Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Lena’s POV

Dominic didn’t come back the whole night.

So... letting me move into his master bedroom—was that his way of saying he’d just vacate the place for me?

Yeah, that sounded wrong. And my gut kept telling me Dominic wasn’t the type to pull something that awkward. So when Anna asked me out again, I agreed on the spot.

We met at a tiny restaurant after she finally wrapped up her project evaluation. Two steaming lattes sat between us on the wooden table. She kept stirring hers, brows locked tight like she was ready to bite someone’s head off.

"God, Lena!" Anna hissed the second she sat down, blue eyes blazing. "Daniel told me everything. Luke actually kidnapped you? Tried to kill you? What the hell is wrong with that bastard? Cheating on you wasn’t enough—now he wants you dead? If Dominic hadn’t showed up in time, you’d be—" She cut herself off and slammed a hand on the table. "I swear I could’ve clawed his face off myself!"

I let out a small, helpless laugh, saying nothing. Anna, still fuming, spat, "Where did he crawl off to anyway? Hiding somewhere? Coward."

"He’s not hiding," I said, quietly stirring my coffee. "Dominic beat the crap out of him. Broke several ribs, shattered his leg. Doctor said he won’t be standing on his own for months."

Anna froze, then gave a cold little smirk. "Serves him right. Honestly, I hope he never walks again. You lay a hand on you, he pays for it."

She took a breath, softened her tone, and looked at me with worry. "I’m just glad you’re okay... but Lena, are you seriously living in Dominic’s master bedroom now?"

I lifted a forkful of pasta, took my time chewing, then said, "Don’t overthink it, Anna. It’s not like that."

"You two are living together!" Her stress levels shot right back up. "Same room, Lena! That kind of distance—zero distance—stuff happens. You know what I mean. Hormones, instincts... agreements don’t matter when those kick in."

"It won’t happen." I sipped my coffee, calm. "I already tested that theory once. Remember? I literally sat on his lap and had his shirt halfway undone. And he shoved me off like I was contaminating the air. So relax. Even if I stood in front of him totally naked, he’d probably just tell me to get lost. His self-control—or whatever aversion he has toward me—is ridiculously strong."

I wasn’t exaggerating. Dominic could throw sharp words at me and draw clear boundaries, but break his rules? Not a chance.

Anna stared at me for a long moment, then sighed. "If it were any other she-wolf, I’d call BS. But you—" She shook her head, expression mixed. "Lena, you don’t even need to take your clothes off. Most normal males stuck alone in a closed space with someone who looks like you? No way they’d stay unaffected. That’s just biology."

I set my fork down, leaned back, and teased, "Come on, Anna. Dominic is insanely good-looking. That face, that body... he looks sculpted. Sometimes I think if having a kid with him is part of the deal, well... that wouldn’t exactly be a hardship. Actually sounds kind of great."

Anna rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d fall out, but she finally laughed. "Oh my god, Lena Foster! Then go have his kid already!"

I wiped my mouth with a napkin, my smile fading a little. "We’ll do it if he ever decides it’s time to fulfill the agreement. Right now? He can barely look at me without acting annoyed."

Anna reached over and held my hand, her voice gentle but firm. "Listen. Dominic letting you sleep in his bed means he’s leaving the door open. He just needs time. After what his ex did to him, it makes sense he doesn’t trust women. And Daniel told me something else—Dominic treats you differently."

My eyes widened.

Dominic... treats me differently?

I remembered the way he always showed up right when danger closed in. How he learned I’d been forced here—and let me go.

How he could be harsh, cold even, but never once crossed a line that hurt me.

And just thinking about that made the butterflies in my stomach start fluttering all over again.

When Anna was about to drag me off for some shopping, this sudden urge to see Dominic just hit me out of nowhere.

Luna Celeste had said I needed to spend more time around him so he could actually notice what made me different. Maybe I should tell him about the stuff I like? Yeah... maybe that would help us get to know each other better.

I said goodbye to Anna at the restaurant entrance and grabbed a ride back to the Bloodmoon Pack territory. As soon as I stepped onto the spiral staircase of the tower, I heard those familiar footsteps behind me.

Steady. Powerful. Dominic. He must’ve just gotten back too.

I paused and turned slightly. He walked right past me like I was literally air—not even a flicker of acknowledgement. He shrugged off his perfectly tailored black suit jacket and hung it on the rack, then unfastened his cufflinks and slipped off his watch. Every move smooth and polished... and completely emotionless.

He headed into the open kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it while standing there. His tall frame faced away from me, quiet and distant.

The air felt heavy, like something was pressing down on the room. He set the glass down a little too hard, then turned and walked toward the bedroom, still acting like I wasn’t even there.

"Dominic." I finally called out.

He froze mid-step, shoulders tightening just a little before he slowly turned around. His gray eyes, dim under the low lights, were unreadable. He just waited for me to speak.

Thinking about my conversation with Anna, I turned my head a bit and forced a casual smile. "Wanna watch a movie tonight?"

He stared at me like I was speaking alien code. Just when I thought his intense look was going to burn a hole right through me, he finally spoke. "What movie did you have in mind?"

"How about... The Proposal?" I blurted out and immediately regretted it. Suggesting a rom-com about a fake marriage turning real—given our situation—was honestly peak social suicide.

Dominic lifted a brow, the corner of his mouth twitching as if fighting off a tiny smile. "Interesting choice."

He headed to the living room. I trailed after him, my heartbeat annoyingly loud. He grabbed the remote, pulled up the movie in seconds, and sat at one end of the couch. I hesitated before sitting at the opposite end, deliberately keeping a safe buffer zone.

The movie started. The leads were signing a fake marriage contract for their own benefit... just like us. I stole a glance at Dominic. He was watching the screen intently, the TV light carving sharp lines across his profile.

Maybe it was the long day catching up to me, or maybe the couch was just way too comfy, but my eyelids got heavier and heavier. The dialogue blurred, and my thoughts drifted away.

When I came back to myself, I realized I was resting on something warm and firm. Blinking sleepily, I looked up—and nearly died on the spot.

I was lying across Dominic’s legs. My face was dangerously close to his crotch.

My whole face went up in flames. I scrambled mentally for an apology, but then I noticed Dominic looking down at me. Those gray eyes glinted with something completely new... something I couldn’t name.

"Dominic, I—" I started, but he suddenly leaned down.

His lips pressed against mine—warm and steady. The kiss came out of nowhere, yet felt weirdly right, like we’d been moving toward this moment all along. My mind blanked as I focused on the heat of his mouth, the clean, subtle scent of him wrapping around me.

Just as I was about to kiss him back, my phone exploded with the loudest ringtone on Earth.

Dominic froze instantly, pulled away fast, and his expression snapped back to that cold, untouchable mask—as if none of that had happened.

I sat up in total panic and grabbed the phone still ringing in my hand.

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