Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 157: Chapter 157

Lena’s POV

She had said it already—she wasn’t going back. By afternoon, she was at the train station.

Dominic’s phone had been going off the whole way. She had told him to fly. It would’ve been faster and way less of a time sink.

“Not a second wasted,” he said.

Before the sentence even fully landed, his phone buzzed again.

Fine. If he wanted to be this stubborn, that was on him.

On the train, for a full three hours, he worked nonstop. Phone glued to his ear, and every time a call ended, his fingers were already flying across the screen, typing out whatever came next. Lena put on her headphones, leaned back, and watched a show on her phone, choosing peace over talking.

By the time they got off the train, Daniel was already waiting near the exit.

Dominic handed him the suitcase, took Lena’s hand, and opened the back door for her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Office first, or—”

“Take her home first.”

Daniel flicked a glance at the rearview mirror. “The elders from the wolf council are waiting for you. The alliance Alphas are there too.”

He didn’t need to spell it out. Lena got the message instantly.

“Take Dominic to the office first,” she said. The last thing she wanted was a whole room full of people sitting there waiting on him.

“It’s fine.”

“I’m not in a rush.” She turned to look at him, her tone flat but sharp. “Don’t keep your people waiting. They’re busy enough already. Don’t make your Alpha late because he can’t tell what matters more.”

She used to be an employee too. She knew exactly how awful it felt to get stuck under a boss who treated everyone else’s time like it was disposable.

Dominic finally gave in and told Daniel to drive to the office.

When they arrived, Dominic opened the car door, then turned back to her. “Come in.”

“Why would I go in?”

“Wait for me.”

Lena frowned, the annoyance in her chest rising all over again. “While you’re in a meeting, I have absolutely no reason to sit in your office.”

"If you come with me, I’ll finish faster."

"How fast you finish has nothing to do with me."

"It does." His voice was dead serious. "If you’re there, I’ll wrap it up early."

Lena had zero interest in hearing his logic. It made no sense, and honestly, it didn’t need to.

Dominic got out of the car, walked around to her side, pulled the door open, and held out his hand. "Come on."

"No." She didn’t budge.

He stared at her. A few seconds passed. Then he turned to Daniel. "Cancel the meeting."

Daniel frowned at once. "Alpha, the allied pack leaders have been preparing for this for weeks..."

But Dominic’s eyes never left Lena.

She heard every word Daniel said, and in that moment, the whole thing felt even more ridiculous. She shoved past Dominic, got out of the car, and stormed toward the building.

He shut the door and followed her inside.

Dominic went to the conference room. Lena sat alone in his office, staring at the wall, completely checked out.

Daniel brought in tea, fruit, and a box of snacks, setting them on the table beside her.

"Don’t you have a meeting?" she asked.

"Alpha told me to stay here with you."

She let out a quiet scoff. "Wow. How thoughtful."

"He cares about you, Luna."

"Cares?" Her smile carried no warmth at all. "Which part of what he did today looks like caring to you?"

Daniel said nothing.

He couldn’t defend Dominic, but he wouldn’t speak against him either.

Lena didn’t bring Dominic up again. Every time his name came up, the air got weird fast.

"Daniel, how’s Anna been since you got back from the trip?"

He didn’t dodge the question. "She’s been really quiet ever since we came back. Seeing her family hit her harder than she thought it would."

Lena straightened in her seat. "Did you two talk about it?"

"I tried." He paused for half a beat, his expression staying calm, but something heavy sat underneath it. "She said she’s fine. She’s not."

"No, she isn’t." Lena knew Anna too well for that. When Anna said she was "fine," it usually meant she was falling apart inside and doing everything she could to keep it from showing.

"I want her to feel safe." Daniel’s voice stayed even, steady as ever, but the meaning behind it carried a weight he almost never let people hear. "Not safe like I’m just protecting her. Safe like... she doesn’t have to prove anything. She doesn’t have to fight for her place. She already has it."

Lena’s chest tightened all at once. That was exactly what Anna needed. Exactly what her family had never given her.

"Have you told her that?"

"Not in those words."

"Then tell her. Say it exactly like that." Lena leaned forward, her tone soft but firm. "Daniel, she’s spent her whole life scrambling for the smallest scrap of approval. If you can be the one person she doesn’t have to earn, she’ll give you everything."

He nodded once. "I will."

For a second, Lena almost pulled out her phone and called Anna on the spot to spill everything. But no, this was Daniel’s lane, not hers, and she had no intention of ruining the moment.

They kept talking until Dominic’s meeting finally wrapped up. Just hearing Anna’s name, talking about something real and human, made everything feel lighter. For the first time in days, Lena actually smiled.

