Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

161 Chapter 161

Seraphina’s POV 1

The clock above register three showed 8:47 PM. Thirteen minutes past my normal shift. Thirteen minutes past when I should have been walking out the door, heading home to my sad dinner of instant noodles and whatever was left of that questionable bread.

Instead, I was still here. Covering for Mia. Again.

“Next!” I called out, my voice hoarse from eight straight hours of fake cheerfulness.

A teenager shuffled forward with an armload of energy drinks and candy bars. Perfect. Another customer who’d probably pay with crumpled dollar bills and loose change while I stood here pretending my feet weren’t screaming in pain.

“ID?” I asked automatically when I saw the energy drinks.

He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Seriously? They’re not even the hardcore ones.”

“Store policy.”

He dug through his wallet, muttering under his breath about uptight cashiers and stupid rules. Behind him, three more customers waited with the patience of hungry wolves.

This was supposed to be Mia’s problem. Mia should be here dealing with teenage attitude and the growing line of increasingly annoyed

shoppers. But no-Mia was off somewhere with Tuesday Derek, probably laughing and having actual fun while I covered her ass.

Again.

The energy drink kid finally found his ID and slapped it down on the counter. Eighteen years old. Legal. I scanned his items and told him

the total.

“Twelve sixty-seven.”

He started counting out singles. Slowly. Like each dollar bill required careful consideration.

“Come on, man!” someone shouted from the back of the line. “Some of us got places to be!”

The kid’s hands started shaking. “Sorry, sorry. I got it somewhere…”

I felt a stab of sympathy. He was just a kid. Nervous. Probably spent his last bit of money on caffeine to get through a night shift at some

other dead-end job.

time,”

“Are you counting to

with the bills,

out to the line. “Give him a minute, okay?

I

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back of the line, wearing a stained work shirt and emanating the kind of aggressive energy that made my survival instincts perk up. His face was red with irritation, and he kept checking his phone like every

finally gathered his dropped bills and counted out the exact change. I handed him his

good night,” I

bag

The angry man had moved up to third in line. “Jesus Christ, kid. Maybe learn to count before you leave the house next

my teeth.

a basket of groceries and an apologetic expression. “Sorry about the wait,” she

know everyone’s

her items. Milk, bread, baby formula. A

day.

her, Mr. Angry

minutes! You got

customer’s head, “we have three registers open.

snapped. “I was here first! You people

jaw clench. But

you’re frustrated, sir. We’re doing our

“Your best sucks!”

of me looked embarrassed. “I’m so

I told her, keeping my

and gathered her bags. “Good luck,” she murmured

register like he was approaching a

shoulders and hands that looked like they could crush a beer

Beer, cigarettes, lottery

shit together.

right away, sir,” I said, starting to scan