In the convenience store, Princess and Beam were busy arranging products on the shelves.
"This is great. You are always in my world, now today I am in your world... haha.." Princess said as she arranged the kitchen section. Her eyes sparkled with a light, playful energy, her hands working rapidly to align small ceramic mugs while her chest swelled with a cheerful breath.
"I thought you were sick. Sick people are not supposed to be working.." Beam said as she assisted. She reached up to place a heavy stack of plates on the top shelf, her heart thumping a calm, rhythmic beat against her ribs as she let out a quiet exhale through her nose.
"Yes, I wasn’t feeling well, but I’m thankful to my lovely girlfriend for caring for me. I’m better now.." Princess bragged softly, her posture relaxing as her pulse throbbed with a sudden, warm swell of affection at the thought of Faye.
"It’s a good thing. Your previous girlfriend would have abandoned your ass with Sir Richard for days, then returned demanding for a designer" Beam said. She paused for a quick second, her breath catching softly in her throat as her fingers tightened around a box of spoons.
"So you remembered that..." Princess murmured, turning her head slightly, her eyes searching Beam’s calm face while her breathing slowed down into a steady, watchful cadence.
"Of course I remember. What makes you think I will forget about the headaches you and your ex-girlfriend gave me? You are lucky Faye is not like the stupid-ass bitch Kiara..." Beam said flatly. She shrugged her shoulders, her chest rising and falling in an easy wave, completely unbothered as she reached for another box.
"Stupid-ass bitch, huh..." Princess muttered. A soft, tiny breath escaped her lips, her heart skipping a fast beat as she took in Beam’s careless tone.
They were done with the kitchen section, so they moved to another aisle.
"You say you hate Kiki?" Princess asked softly, keeping her voice down while her hands guided plastic bottles into neat rows.
"Yes, I do." Beam answered instantly, her jaw setting firm for a fraction of a second as her lungs pulled in a hard, crisp draft of air.
"Why do you hate Kiara?" Princess pushed gently, her pulse picking up a fast, curious rhythm against her ribs.
"I hate Kiara because she is..." Beam started to say.
Beam couldn’t bring the words out. They were stuck. Her lips parted, her chest hitching in a sudden, sharp gasp as her eyes blinked in total confusion, her throat going dry as she searched her empty mind for an answer that simply was not there.
Princess just looked at her and slowly shook her head. A walker’s brainwashing was all it took for Beamer Frost to stop being in love with Kiara. Princess let out a silent, long exhale through her nose, her heart softening as she watched her friend’s completely blank expression.
Princess didn’t care because Beam’s life was better and calmer than before.
Beam having Kiara’s memories in her mind made her a different person. Sleepless nights, obsession, and jealousy.
Beam, with no Kiara crowding her mind, was calm, a good girlfriend, and a supportive best friend. She stood easy, her posture light and relaxed while her pulse thundered a smooth, healthy beat against her chest.
She even got a nice wolf haircut. The sharp layers framed her face cleanly, tossing slightly as she turned her head, her lungs filling with a deep, content sigh.
"Do not tell me you two are busy gisting instead of working..." Tisha’s voice disturbed their discussion. She rounded the corner with fast, sharp steps, her arms crossed tight over her vest as her chest heaved with a bossy, demanding breath.
"No, no, we are not doing such..." Beam said, having a bright smile. She snapped her head toward her girlfriend instantly, her pulse giving a fast, joyful jump as her breathing turned light and easy.
"Then be fast. Someone needs to be at the counter.." Tisha’s bossy voice rang out. She pointed a finger toward the front registers, her lungs expanding with a sharp draft of store air as her shoes clicking tapped impatiently.
"Yes, we are almost done..." Beam answered smoothly, her hands speeding up their movements along the metal shelf.
"And you, Princess, hurry. This might be your first day, but I expect speed from an Alpha.." Tisha fired at Princess. She shot Princess a deadly, serious look, her jaw locking tight as her chest rose in a quick, firm wave before she turned on her heel.
Princess was shocked to be getting a command. She froze right in her tracks, her eyes widening as her breath locked straight up in her throat, her heart rate spiking with sudden, utter disbelief.
She was just assisting voluntarily, not some new worker.
And no one bossed the Alpha Princess around.
Tisha walked to the counter to attend to a customer, her cheerful greeting ringing out across the store while her chest expanded with a professional, happy breath.
"You let her boss you like that?" Princess said, still looking at the smiling girl at the counter.
"She is so serious when it comes to work. She is a nice boss, isn’t she?" Beam replied with a soft laugh, her shoulders lifting in a careless shrug while her breathing remained completely relaxed and happy.
"I am the boss of you, not her. I can’t believe you let her boss you around like that." Princess scolded in a harsh whisper, her hands curling into tight fists at her sides while her lungs pumped out rapid, agitated gasps of air.
"Come on. I’m just helping my girlfriend with her family business. You are my boss for life. And you also let Faye boss you around..." Beam said. She tilted her chin up teasingly, her eyes sparkling with pure mischief as her heart rate gave a light, playful bounce.
"Never. I am an Alpha. I do the bossing. I tell her what to do, cook my food, and do the cleaning..." Princess boasted. She squared her broad shoulders, her chest swelling with a massive, confident breath as she held her head high in the air.
"Oh, Princess, who are you lying to? You and I both know the truth. I spend most of my time in your house to see that your girlfriend is the boss of you, and I am sure you are even the bottom in bed..." Beam scoffed loudly.
"You just insulted my dominance. I am the top and will always be the top..." Princess barked out defensively, her cheeks flushing bright red as her heart hammered a frantic, embarrassed beat against her ribs, her lungs heaving with short, heated gasps.
Beam let out a sharp, breathless laugh through her nose, stepping casually away from the aisle while her posture remained light and amused.
Princess followed, trying to tell her that she was the boss of Faye and not the other way around.
"Oh, Princess Kings, you are here." A smooth, pleasant voice called out from near the front entrance.
Princess turned around to see Doctor Jacqueline Brown. She blinked her eyes in sudden surprise, her fast breathing pausing for a split second as her pulse settled back down.
She wasn’t wearing her white coat.
"Oh, Doctor... good afternoon." Princess greeted. She forced a polite smile onto her face, her lungs expanding with a long, steadying draft of air.j
"You work here now? I had no idea..." Jacqueline said softly, her eyes crinkling at the corners as her chest rose in a light, casual wave.
"No, I’m just assisting my dear friend and her girlfriend." Princess explained, gesturing toward Beam with a quick wave of her hand while her heart rate returned to normal.
"That is a great thing. Let me join the party as well." Jacqueline smiled brightly.
Jacqueline grabbed a vest.
"You work here now? What happened to the hospital?" Princess said, looking confused.
"Today happens to be my day off. My crazy boss finally freed me from her clutches. Also, this is family business," Jacqueline said as she moved over to the counter. She let out a long, relieved exhale through her mouth, her shoulders dropping all their medical tension as she stepped behind the cash register.
"Princess, that is Tisha’s aunt, Jack... Tisha calls her sister." Beam whispered leaning close into Princess’s ear, her voice barely a breath against Princess’s skin as her heart beat a quiet cadence.
"Wow, this is a very small world, huh..." Princess muttered softly under her breath. She looked between Jacqueline and Tisha, her chest rising and falling in a slow, continuous wave as the realization settled over her mind.