Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 151: Chapter 151

Lena’s POV

We checked into a small inn. Anna had booked two rooms, one for the two of us and one for Daniel.

The second Lena stepped inside, she tossed her bag onto the bed. A few minutes later, Anna came in too, looking pretty pleased with herself.

"I told Daniel not to tell Dominic you’re here," she said, kicking off her shoes by the door. "He said he wouldn’t."

Lena didn’t argue. Honestly, it didn’t matter that much. Even if Dominic found out, he probably wouldn’t come anyway.

Early the next morning, Anna’s mother called to ask when they’d arrive. With her daughter bringing both her mate and a friend home, the family was obviously going all out.

They drove to Anna’s family estate, deep in Bloodmoon Pack territory. The property sat on a wide stretch of open land, with rolling low hills spreading out behind it. An old farmhouse stood there with a broad front porch, and a barn rested off to one side.

A band had set up near the front gate, and from the huge oven behind the house came the rich smell of roasting meat, wave after wave, enough to make anyone hungry on the spot. The moment Anna’s parents saw Daniel climbing out of the truck with shopping bags in both hands, their faces lit right up.

Her mother grabbed the arm of the nearest relative and pointed without even trying to hide her excitement. "That’s Anna’s mate, Daniel, the beta of Bloodmoon Pack."

Anna clenched her teeth for a second, but she kept smiling like a champ.

Lena watched Daniel go down the line, introducing himself one person at a time. His manners were solid, easy but respectful. Whenever someone praised Anna, he accepted it with calm confidence. There was something naturally steady about him, the kind of quiet authority that made pack members trust him without even thinking about it.

Lena greeted Anna’s parents, then found Anna’s grandfather and handed him a card with some cash tucked inside. "Sir, happy birthday. Wishing you good health and a long life."

The old man patted her hand and thanked her with a smile. The lines on his face were deep and soft at the same time, like every year he’d lived had settled there and stayed.

After that, Lena quietly slipped away from the crowd and wandered across the porch.

Standing there, she suddenly felt like she’d gone back to her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother had lived in the countryside too. There’d been a big yard out front, fruit trees planted along the fence, and fields stretching all the way past the gate.

After her mother died, Lena never went back.

When she was little, all she wanted was to grow up fast and leave that place behind. Now that she was grown, all she wanted was the exact opposite—to be a child again, to go back to the one place that had never hurt.

"Why are you out here by yourself?" Anna found her standing under a fruit tree and reached up to pluck a ripe pear. She split it in half against her knee and handed Lena the bigger piece.

Lena took it. "Too loud in there."

Anna bit into her own half. It was sweet and cool.

"Grandpa’s having the time of his life."

"Obviously." Lena took another bite. "People his age should get days like this. My grandma too."

Anna looked at her, then slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I’m okay." Lena smiled at her. "Just thinking about how crazy fast time goes."

"Yeah." Anna rested her head lightly against Lena’s. "It really does."

They stood side by side under the tree, eating pears in silence, letting the quiet sit between them.

Daniel came out from the house. "Your mom needs you."

Anna stuffed the other half of her pear into his hand. "I already peeled that, so don’t waste it."

He took it, and she headed back inside.

Lena watched him standing there with half a pear in his hand, looking as serious as he did about literally everything. "Good?"

He bit into it and gave a small nod. "Sweet. Really good."

Then the host called everyone to the front yard. The main event was up.

Lena went in with Daniel. Anna’s grandfather was seated at the head of the longest table in a large chair, dressed sharp, a finely carved wooden wolf pendant hanging at his neck, the mark of a pack elder.

He was smiling so hard his eyes were nearly lost in the folds around them. Every person who had shown up that day, whether they came out of real love or just for the food, had made the old man feel cherished.

Lena looked at him and thought of her grandmother. If she were still alive, Lena would’ve thrown her a party just like this.

