Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 103: Chapter 103

Lena’s POV

Samuel turned toward the window, his shoulders shaking a little. He was trying so hard not to laugh that he looked seconds away from losing it.

This time, Eliza didn’t try to tag along with us. She waved down a cab and disappeared into the crowd like she’d never been there at all.

Samuel stretched lazily. “I’m heading back to the office.”

We watched him drive off. Then Daniel turned to Dominic. “Alpha, back to the manor?”

“No.” Dominic held out his hand. “Keys.”

Daniel didn’t say a word. He just placed the keys in Dominic’s palm.

Dominic looked at Lena. “Weren’t you planning to sleep?”

A bad feeling curled in her stomach right away. The kind that whispered that the second they were alone, he was going to go over every single thing that had happened in the last twelve hours and settle the score.

“Actually,” she said, forcing her voice to stay casual, “I think I should go to the office after all.”

“You took the day off.” He saw through her instantly. “Unless you want me to make that two days.”

She pasted on a stiff smile. “Uh. That really won’t be necessary.”

“Get in.”

She reached for the back door, but Dominic’s hand landed on her wrist first, firm and unyielding.

He caught her wrist, pulled her toward the passenger seat, and shoved her inside.

“Dominic!” She twisted around and glared at him, anger flashing in her eyes.

“Get in.”

Her teeth clenched. He was blocking the way completely. She had no choice but to drop into the seat and yank the seat belt across herself. “It’s not that serious.”

He shut the door, walked around the front, and got into the driver’s seat.

The whole ride, Lena sat there tense as hell, waiting for the interrogation to start. But he didn’t ask a single question. And by the time they stepped through the door of his house, that silence had her more on edge than if he’d just yelled at her.

"What happened?" he asked the second he noticed Lena frozen in the doorway.

She tested the waters carefully. "Are you... okay?"

Dominic sat on the couch with one leg crossed over the other, both hands resting on his knee, looking at her with that calm, unreadable stare of his. "So, you already know what’s going on. Since you can’t sleep, come sit down. Let’s talk."

Her heart dropped hard. "Talk about what?"

"That handsome guy." His tone was easy, almost casual, but there was something sharp buried underneath it. Dangerous.

She regretted opening her mouth instantly.

Why didn’t she just turn around and go back to the bedroom?

"What handsome guy?" Her gaze drifted to the ceiling like the answer might be written up there. "Compared to you, who even counts as handsome?"

He gave her a look that basically screamed, Really?

She flashed him a grin. "I’m kind of tired. I’m gonna go sleep."

"Stay."

Her feet moved before her brain could catch up, carrying her forward on their own.

His fingers rubbed together slowly, almost lazily. "Who is he?"

She drew in a deep breath and turned to face him. "I already kissed you. I told you, that made us even."

"I never agreed to that."

"Then kiss me back." She tucked both hands behind her back. "One kiss, and I’ll tell you everything."

He frowned.

She lifted her chin a little. "No kiss, no answer."

He uncrossed his legs, reached out, caught her wrist, and tugged.

Lena lost her balance and dropped straight onto his lap. One finger slid under her chin and tipped her face up. Their faces were so close it felt like there was barely any air left between them.

"When I kissed you outside the restaurant," she said, trying very hard to hang on to what little dignity she had left, "it did not look like this."

I shifted against him, trying to get comfortable, but his hand stayed firm on my waist, pinning me in place. "Dominic, this position sucks."

He spread his legs a little, making room. In the end, Lena was kneeling on the couch between his thighs, both hands braced on his shoulders. They were so close her body nearly pressed into his, close enough to feel his breath brush warm against her cheek.

Way too close.

Her heartbeat was pounding so hard it felt ridiculous, like he had to be able to hear it.

His hand moved slowly over her waist and up her back, light and careful, like he was tracing something on her skin. It tickled just enough to make her want to squirm.

But he said nothing. He just looked at her with those deep, unreadable eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked softly.

His other hand lifted, and his thumb brushed over her lower lip in a slow, absent motion.

She had never understood him. Not once.

"I won’t ask about your man," he said, his voice low and rough. "So you stop asking about Eliza."

Her brows lifted. "Eliza?"

"Yes."

She stared at him for a second, then laughed.

So that was it.

A trade. Her secret for his. A shaky truce built on silence, the kind that could crack at any second.

And all of it was for Eliza.

Lena tried to pull away, but his hand pressed harder against her back, keeping her exactly where she was.

