest Alpha alive. Living the healthiest life possible, grazing on bland food day and night.

But I've got a secret. I love raw seafood.

And with it comes... more diarrhea.

The thought of Alpha Jason dealing with the aftermath, running back and forth to the bathroom, negotiating territories and firing guns while being unable to avoid my digestion... makes me uncomfortably excited.

Tsk.

Fortunately, I had the anti-diarrheal medication Alpha Jason gave me.

Finally, no more diarrhea. I was feeling victorious as I pulled up my pants, but then-buzz buzz-Alpha Jason was calling.

I answered, my voice sweet as honey, but before I could even say hello, his voice came through, thin and furious.

"Kamelia! You absolute freak! Twenty-two hours on the toilet?!"

I winced, rubbing my sore legs. "Yeah, my legs are gonna need a massage now, thanks to you, boss."

"Don't give me that! What the hell happened?"

I gave a nervous laugh. "It's just... my diet changed suddenly. My body couldn't handle it. A little too much fiber, I guess?"

"And what do you plan to do about it?"

"Well... any chance I can eat something decent? My intestines feel like they've been scrubbed with sandpaper."

There was a long pause, then he spat, "Fine. But you better not ask me for anything again!"

The next day at lunch, I was starving.

My stomach rumbled louder than a freight train.

I was about to order my dream meal-an American hamburger, dripping with cheese, bacon, and fried onion rings, all sitting happily on a bed of crispy fries. The moment I was about to click "Order," my boss, the walking nightmare, wandered over.

I froze.

The keyboard clicked like it was a lifeline, but when I glanced at the screen, all it showed was the hamburger ingredients.

"Are you really working?" she asked, hands on hips.

I straightened up so fast my spine popped. "Uh, absolutely, boss. Just writing a... report."

She leaned over, scanning my screen. "Kamelia, the company is in the dumps, and guess what? You're to blame."

"Me? But I'm just-"

"Don't interrupt me. But," she paused dramatically, "I'm gonna give you a chance to redeem yourself. Do you know Adele?"

I froze. "Adele? The singer?"

She waved her hand like I was asking about the neighbor's cat. "Yes, that Adele. Get her to be our spokesperson."

"Wait, what?!" I pointed to myself, "Me? Ask her? Like, me?"

"Yes, you. And you're going to ask her for $500 to do it."

"Or maybe $100, if she's a friend." She winked, and I felt my brain short-circuit.

"I-I can't do that."

"Can't? You won't. You know what happens if you fail? I'll deduct your salary and freeze your benefits. You're useless."

I barely held back my tears, wishing I could punch a wall.

After she left, I sat there, feeling like a million dollars worth of crap. I wiped my eyes, but it didn't stop the frustration. My phone buzzed. Alpha Jason.

"Kamelia, I'm about to throw my phone against the wall! Why are you crying again?! I was about to make my move, and then-bam-you start bawling like a baby!"

I sniffed. "Alpha Jason, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. My boss just-"

"Yell at her! Slap her! What is this, you crying and doing nothing?!"

"I can't...!" I choked, holding back sobs.

"Can't? You're embarrassing me. You're turning into a whiny little sheep! Don't make me come over there and-"

"Alpha Jason!" I interrupted, voice cracking. "If I do that, I'll lose my job. She hates me."

There was a deep, frustrated sigh on the other end.

"How good is this job that you're willing to take this crap? How good is it? Tell me, Kamelia!"

"It's $5,000 a month."

There was a deadly silence.

Then Alpha Jason hissed, "Five thousand? Kamelia, that's chump change! Quit that job right now, and I'll pay you five times that salary. No, ten times!"

"Ten times?" I raised an eyebrow, feeling a smirk tugging at my lips.

"Yes, ten times! But if you keep staying there, getting stomped on, crying like a loser... then you're no better than them."

I hesitated, but just for a second.

"Deal. But if I'm doing this, I need a one-time bonus for... emotional damages."

There was a long pause.

"Ten thousand dollars, Alpha? That's barely enough! I need new clothes, makeup, rent, utilities, and-on a whim-I might want to hit the club and hire a male model."

"?"

Alpha Jason's laugh came through the phone, cold and mocking. "When you were earning five thousand a month, you were still living like this? Spending it all on nonsense?"

"I'm already a mess, okay? Don't I deserve a little fun?"

"I never said you didn't deserve it. Quit the tears. I'm about to go into battle here," I wiped my eyes.

"I'm not asking for a hundred grand a month, Alpha. I just want you to be happy, because if I'm happy, your health improves. And when you're healthy, uniting the packs will be a breeze."

I could feel him holding his breath.

His patience was wearing thin.

He finally exhaled.

"Fine. I'll send you twenty grand a month. But if you come with me, at least I won't have to worry about you starting trouble every damn day."

I hesitated, itching to say something cheeky.

But before I could, Alpha Jason snarled, "Shut your mouth, Kamelia. Don't make me slap you through the phone."

"Ugh~"

I immediately agreed. Twenty grand was more than enough.

With Alpha Jason now my personal sugar daddy, I strutted into my boss's office, ready to quit with all the swagger of a queen.

"If you quit voluntarily, the company won't compensate you," she said, trying to sound all tough.

"That's alright, Fatty. You can keep that money. No need to thank me."

"What did you say?"

"Can't hear? Maybe get your ears checked. And while you're at it, get your brain checked too. Spending five hundred bucks on a female celebrity? You really crack me up."

I tossed my resignation letter in her face like I was throwing out garbage and turned on my heel.

To my surprise, Alpha Jason was waiting for me outside, leaning against a motorcycle, looking like he stepped right out of a bad boy romance novel.

He was tall, with legs that went on for days, and the cigarette hanging from his lips just added to the allure.

I felt a lump form in my throat.

When he saw my excited face, his eyes welled up with tears-totally not what I expected from this badass Alpha.

I blinked, trying to hold back my own tears. "A man crying... it's like... my adrenaline shot."

Alpha Jason pulled a roll of toilet paper out of his pocket and, without saying a word, started wiping his eyes.

"Kamelia, why are you crying now?" he grumbled.

I snatched a bit of the toilet paper and wiped my own tears. "Alpha, I'm just so... touched."

"No one has ever cared for me like this,"

"Stop,"