Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Dominic’s POV

“Jealous? Me?” He forced the jealousy clawing up his throat back down. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Then why are you even asking?” Lena lifted her chin, that smug little smile showing up again, the one that seriously got on his nerves. “What, now you care about my private life? Too bad. I’m not telling you.”

He let out a cold scoff. “You really do live in your own fantasy.”

She tossed her hair back. “Can’t help it. I’ve got every reason to.”

He had honestly never met a woman this shameless. She wasn’t shy, not even a little. She said whatever popped into her head, no filter, no brakes, and she did it with that sly smile while staring straight into his eyes like she was trying to start a fire on purpose.

Yeah, he could admit it. She was beautiful. She had always been beautiful. But that mouth of hers? It could drive a sane man absolutely insane.

“You done using the bathroom? You asked what you wanted to ask? Anything else?” She glanced at the time. “It’s late. Not really appropriate for the two of us to stay alone in my apartment.”

She was kicking him out.

Without saying a word, he turned and headed for the door. He had his pride too.

He pulled the door open, and she was right behind him.

“Take care,” she said, casual as anything, like she was seeing off some random delivery guy.

His whole body went stiff. After the breakup, she had dropped every last bit of pretense. All that stuff about admiring him, wanting to have his pups, standing by his side through everything—that sweet talk was gone. All of it.

Women.

He shut the door behind him and walked toward the elevator. He jabbed the button and stood there with his jaw tight, waiting. Why the hell was this elevator so slow?

The door behind him opened again, and her voice drifted over.

“Dominic.”

He turned. She was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest, looking at him with those beautiful eyes.

“Do you actually want me to let you go?” she asked.

The elevator doors slid open. He stepped inside, hit the close button, and didn’t dare look at her again. He didn’t answer either.

After leaving her apartment, he drove straight to Samuel’s bar.

Daniel was already there with Samuel. Samuel was nursing a drink, while Daniel sat quietly in his usual corner, barely making a sound.

Samuel shot Dominic a quick look. "Showing up this late with that face on? What, you trying to scare people?"

Dominic reached for the bottle on the table and poured himself a glass.

"You just got through the full-moon curse. You are absolutely not drinking yet." Samuel snatched the glass right out of his hand and swapped it for water. "Drink this."

Dominic stared at him.

"Tonight, we’re all on water," Samuel said, pointing at Daniel. "Solidarity, man."

Dominic didn’t really have a choice. He picked up the glass and leaned back into the couch.

"Eliza’s mate bond is officially dealt with," Samuel said, studying Dominic’s face like he was trying to read every flicker of emotion. "Her mate released her. She’s free now, and she’s planning to go back to Bloodmoon Pack territory."

Dominic sank deeper into the couch. But the person filling his head wasn’t Eliza. It was Lena, standing in the kitchen doorway with that smug little smile, telling him he had no right to be jealous.

He shut his eyes and forced her out of his mind.

"So what do you think?" Samuel asked.

Dominic’s voice was flat. "What do you think I’m supposed to think?"

"She’s going to come looking for you." Samuel set his glass down. "When your curse hit its worst point, she stayed on her knees at the altar all night praying. The whole damn night, Dominic."

Dominic opened his eyes. His face gave nothing away, but something shifted behind his ribs.

"I’m not trying to imply anything," Samuel went on, "I’m just saying she’s out of that old bond and heading straight this way. She hasn’t moved on from you. That’s pretty obvious."

Dominic said nothing.

Samuel pushed his glasses back on and looked straight at him. "Did you and Lena end things to make room for Eliza?"

"No."

"Then why?"

Dominic looked at Samuel. "Lena agreed to be my mate because she thought there was something in it for her. She thought I was going to die. Once I was dead, she’d be free. She’d get money, protection, a fresh start. That was the deal."

Samuel lifted a brow.

Dominic pushed himself upright and reached for the glass by the bed, only to remember it was just water. He set it back down. Pointless.

"Do you think she actually loved me?" He let out a slow breath through his nose. "I survived. That was never part of her plan. If I hadn’t let her go, sooner or later, she would’ve walked away on her own."