"Let go of me." Her voice turned cold.

"No."

"Dominic, if we’re not even going to talk, what’s the point of sitting here? I’m tired."

His hand was still locked on her waist, strong and unyielding. "It’s still daylight."

"I was up all night. I haven’t even recovered yet."

"If you fall asleep now, you won’t be able to sleep tonight."

"That sounds like a you problem."

Lena shoved his hand off her body. "Let go of me."

He didn’t budge.

"I’m gonna hit you!" She lifted her fist and waved it at him.

Dominic knew exactly what she was like. She was a cat, not a tiger. At worst, she’d scratch. She would never actually throw a real punch.

"Didn’t you want a kiss?" His hand slid to the back of her head and pulled her down.

The second his lips touched hers, her eyes flew wide open.

A moment later, he let her go. "Close your eyes."

Lena had no idea why she listened. But she did.

He drew her down again, this time slow, almost maddeningly slow, and kissed her properly. Gentle. Careful. Like he was tasting something rare and precious.

Her heart started pounding so hard it felt like it might give her away. She liked this kind of kiss. The kind that made her feel like he was handling her with care.

This kind of kiss felt like love.

The thought slammed into her so hard she froze.

Did he love her?

She pushed him away. He blinked, like he hadn’t expected that.

"What were you thinking just now?" she asked, staring straight at him. "When you kissed me."

Was it just impulse? Or had he done it because she asked?

His eyes narrowed a little. "What do you want me to be thinking?"

"Dominic!" she snapped, her voice sharp. "Can you answer me directly for once? Stop dodging the question!"

I hated it when he did this—flipping the question back on me so I’d be the one forced to answer. That way, he never had to make a promise.

That way, he never had to take responsibility for what he chose to believe about me.

He let go, and Lena Foster climbed off him.

"Why do you always have to make something simple so complicated?" Dominic Voss looked at her, tired clear in his eyes. "Things are fine like this."

"So asking you is wrong?" she said with a bitter little laugh. "I have a lot of questions. Am I not even allowed to say them out loud?"

He got to his feet. He didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

She snatched up her bag. "Fine. I’m leaving too."

She really shouldn’t have come here.

He caught her by the wrist. "Where are you going?"

"My apartment."

Thank God she still had her own place. If everything went sideways, at least she’d still have somewhere to land.

His grip tightened. "So every time we fight, you run?"

"You’ve got it backwards." She looked straight at him, not blinking. "My apartment is my home. This place isn’t. It never was."

His face darkened on the spot.

She pulled free. "I ask too many questions, apparently, and I can’t live with someone who never answers any of them. We said we’d live separately. That still stands."

"Lena."

Her temper was nasty when it flared up. Most of the time, she could talk herself down, remind herself that what she had with Dominic wasn’t deep enough to be worth a full-on fight, and tell herself to just let it go.

But once the anger really got the upper hand, all the logic in the world was useless.

"Say whatever you want."

He’d seen her like this before. He knew that right now, nothing he said would get through, so in the end, he said nothing.

He walked to the door and pulled it open. Message received: leave.

Lena shot him a furious glare and strode straight out. Dominic followed right behind her and shut the door with one casual swing.

Inside the elevator, she folded her arms tight and pressed herself against the far wall. He stood on the opposite side, hands buried in his pockets like none of this was a big deal.

She took out her phone and pretended to be busy. Whatever. Anything was better than looking at him.

There was a text from Jess. She opened it. It was a photo from this morning, one she hadn’t even noticed him taking.

In the picture, she was standing at the edge of the cliff, eyes closed, face tilted toward the rising sun. The light was soft, spilling gold over everything, bright but not harsh.

"Caught this when you weren’t looking. Figured you’d like it."

She texted back, "Thanks."

He didn’t answer. He was probably getting ready for work by now.

She saved the photo. The elevator doors slid open, and she walked out without saying a word.

"I’ll drive you," Dominic called after her.

She kept going. Out through the lobby, past the garage exit, and into the sunlight.

At the curb, she flagged down a cab. Once inside, she gave the driver her address, and they pulled away.

Then she sent Anna everything. Every word, every silence, every maddening dodge. She tore Dominic apart line by line, absolutely roasting him.

Anna listened. She was just as fired up, cursing him right along with Lena and backing every single complaint.

When Lena finally ran out of steam, exhausted and hollowed out, Anna sent one more message.

"Okay, but honestly? You’re not exactly innocent either."

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