Dominic walked in right as the meeting was ending.

A second ago, Lena had been glowing, shoulders loose, posture easy. The moment she saw him, it was like someone flipped off the lights inside her.

Daniel got to his feet.

"What’s so funny?" Dominic glanced at Daniel, then came over to Lena, picked up her tea, and took a sip like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Lena didn’t want to talk to him, so she said nothing.

Daniel filled the silence. "The Luna and I were talking about Anna."

Dominic looked back at him. "How’s she doing after that family trip?"

"Still processing it. I’m figuring out how to help her." Daniel didn’t say anything more.

"She’ll be fine with you around." Dominic dropped into the seat beside Lena, picked up her tea like it was his, and took a sip. "Anna found herself a good mate. Almost as good as me."

So that was his roundabout way of praising Daniel. Lena didn’t bother reacting.

Daniel clearly caught the vibe in the room and quietly stepped away.

"Daniel’s solid," Dominic said, eating the fruit Lena hadn’t touched. "Anna’s lucky. Not everyone gets a man who doesn’t fold when things get hard."

"Her family’s been putting a lot on her," Lena said. "Daniel won’t let her fall apart."

"Why do you never say Anna makes Daniel’s life better too?" Dominic asked.

Lena didn’t argue because she disagreed. Honestly, she just wanted to push back. "She does. They’ll make each other happy."

She stood up, already done with this whole conversation. "Can I leave now?"

"Yeah."

He moved with her at once, took her bag, grabbed his coat, and opened the door for her, waiting for her to walk out first.

Lena had no idea why, but every little considerate thing he did now only made her chest feel tighter, like something heavy was sitting right there and refusing to move.

He got the car keys from Daniel, then followed behind her in silence all the way to the parking lot, carrying her bag without a word.

Once they were in the car, Samuel called. Dominic put it on speaker.

"I booked the table. Bring Lena. And don’t start with excuses. I’m waiting."

Samuel’s voice came through fast and fierce, like a whirlwind tearing across the line. Before Dominic could say a single word, Samuel hung up. Through the car speakers, Lena had heard every bit of it.

"Do you want to go?" Dominic asked, glancing at her.

"Of course." She had no intention of brushing Samuel off.

Dominic changed course and drove to the place Samuel had sent.

When they arrived, Samuel was outside talking to someone. As they got closer, Lena recognized Eliza.

She’d come for dinner with friends and had just happened to run into Samuel.

The moment Eliza saw them, she smiled lightly. "I was just heading in. My friends are waiting for me." She gave them a polite nod, then turned and went inside.

If Lena hadn’t known what Eliza had been like before, she probably would’ve thought she was genuinely nice.

The woman had changed so completely it was almost unreal. She was nothing like the one from a few months ago—the one who had tried to get close to Lena. It was like looking at two entirely different people.

"Come on, sis. I got something special for you. You’re gonna love it." Samuel completely ignored Dominic and walked straight to Lena, his arm hovering behind her shoulder without actually touching her.

He reminded her of a golden retriever that had just knocked something off a counter and was now wagging its tail like crazy, trying to dodge getting scolded.

She had no idea what he was up to. Still, she let him lead her through the restaurant and down to a private room at the end of the hall.

He pushed the door open. The room was pitch-black.

Lena stepped inside. Then the lights slowly came on, soft and golden. Music drifted through the air, some romantic string piece setting the mood. The scent of flowers was everywhere, thick and sweet, with bouquets stuffed into every corner of the room.

And then she saw them.

A whole line of tall men stood there, each one dressed sharp, each one holding a bouquet. One by one, they stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and offered her their flowers.

It was completely ridiculous. Totally unhinged, honestly. But she still took the flowers.

Samuel broke into a huge grin, his eyes nearly disappearing. "Hahahahahahaha—!"

The music swelled, and a massive round white box was rolled in front of her, tied with a pink ribbon in a neat bow. It looked like some oversized cake.

Lena turned to Samuel. "What is this?"

"The grand finale." He lifted a brow. "Open it. Trust me."

She seriously did not understand why Samuel was doing any of this. To anyone watching, it would look like she and Samuel were the ones making some kind of mating bond.

"Open it! Open it!" He was practically shaking with excitement.

The look on his face told her one thing loud and clear: she was not going to like this.

She set the flowers on the table, stepped forward, and lifted the lid.

A figure rose out of the box. Petals burst out like rain, drifting down all around them.

Lena went completely still. Her eyes widened, and her whole body locked up.

Dominic moved in instantly, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her hard against his chest. He pressed her face into his shoulder so she couldn’t see a thing.

"Samuel!" Dominic’s voice ripped through the room, rough and hoarse. He was absolutely done.

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