The family gathered in close. Anna’s uncles and cousins stood one after another, raising their glasses for toasts. Halfway through the speeches, members of the Bloodmoon Pack suddenly shifted positions and let out a chorus of howls in tribute to their elder, drawing cheers from the crowd. Some of the cheers were goofy enough to make people laugh, and some were so heartfelt they brought tears to the old man’s eyes.

Lena and Daniel stayed off to the side. He was Anna’s mate, sure, but full acceptance from the older generation in the family was the kind of thing that took time.

Then the barbecue came out. The long tables filled with smoked ribs, grilled corn, coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, and enough pie to feed way more people than were actually there. Guests were served first, while the family waited for the next round.

Anna slipped over to Lena during the break in the serving. Before she could say a word, Daniel walked up and held out his hand.

She frowned at his open palm for a second, confused, then placed her hand in it.

He set a handful of perfectly sliced pear pieces into her palm, every slice peeled, cored, edges neat and clean. "I washed my hands first."

Anna looked down at the fruit, then up at his face. "Thank you."

I stood about two feet away, grinning so hard my cheeks actually hurt.

The celebration rolled on from morning all the way to dusk. By night, after the last group of guests had driven off, the whole family basically collapsed into the porch chairs, done for the day and the party.

That night, I slept in Anna’s old room. Daniel took the fold-out bed downstairs.

After I washed up, I climbed into bed and picked up my phone. One new message.

Dominic.

["I’m back today."]

I read it once. I didn’t answer.

He had vanished without a word. And now he was back, leaving me one single line like that was supposed to mean something.

Anna came in with her hair still wet, then dropped onto the bed beside mine. "I took the rest of the week off. We’re thinking of staying a few more days."

"Won’t that mess with your work?"

"I just closed a huge deal. My boss is over the moon. I could disappear for a month and nobody would even clock it." She rolled onto her side. "When was the last time we slept in the same room?"

I thought about it. "Years."

"If men didn’t exist, we’d be soulmates."

"Men do exist, and we’re still soulmates." I turned to face her. "I’m seriously so lucky I found you."

Anna turned toward me too. "Same."

We smiled at each other.

"No, but for real, we should just stay together," Anna said, lifting a brow. "Delete men from the plan completely."

I laughed. "Deal."

She slipped an arm around my waist.

I jerked in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanna see how soft your waist actually is. Dominic keeps it all to himself. Totally unfair."

"Anna, don’t touch me."

"I’m only touching your waist, okay? I’m not touching anything else. Unless you want me to..."

"Are you insane? Stop. That tickles!"

"Dominic is seriously one lucky wolf. This should’ve been mine. Hold still..."

"Anna! If you touch my chest, I’ll kill you!"

We ended up wrestling across the bed until the frame squeaked like it was about to give up, and we laughed so hard it felt like even the walls were shaking with us. In the middle of the chaos, my phone rolled off the mattress and started buzzing on the wooden floor.

Morning came with birdsong drifting in from outside. No one needed an alarm clock here. Nature handled that on its own.

Anna yawned, pushed herself up from the bed, and picked up the phone from the floor. "You missed some calls."

I rubbed my eyes and took it from her. Five missed calls. All from Dominic.

"Who is it?" Anna leaned closer, already nosy.

"Dominic."

"Oh, so now he remembers he has a mate?" Anna curled her lip.

I set the phone aside, tied up my hair, and got out of bed.

His texts, his calls—I felt nothing.

Deep down, Lena had always known whatever existed between them was never built to last. That week of silence had only been the warning sign.

Anna got ready first. After Lena changed clothes, she followed her downstairs.

Daniel was sitting on the porch with a mug of coffee, rocking beside Anna’s father. Her father was talking to him, casual and easy. Daniel mostly listened, nodding now and then to show he agreed. He was never the type to jump into a conversation first.

"Lena, sweetheart, I heard you have a mate now." Anna’s mother came in through the screen door, wiping her hands on a dishcloth, her voice warm and curious. "Where’s your man? Why didn’t you bring him with you?"

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