"But you didn’t let her go," Samuel said, a faint smile spreading across his face. "You just told her you wanted to end the arrangement, and Lena stormed off pissed. Then what?"

Dominic looked at him without speaking.

"You keep saying you’re done, that you want this whole mess over," Samuel went on. "But you never really said it to her. Not straight up. You still can’t do it."

"That’s because you were supposed to pass it on to her."

"Oh, wow. That’s rich." Samuel whipped around toward Daniel. "You hear this? He’s blaming me. He didn’t even let me send Lena the agreement again, because he’s the one who can’t let her go, and somehow that’s my fault?"

Dominic didn’t argue. Didn’t even try. Because Samuel was right, and they both knew it.

The next morning, his phone rang.

"Dominic." The voice was soft, careful, and achingly familiar, slipping straight into the cracks in his chest. "I’m back."

The faint trace of a smile on his face vanished.

"Can we meet?" Eliza asked. "Please?"

"Where?"

That afternoon, he went to a quiet café. He sat across from Eliza, and she looked a lot better than the last time he’d seen her.

The bruises were long gone. Her hair was smooth and neatly styled. She had clearly put effort into herself, and it showed.

"Are you okay?" Eliza asked, studying his face closely. "You seem kind of distracted."

"I’m fine." He leaned back in his chair. "How’s the transition period going?"

"Pretty well. I’ve been looking for a place to rent," she said. "I want to open a flower shop here. Flowers make people happy. They make life feel softer, better. I feel like it’s time for a fresh start. Don’t you think?"

"That’s your call," he said.

My phone buzzed against the table. I glanced down. A photo from Lena.

Coffee. Laptop. And in the background, a storefront I knew way too well.

This café.

She was here too.

I looked out through the window and spotted her right away, sitting at one of the patio tables with her laptop open and a coffee in hand.

The afternoon sun poured over her hair, making it gleam. She was already looking at me, smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world, then lifting her hand in an easy, shameless little wave.

I looked away and set my phone down.

"Dominic?" Eliza asked, tilting her head. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

But yeah, I looked again anyway. The chair across from Lena had been empty a second ago.

Now someone was sitting there.

A man. Tall, polished, dressed like money without trying too hard. He leaned forward, focused on her, and I recognized him instantly. Reid Calloway, Alpha of the Moonborn Pack.

So the two of them were having coffee. In the exact same café as me.

Was this a date?

My jaw locked harder as I forced my restless wolf back down. My mind flashed to the letters on her kitchen table last night. Had he written those?

"Dominic?" Eliza tipped her head again. "You keep staring outside. What is it?"

"Nothing."

She clearly didn’t buy that, but she let it go. "Finding a good location for the shop is honestly the hardest part." She let out a soft sigh. "Still, no rush. Good things are worth waiting for."

I gave a distracted hum.

Eliza noticed. Of course she did. She bit her lip, and when she spoke, her voice came out quiet and painfully fragile. "Dominic, do you still hate me?"

At last, he looked straight at her. "What?"

"When I left, I..."

"That’s over," he said. "We don’t need to dig it up again."

I checked the time. "If there’s nothing else, I’m heading out."

"You’re leaving already?" She shot up at the same time I did, clearly startled. "You just got here."

He was already moving toward the exit.

She hurried after him. "Then have dinner with me tonight. I’ve already asked Samuel and Daniel—"

"We’ll see." He stopped at the café entrance, his eyes landing on the terrace.

Lena got to her feet, tucking her laptop under one arm as she stepped away from the table. Reid Calloway stood too and trailed after her, saying something with his back half-turned toward her. She didn’t slow down. Didn’t look back either.

He stayed right on her heels, all keyed up and locked in on her, like he was one second away from getting completely swept up. If the guy had a tail, it’d probably be wagging like crazy.

Lena kept walking, and Reid kept following. He didn’t touch her. At least he knew better than to try that.

Dominic pulled out his phone and dialed Lena’s number.

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