EPISODE 19%
I didn’t answer immediately.
Ulysses’s question hung in the air for a moment. It sounded like a casual inquiry but it wasn’t. It took me a while to process what those words truly meant.”
I stared at him, stunned into silence, my lips parted but no words formed. Did he really just ask me if I wanted to form a bond with him?
Was that question truly meant for me?”
The car rolled quietly through the gates of his estate, the soft hum of the engine filling the silence where my answer should have been. This place had been my home for weeks now, and the comfort it offered far exceeded the safety I ever felt in my own house.” Ulysses had made that possible. He always ensured I was safe, and not just safe, but happy. He considered my feelings, careful not to cross boundaries, yet never failed to show his intentions.}
I looked out the window, pretending to focus on the passing trees, but in truth, I was stalling. Not because I didn’t like him but because I did. Maybe I even loved him. But I was still questioning whether it was the right time for us to be together.”
It all felt too fast. We had only known each other for a few weeks.”
Besides, I had just come from a divorce. And that was with Lucas, whom I once thought I would spend my entire life with. I dared to love him because I didn’t know how much reality could hurt. I gave everything I had, so when I finally accepted that I was not the one he truly loved, I broke. I felt hollowed out.”
Our marriage had left scars in places no one could see. The divorce gave me freedom.”
Could I trust someone with my heart again?”
I thought about the bond I had once longed for. With Lucas, everything had been conditional. I had been nothing more than a substitute, someone to ease his grief. Our marriage had never truly begun with love. I should have expected its outcome. I might have even accepted it, if I hadn’t gotten pregnant.”
But when I lost the baby, the last thread of belief in him snapped. I had broken the bond myself just to be able to breathe again.”
So why did a part of me want to say yes now?”
Was it because Ulysses was different?”
He didn’t demand. He didn’t rush. He waited. And when he looked at me, I didn’t feel like a burden he had to carry. I felt seen. Heard.
Held.
And maybe… maybe it was time I took that risk again.”
The car came to a stop in front of the estate, the headlights casting long shadows across the gravel driveway. Ulysses turned off the ignition but didn’t move. He sat there, watching me with patience. And maybe, thinking that he had said something too much or insensitive after what happened in the gala, he sighed lightly.”
“I know it’s too soon,” he said gently. “I just wanted you to know it’s what I want. But only if you’re ready. Only if it’s what you want
too.”
I swallowed hard, heart thudding. My fingers trembled as I reached for the door handle, but instead of opening it, I turned back to
him.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’m willing.”
My voice must have been too soft because Ulysses didn’t react right away. But with the heightened senses of an Alpha, he must have heard it. It wasn’t his hearing that failed, it was his mind that stalled, caught off guard by those words coming from my mouth.”
His eyes widened, and in that moment, the calm composure he usually wore like armor shattered into something raw and real.”
“Really?” he asked, almost breathless.
I nodded. “I’m scared, Ulysses. I won’t lie. I’m terrified. But I know you’re not Lucas. And if I’m going to take a chance again…, I want it to be with you.“}
He didn’t speak for a second. Then he leaned in and kissed me. It was not rushed, not hungry, but slow and reverent, as if sealing a promise.”
When we finally stepped out of the car, the stars were out, scattered across the sky like spilled sugar. We walked inside hand in hand, and this time, I didn’t hesitate when he led me to his room.”
We slept in the same bed that night. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was giving something up. I felt like I was gaining something I never had before. And when he finally released, locking the bond with me, a quiet satisfaction filled me.”
It felt like I had finally come home.”
His warmth surrounded me, steady and safe. His arms were strong but gentle, his touch firm but never demanding. I curled into him, and he pulled the covers over us like a barrier against the past.”
“Thank you,” he murmured into my hair.”
“For what?”
“For trusting me.””
vorcing the Alpha After Rotraving Me on Our AppivereODL
6050
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EPISODE 19
Thank you, The murmured mu my man.19
“For what?”
“For trusting me.“N
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken fears and fragile hope. I didn’t fall asleep right away. My mind wandered to all the things that could go wrong. But for once, it also wandered to all the things that might finally go right.
So, I kissed him to show my answer. He embraced me again, to show that his love and passion for me would remain, like a fire that could never be extinguished. Our scents mingled in the room as we fell into another round of bliss.”
Morning came soft and golden. Light spilled through the sheer curtains like gentle nudge. I blinked awake to the feeling of arms wrapped tightly around me.
Ulysses was already awake, his chin resting on the top of my head, one hand lazily tracing patterns on my arm.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice husky with sleep.
“Morning,” I murmured, still caught in the drowsy warmth of our shared cocoon.
He pulled back slightly to look at me, his dark eyes curious and quietly vulnerable. “So… what are we now?”
I found his serious yet slightly nervous expression amusing. I smirked and nestled closer. “I don’t know. Maybe best friends?“}
He frowned. “Do you usually sleep with and form bonds with your best friends?”
I laughed. “What do you think?”
Realizing I was joking, he chuckled, the sound vibrating against my skin. “Does that mean I can officially call you mine?“}
I laughed softly. “I think you already have.“}
We stayed like that for a while, entwined in each other, exchanging glances and occasional kisses, content to pretend that the rest of the world didn’t exist.
A soft knock broke the spell.§
inte
Ulysses frowned, clearly displeased that our bonding had been disturbed. He had finally claimed me. He had no in entertaining anyone else when he could be curled up beside me.}
“Ignore it,” he whispered.”
I looked at him and said, “What if it’s something important? Your butler wouldn’t knock unless it was.“”
“What’s more important than you?” he asked seriously. “Let him knock.”
But the knock came again, firmer this time. Then a voice followed, muffled, but urgent.
“Sir, you have visitors.“”
Ulysses sighed, clearly annoyed. “Who?”
The butler’s voice carried through the thick wooden door. “It’s the old Madam, your grandmother. And Miss Catelyn. They say they need to speak with you as soon as possible.“M
”
