EPISODE 17%
Ulysses’s arrival changed everything.
The tension in the ballroom cracked like glass under his presence. His steps were measured, confident, heavy with purpose and with every stride, the air grew colder, heavier.
A stillness spread through the crowd, as though every breath had been yanked from the room. Even the clinking of glasses ceased.”
He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.
His pheromones swept through the space like a stormfront. People instinctively backed away, eyes lowering, spines straightening as if they had suddenly remembered their place. Even Catelyn, who had been loud and bold just moments ago, went rigid.” Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound escaped. Her posture wilted, as though her own instincts were warning her not to push further.
Ulysses radiated authority, not just as a man, but as a high–ranking Alpha. Higher than anyone else in the room.”
Even Lucas took a half–step back, stunned by the invisible force pressing into him. His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists as realization dawned. He wasn’t used to being outmatched like this.
But what shattered him wasn’t just the atmosphere. It was Ulysses’s words.”
“I helped her file the divorce papers against Lucas. Everything was handled legally. If you doubt it, then-“” Suddenly, someone in the crowd let out a gasp. They were holding their phone, staring at the screen in disbelief.” “Isn’t this the most prestigious law firm in the world? They just posted the details of Lucas and Selene’s divorce!“}
“Let me see… It’s true! And it seems they’ve been divorced for more than just a few weeks already.”
“So, it’s official. They really are divorced!”
Lucas stared at Ulysses, frozen. It took him several seconds to process what had just been said. Then his eyes darted to me. He had kept this information hidden, thinking he could still redeem himself and win me back.”
But now, he realized there was more to it than he had anticipated.
He turned back to Ulysses, his face pale and uncertain.”
“Why would you help her file for divorce?” he asked, his voice cracking. “Selene and I-” he pointed at me like I was a display piece, “-we were a happy couple. We were fine. I always believed she would never even consider something like that. Unless someone… unless someone convinced her.“”
De heer,” he said eyes warrowing at Wysses. “You interfered where you shouldn’t have
The tone in his voice shifted into something sharper, accusatory.}]
Selene and I had, it wasn’t your place to step in. This was between us.”
Ulysses looked at him, unimpressed. His brows rose slightly, his expression unreadable.
Whatever problem
When Lucas finished his little speech, clearly expecting some kind of response, Ulysses tilted his head and said with chilling detachment, “Are you done?“}
The crowd collectively held its breath. A few gasps rippled through the room.
Lucas’s nostrils flared. His pride, already bruised by the divorce revelation and now further wounded by Ulysses’s indifference, boiled over.
“You arrogant-”
I stepped between them before he could say more.”
“I asked for the divorce,” I said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Not Ulysses. He didn’t put the idea in my head. He didn’t manipulate me. I made that choice on my own, and I had my reasons.”
Lucas scoffed, still clinging to whatever scraps of control he thought he
“What reason could you possibly have? You and I, we were fine. Five years together, Selene. Five years, and then suddenly you want a divorce? Out of nowhere?”
I almost laughed. The gall of him. I looked at him straight in the eye.
“Fine? Did you forget, Lucas?” I said quietly, bitterness slipping into my voice. “Did you actually forget how you’ve been cheating on me with Lilith?”
Murmurs rose again, louder this time. The word “cheating” always struck a nerve.
“I wasn’t cheating,” he insisted, desperation creeping into his voice. “There was nothing between me and Lilith. She’s like a sister to me! That’s what I’ve always said. That’s all there was to it.“@
I shook my head slowly, disbelief thick in my voice.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence. I saw you with her. I saw you sleeping with her. That’s not just cheating, that’s betrayal.“}
A collective gasp echoed across the ballroom.
Someone whispered, “Wait… he slept with her sister?“!
“No way I always thought it was weird how close they were but to clean with your wife’s cictor? That’s low “M
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Murmurs rose again, louder this time. The word “cheating” always struck a nerve.
“I wasn’t cheating.” he insisted, desperation creeping into his voice. “There was nothing between me and Lilith. She’s like a sister to me! That’s what I’ve always said. That’s all there was to it.“%
I shook my head slowly, disbelief thick in my voice.!!
“Don’t insult my intelligence. I saw you with her. I saw you sleeping with her. That’s not just cheating, that’s betrayal.”
A collective gasp echoed across the ballroom.
Someone whispered, “Wait… he slept with her sister?“#
“No way. I always thought it was weird how close they were, but to sleep with your wife’s sister? That’s low.“”
Lucas’s hands curled into fists again.”
“Shut up!” He barked at the crowd. “All of you, shut your mouths!“}
He turned back to me, eyes blazing. “Nothing happened that night. You’re jumping to conclusions.”
“Nothing?” I repeated, stepping forward. “You were both naked under the sheets. The room reeked of that cloyingly sweet scent. As if the two of you spent the night tangled up like animals.“}
His jaw clenched. He opened his mouth to deny it, then closed it again. There was no denying that scent.”
“It’s not what it looked like,” he mumbled, weaker this time.”
“I’m tired of your excuses,” I snapped. “Tired of pretending we had something real when all you ever did was treat me like I was disposable. You never cared about me. Not when I was kidnapped. Not on our anniversaries. Not once.“}
Lucas frowned, confused. “Kidnapped? What do you mean?”
“See?” I said, bitter laughter escaping me. “You didn’t even know I was kidnapped. I was calling you for help, begging you to come save me but you never showed up.”
My voice trembled, not from weakness, but from fury.”
“Of course. I already knew the reason. You were too busy taking care of my sister.”
The words hit him like a punch. I saw the flicker of guilt, then anger, then desperation in his eyes.
“You only started to care now,” I continued, “because I left. Because now you have nothing left to control. You took me for granted. That’s your fault, Lucas.”
He reached for me then, perhaps to explain, perhaps to manipulate like he always had. But this time, he didn’t get far.”
Ulysses stepped between us in an instant, his presence alone enough to halt Lucas. He didn’t shove. He didn’t growl. He didn’t need to. The sheer weight of his dominance pushed Lucas back.
Lucas’s eyes widened in disbelief.}
“Get out of the way,” he snapped. “This is between me and my-”
“She’s not yours,” Ulysses said coolly, his voice low and firm. “And no. I won’t move. I’m here to protect her.”
“Selene doesn’t need your protection!” Lucas snarled. “You don’t get a say in our relationship.”
Ulysses smirked. “You’re the one who doesn’t get a say. You’re already divorced, ”
Lucas bristled at the words, refusing to back down despite the overwhelming imbalance of power. The Alpha energy rolling off Ulysses should have made him yield, but pride, or perhaps something more desperate, kept him standing.”
“It may be on paper,” he said through clenched teeth, “but that’s all it is. Paper. That document just breaks the legal bond. But Selene and I, we share something deeper. A bond blessed by the Moon Goddess. That’s not something you can just erase. No Alpha, no title, no signature can destroy it.“\
He stepped forward again, shoulders squared. “That bond is sacred. Eternal. You can’t interfere with that.”
Ulysses’s smile faded. For the first time, he frowned, visibly bothered.
“Any bond,” he said carefully, “is only valid with consent. And it loses its meaning the moment it becomes one–sided.“N
THE
Lucas shook his head, clearly unwilling to accept it. “No. That bond is sacred. You don’t just walk away from it. It doesn’t disappear
just because someone gets angry. It was real, and I know Selene felt it. You can’t tell me otherwise.“N
There was a long pause.”
Everyone waited.”
Then I took a deep breath and stepped forward again.”
“You don’t have to be proud of it, Lucas,” I said quietly. “Because there was never a bond between
EPISODE 17
