Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 168: Chapter 168

Dominic’s POV

The pack gathering was being held at Obsidian Hall.

"What they want is a promise," Daniel said as they stepped into the hall. "Calling it drinks and socializing is just for show. What they’re really after is locking down territory."

Dominic swept his gaze across the room. Familiar faces everywhere. Alphas he’d bargained with before, and the ones who were scared of him but still had no choice except to come over and make small talk. One by one, they approached, shook his hand, and weighed every word before letting it out.

"Eliza’s here." Daniel tipped his chin toward the entrance.

She walked in wearing a fitted white dress, clean and elegant, her hair pinned high, exposing the slim line of her neck and sharp collarbones.

Heads turned almost at once. A few conversations around the room cut off mid-sentence, and more than one person glanced toward Dominic. Eliza spotted him within seconds and came straight over.

"So, you are here." She stopped in front of him, poised and graceful.

"Mm."

Her eyes moved around the room. "Lena didn’t come with you?"

Dominic had zero interest in dragging that topic out. He turned to Daniel instead. "Come on. There are people I need you to meet."

Daniel followed without a word. They walked off, and Dominic didn’t look back.

The host alpha began speaking, starting with the usual polished nonsense. Every pack in the room had contributed to regional stability, and so on, and so on. The alliance was stronger than ever.

Then came the real ask. He expected the packs present to provide those resources. Everyone seated at the table knew exactly what this was. Even so, they kept smiling and raised their glasses like the whole thing was perfectly normal.

Dominic found an excuse to head to the restroom. On his way back, Eliza was waiting in the corridor.

"Dominic." She stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

He stopped. "What?"

"You really won’t even talk to me now?" She had been trying to get his attention all night, and every single time, he had ignored her like she wasn’t there.

"Say what you want to say."

She took a slow breath, her eyes hollow when they lifted to his. "There isn’t some deep, ugly hatred between us. At the end of the day, it was just a relationship that didn’t work out. Can’t we at least be civil? Back in that room, you couldn’t even spare me one glance?"

“Eliza, there’s nothing you need me to do for you. You know why I looked out for you all these years. You’ve got your own life now. You can build whatever future you want. So stop wasting your time on something that was never going to happen.”

Dominic looked straight into her eyes. “I told you before. Focus on your own life, and things will get better.”

She just stood there, thinking. Her fingers were clamped so tightly around her clutch that her knuckles had gone pale.

“I know.” She forced out a small, awkward smile. “I got too deep in my own head.”

He gave her one more look. “Don’t slam shut doors you might need later.”

Then he turned and walked off. The gathering was over. He got into the car and called Lena. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.”

“What do you want? I’ll bring it home.”

“I want that creamy pasta you made last time.”

He laughed softly. “Alright. Wait for me.”

Before he could even hang up, someone knocked on his car window.

He lowered it. It was one of the restaurant staff.

“Alpha Dominic, is Miss Eliza a friend of yours? She’s been drinking by herself behind the garden terrace. We tried talking to her, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Dominic glanced in the direction the man pointed. Through a row of hedges, he could just make out the edge of a bench sitting in the shadows.

“That’s her business.” He rolled the window back up and told Daniel to drive.

Lena’s voice came through the phone, warm and crisp. “Nice answer, Alpha Dominic.”

“Do I get a reward for that?” His voice had lost all its coldness now, and the smile was back on his face.

He leaned against the headrest, then looked at Daniel through the rearview mirror. “Did Anna call?”

“She made it. Got there safe and checked in.”

“What’s the plan next?”

"It’s her call." Daniel kept his eyes on the road the whole time. "If she comes back and wants the bond broken, I’ll help her end it."

I turned to look out the window. "She wants a real home. You know that."

Daniel didn’t answer, but his hand shifted slightly on the steering wheel. He got it.

If Anna wanted out, he’d let her go. But I’d known Daniel a long time. I could hear the part he wasn’t saying out loud. He wouldn’t chase after her. Wouldn’t beg. He’d just wait. And if she came back, he’d still be right there, same as always.

We pulled up in front of the manor. I walked inside and found Lena sprawled on the couch, face buried in her phone.

I hung up my coat. "I’ll make you some pasta."

Lena’s POV

"Thanks." I was texting Anna and honestly had no brain space left for Dominic right then.

He headed into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the smell drifted out—garlic, cream, rich and warm, basically impossible to ignore.

My thumbs flew over the screen. "Don’t panic. Don’t spiral. Just breathe for a minute."

Anna replied almost right away. "I’ve already made up my mind. When I get back, I’m ending things with Daniel."

"Are you sure that’s really what you want?"

"I can’t drag an innocent person into my mess. That’s not fair to him."

My fingers paused above the screen.

I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell her Daniel would never see it that way, that he chose her with his eyes wide open, and she was punishing herself for what her parents had done.

"Talk to him first. Really talk to him. He might not care about all this as much as you think he does."

Anna’s parents had left scars that ran deep. The right move was cutting them off, not pushing away the person who had shown up for her when she needed someone most.

But they were still her parents. Blood was blood. No matter how badly you wanted to sever it, it never came off clean. I knew that way too well from my own life.

The smell from the kitchen got stronger, and my stomach gave an embarrassing little growl. I grabbed my phone and moved to the table. Dominic set a plate of steaming pasta in front of me.

"You’re not eating?" I sat down.

"I already did." He took the seat across from me and watched me eat.

She speared a small bite with her fork and tasted it. Perfect. She set her phone down. "I’m going back to work tomorrow."

Dominic lifted a brow. "Where?"

"My old company. They asked me to come back." She glanced at him over the rim of her bowl. "Probably because of you. They even offered me a raise."

The people who had pushed her out were gone now. Eliza and the little web of influence around her had been cleaned up. Dominic hadn’t let it slide. The company had moved fast, did damage control, cleared out the rot inside, and handed Lena a better position.

"Do you want to go?" he asked.

She gave a small shrug. "Not really want, exactly. I just need something to do. A familiar place, familiar work. It’ll be easier to settle back in that way."

Dominic leaned back, his long fingers tapping lightly against the edge of the table. He studied her for a few quiet seconds. "You could work with me instead. I need someone to handle Bloodmoon Pack’s partnerships."

"Partnerships? Since when do you share your territory with anybody?"

"Since my mate got bored staying at home." A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "You’d report directly to me. We’d share an office too. Very close quarters."

She stared at him, then rolled her eyes so hard it was honestly ridiculous, her neck giving a soft crack. "One office? Yeah, sure. I know exactly what you mean by that."

Dominic leaned back in his chair, laughing under his breath. "I didn’t do anything."

"Nope." She took another bite and shot him a sidelong look. "And you’re not going to, either."

"You sure about that?"

"One hundred percent."

He didn’t push. "If you change your mind, tell me anytime."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Even that sounded kind of loaded. Seriously, this man was slick.

After finishing the last of her pasta, she pushed the empty plate toward him. Without a word, Dominic picked it up and carried it into the kitchen.

She drew her legs up onto the chair and watched him rinse the plate, wipe down the counter, and hang the towel back in place. Every movement was smooth, calm, efficient. No wasted motion. No rush.

So this was what it felt like to be taken care of.

If life could stay this simple, she’d take it. No outsider barging in. No bitter ex lurking in the shadows. No parents tearing children away from the people they loved.

The second other people got involved, everything fell apart. It all cracked open and turned into wounds that never really healed, and everything she had built with her own hands would be gone just like that.

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