Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 129: Chapter 129

Lena’s POV

Lena drove down the mountain slowly and carefully, eyes fixed on the road ahead. No suspicious cars. No sign of anyone anywhere.

Eliza’s injuries were not self-inflicted. No one did that to themselves. No one split their own lip and swelled up both cheeks like that.

But now that her brain had finally caught up, Lena knew something was off.

It was already weird enough that Eliza had shown up on this mountain at this hour. Sure, coincidences happened. But Dominic just happened to decide to drive up here, and Eliza just happened to appear on the same road at the exact same time, screaming for help?

Yeah, no. That was way too much.

If she had really been running from someone, she should have gone downhill. Toward the main road. Toward people. Toward somewhere safe.

But she ran up.

Because Eliza knew Dominic was at the top of the mountain.

The thought landed in Lena’s mind, cold and sharp, and she glanced at the rearview mirror.

Dominic was looking at her.

Lena kept her eyes on the road and said nothing.

"Where to?" she asked once the car reached level ground.

Dominic looked at Eliza. She was leaning against his shoulder without moving, her eyes blank, like she couldn’t even hear them talking.

"The hospital."

Lena raised a brow and kept driving.

When they got there, she got out and opened the back door. Eliza was still resting against Dominic, eyes shut now, like she had completely checked out.

Lena let out a small laugh. "Maybe you should just stay in the car and let her sleep on your shoulder for a bit. Might work better than the ER."

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

"I can hold her while you get out, then you can carry her inside." Lena kept her smile in place, polite as ever.

He didn’t take the offer. He helped Eliza sit up, patted her shoulder, and called her name.

"Eliza. We’re at the hospital."

I stared at him. Honestly, I’d thought he would just scoop her up and carry her inside.

Eliza’s eyes fluttered open. She looked around slowly and completely ignored me.

“I’m not going in,” she whispered, her voice so faint it was barely there.

“You’re hurt. You need to go to the hospital and get checked out.” Dominic’s tone was flat, almost too calm.

Eliza shook her head hard. “I don’t need anything.”

Dominic frowned.

“Dominic, please. Don’t take me to the hospital. I’m fine, I swear, I’m fine. Just take me home. Please, just take me home.” Her hands clung tightly to his as tears slid down her swollen cheeks. “Please...”

I looked at her face. Those injuries were not self-inflicted. Someone had hit her, hard, and not just once.

If she had really been attacked, then why wasn’t she reporting it?

Unless she knew who did it.

Unless this whole thing was an act.

It was only a guess. I had no proof.

I watched Dominic with a blank expression. She wanted him. That part was painfully obvious.

“Take her home,” he said at last, giving in.

I didn’t argue. I didn’t care enough to.

There was something messy and hard to name in the way Dominic felt about Eliza. His words were cold, all boundaries and distance, but what he actually did was a whole different story.

I got back into the driver’s seat and asked for the address.

As the car moved through the empty streets, I glanced at the rearview mirror. Eliza leaned against Dominic, fragile and helpless, bruised all over and still somehow pretty. He didn’t put an arm around her, but he didn’t push her away either.

I stopped looking in the mirror and kept my eyes on the road.

We pulled up in front of Eliza’s apartment building. I parked the car and sat there quietly.

"I think you should call her boyfriend." In the rearview mirror, Lena caught Dominic’s eyes. He clearly needed the reminder: Eliza already had a boyfriend.

The second the word "boyfriend" landed, Eliza’s whole body went rigid.

Lena saw it right away. Eliza did not want Dominic knowing that part.

"I don’t have a boyfriend." Eliza straightened in her seat, eyes glossy with tears as she looked at Dominic. "I’ll never have one again."

Lena raised a brow. That sounded less like heartbreak and more like a vow of loyalty, dressed up as victim talk. Subtle. Very subtle.

Dominic shoved the car door open. "Get out. I’ll take you upstairs."

Eliza grabbed his hand hard, like she was scared he’d vanish if she let go.

"You can’t seriously expect us to sit in this car with you till sunrise." Dominic lowered his gaze to the fingers wrapped around his wrist, his face flat and cold. "My partner and I need to go home."

My partner and I.

Four words, clean and sharp, like a line drawn in stone.

Eliza slowly let go. Then she glanced at Lena.

Lena turned toward her and gave her a gentle smile. "If you need a little more time, I don’t mind waiting in the car. I’m just worried about your face. You really should clean it up."

Eliza pressed her lips together. The anger in her eyes flared for a second, then got forced back down.

She got out of the car. Her legs buckled almost immediately, and Dominic caught her by the arm.

Lena stepped out too, shut the door, walked around to Eliza’s other side, and took her other arm. "Come on. We’ll help you up."

Eliza clearly didn’t want Lena touching her, but she was in no shape to refuse.

The three of them entered the elevator. The floor numbers kept climbing in tense silence. Then the doors slid open. Eliza pointed toward her apartment. "The code is your birthday."

Lena turned to look at Dominic. Without a word, his expression unreadable, Dominic keyed in the code and opened the door.

The lock clicked.

The apartment was warm. Carefully decorated too, soft lighting everywhere, fresh flowers set on the entry table. Lilies. The moment Lena stepped inside, that rich, sweet scent hit her head-on and drifted through every room.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Dominic asked again. "You look awful."

Eliza sat on the couch and shook her head. She forced out a weak little smile. "I’m fine. Thanks for bringing me home. Both of you. You should go. I can handle the rest myself."

Dominic didn’t press her anymore. He walked to the door, then paused and turned back. "If you need anything, call Daniel."

Not him. Daniel.

Eliza gave a small nod.

We stepped outside. Once the elevator doors closed, the corner of my mouth lifted a little. "You really aren’t worried about her?"

"She’s an adult." He stood there straight, hands in his pockets, face unreadable.

"I’m just saying." I glanced at him. "She showed up on that mountain in the middle of the night, covered in bruises. Obviously she wanted someone to talk to. You’re probably the person she trusts most. Maybe you should go back..."

Before I could finish, his lips crashed into mine.

I froze.

I hadn’t seen that coming. Not here. Not in the elevator. Definitely not after everything that had just happened.

I shoved at his chest, but he only kissed me harder.

I smacked his shoulder, and the next second he bit down on my tongue. Sharp pain shot through my mouth so fast my eyes watered on the spot.

Only then did he finally let me go. I stuck out my tongue, felt the spot he’d bitten, then pinched his waist hard. "Dominic, you jerk!"

He had an arm around my waist already. He bent closer and checked the wound like he was actually inspecting damage. "Does it hurt?"

"What do you think?" I seriously wanted to bite him back and see how he liked it.

"Then stop talking." His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "What you said just now pissed me off."

My mind spun fast, then clicked into place. I knew exactly which line had gotten under his skin.

I couldn’t help saying it anyway. "So you’re really just going to stand there and tell me you don’t care about her? Please. Men are literally the best liars on earth. On the outside you act like nothing touched you, but inside? You’re already a mess."

He turned and stared straight at me without blinking.

I didn’t move, even though that look made my whole body go tight and numb. "Am I wrong?"

His arm locked tight around Lena’s waist. His palm pressed flat against her back and pulled her in even closer. He swallowed once, throat bobbing, then asked in a low, rough voice, "Do you want me to care about her, or do you want me not to?"

Dominic cared about Eliza. Lena could tell. Clear as day.

"I don’t want you to care," she said bluntly, without even a second of hesitation.

The tension in his face eased a little. "I don’t."

"Then if she calls you, don’t pick up. Can you do that?"

He didn’t answer right away.

Lena was just about to roll her eyes when she heard him say, "Of course."

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