Two long years passed before I met Felix.
By then I'd grown into my own skin. I finally understood how to love both another person and myself, so I poured every last bit of the guilt I carried for Thomas into loving Felix.
I gave him my whole heart, no strings attached.
When we got married, Thomas even stood in as my natal family and showered me with mountains of gold and silver as my dowry.
A familiar voice drifted slowly into my ears,
"Ariella... please wake up, okay?
"I'm sorry, Ariella. I was too late... Just wake up and yell at me, anything, okay?
"I'm sorry. If I'd known what a savage wolf Felix was, I would have stormed the wedding and dragged you away before I ever let you marry him!"
I fluttered my eyelids open slowly. The sharp, binding ache that had wrapped around me was
