Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 162: Chapter 162

Lena’s POV

Her body sagged against Dominic like all the strength had been drained out of it. "I’m so tired."

"You earned it." He brushed a kiss over her shoulder. "Rest for a bit, then we’ll get cleaned up."

"Mm."

"I’ll help you wash."

"Okay."

At that point, she seriously couldn’t care less about anything else.

He held her a little longer, his palm moving in slow circles on her back, then lifted her and carried her into the bathroom.

The shower in the apartment was so tiny it was basically a joke for two people. The second they both got in, they were bumping elbows every time one of them shifted.

She looped her arms around his neck and just let him handle everything. He washed her hair, rinsed the soap from her skin, and kept his hands exactly where they should be. He didn’t try anything extra. Not even a little.

It took him forever to get both of them properly clean. After that, he dried her hair with a towel, wrapped her up tight, and carried her to the guest room.

"I’m going to change the sheets." He tucked the blanket around her, secured the bath towel, then headed for the master bedroom.

Okay, sure, but the master bedroom needed way more than just fresh sheets.

Samuel’s POV

Around seven, he called Dominic.

"You two good now?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Dominic sounded calm, loose, almost absurdly at ease. In the background, there was a faint sizzling noise.

"Are you cooking?"

"Yeah."

I kept going. "So. The Stonewall Pack deal—have you made up your mind?"

"I agreed."

The tight knot in my chest finally loosened a little. I’d spent weeks on this thing—digging through numbers, pulling data, drafting the proposal, trying every way I could to convince Dominic that this investment was worth the risk. If he said no, I’d walk away with absolutely nothing.

"Did you only decide recently, or had you already made up your mind before today?"

"Does it matter?"

I caught myself and switched gears fast. "No. It doesn’t. Thank you."

"This deal might save Mercer, but it won’t help you get the girl back."

The line went dead right after that. He hung up.

I stood on the balcony, phone pressed against my chin, staring at the railing in front of me.

Classic Dominic. The second his own life got back on track, he made damn sure nobody else got to have it easy. I shoved the phone into my pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

Smoke curled up in thin strands, then vanished into the freezing night. I scrolled through my contacts, my eyes stopping on one name.

Aria Mercer.

We hadn’t spoken once since she left. She’d locked down her Instagram too, shut me out from every update like I didn’t deserve even a glimpse. Honestly, I couldn’t even blame her.

I finished the cigarette and hit call.

The phone started ringing. Every single ring made my chest tighten a little more. I leaned against the railing and told myself this was business. Just basic courtesy. That was it. Nothing else.

I was just about to hang up when she answered. "Hello?"

Her voice was soft, careful—like the way you talk to someone you still don’t fully trust.

My throat went dry. "Miss Mercer."

"Alpha Samuel." She said my name politely, and that was all. Gone was the old version of her, the one who used to smile every time she heard it.

"Is now a bad time?"

"Sure. Why? Is something wrong?"

Her voice was distant, cool, like she’d built a wall on purpose and left me standing outside it.

She hadn’t always talked to me like that. Back then, she used to say my name without hesitation, lean in when I spoke, laugh so hard at my dumb jokes she could barely breathe, and look at me with those bright hazel eyes until I forgot I had anywhere else to be.

That was before I ruined it all.

That night, I’d had too much to drink, and my want for her got way out of hand. I crossed the line she had drawn, clear as day.

I didn’t get what I wanted.

I just lost everything I already had.

I took a slow breath. "Dominic approved the investment for Stonewall Pack. I wanted to tell you myself, so you wouldn’t be left worrying."

"Really?" The caution in her voice shook a little, but the excitement still spilled through. "That’s amazing."

"Yeah." I could almost see her smile spreading, and my stomach twisted hard. She was happy about the deal, happy that her cousin Mercer had been pulled back from the edge.

I was just the messenger.

But God, I wanted to be more than that.

"Thank you, Samuel. I know you put a lot of work into this."

I leaned back and tipped my head toward the sky. "That’s it? Just a thank-you over the phone?"

Silence.

On her end, nothing.

I knew exactly what that meant. She had her guard up again. And honestly? I’d given her more than enough reasons.

"Kidding," I said quickly, pulling it back before I made things worse. I didn’t want this call to end. "Mercer earned this on his own. How’s your mother doing?"

"The same as always. Some good days, some bad."

"Tell her I said hello."

"I will."

Then we both went quiet.

The silence stretched between us, heavy and full, packed with everything neither of us was saying.

And then I heard a man’s voice from her side.

"Aria, let’s go."

"He’s here."

Her tone flipped in an instant, turning soft and warm, just like the way she used to talk to him before. Then she lifted the phone again. "Samuel, I need to take my mom out for a little fresh air."

Samuel gripped the railing so hard his knuckles went white. "...Of course."

"If you ever get a chance to come out here, I’ll buy you dinner."

"I’ll hold you to that."

"Goodbye, Samuel."

"Goodbye."

The call ended. He stared at the screen.

That man who called her Aria. That man who said, "Let’s go," with the easy familiarity of someone who lived under the same roof, kept the same rhythm, and had no distance between them at all.

That was her boyfriend. The man in the photo, sitting with her mother in the garden, looking completely at ease—steady, settled, like he belonged there.

He had met her family. He had been accepted.

Samuel stood on the balcony for a long, long time, letting the cold wind cut straight through him. Then he snatched up his coat and walked out. He had no clue where he was going. And honestly, he didn’t care. Anywhere was better than staying there with that crushing weight sitting in his chest.

Dominic’s POV

Lena was dead asleep.

Dominic lay beside her, propped up on one elbow, quietly watching her.

She was sleeping hard, cheeks flushed with warmth, that soft red glow resting high along her cheekbones. Her lips were slightly parted, full and soft, still a little swollen from before.

He bent down and brushed a light kiss over her mouth. Barely there.

She still carried the faint taste of soup on her lips, and underneath that was her own scent. Every single time he caught it, his wolf calmed down instantly, like someone had hit the mute button on all the noise in his head.

He kissed her again.

Softer this time.

Then once more.

He just couldn’t stop.

Lena shifted, her brows pinching slightly as she turned over, then her breathing slowly evened out again.

Dominic straightened and leaned back against the headboard, letting her keep sleeping.

The phone on the nightstand started buzzing.

Eliza.

He glanced at Lena, then slipped out of bed. Only after stepping into the hallway did he pick up the call.

"What is it?"

"Samuel’s drunk." Eliza’s voice was tight, wound up like a string about to snap. Behind her came a mess of noise—people shouting, music blasting, glass smashing. "He’s making a scene at the bar, and I can’t handle him by myself. Can you come over?"

In the background, he could vaguely make out Samuel’s voice, loud and slurred, basically impossible to understand.

"Which bar?"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!