Chapter 17 " Sorry ... sorry ... " His voice was hoarse , replaying apologies into the emptiness , but the one who needed to hear them was not there . Tears blurred his vision , and memories unfolded - back to the first time he'd seen Claire . It was an ordinary summer afternoon that turned into a sunshower . She had no umbrella and wore a white dress that soaked through , clinging to her until it became almost translucent . Aware of her compromising state , Claire covered herself awkwardly as the heavy drops plastered her hair to her shoulders . He had only glanced once as he drove past , but that one glance arrested his entire world . His pulse thundered , his chest tightened - he knew , in that moment , he had fallen . his So he stopped, opened his car door and invited her . " Do you want to get in ? At least wait until the rain eases . You don't look very comfortable like that . " Claire lifted her head at his voice . Their eyes met , and Aaron's heart nearly leapt out of his throat . His mind went utterly blank , the world narrowing to the frantic , deafening rhythm of his own pulse . But she was wary , too wary of a strange young werewolf , and shook her head firmly . " Thank you , but I'll manage . " 1 When she tried to leave , he couldn't bear it . Breaking his own rules for the first time , he reached out and stopped her . He shrugged off his jacket , draped it around her shoulders . " Don't worry . I won't get in . The rain shouldn't last long . Things will be fine once it stops . " And so he stood there with her , foolishly letting the rain soak him to the bone , forgetting entirely that he had an umbrella in the car . Maybe that was what love did - it stripped reason away , left only the desperate need to stay near her for just a little longer . Later , he shamelessly asked for her number . He investigated her routines , engineered countless " chance encounters , " confessed to her again and again until finally , she said yes . That day , he had been the happiest one alive . Back then , Aaron never imagined he was capable of loving someone so completely . After all , his own parents ' story was a curse burned into him . His father had been a cold , predatory Alpha - collecting shewolves like trophies , incapable of true love . When he felt lust for Aaron's mother who had affection for another , things didn't change . He had simply stolen her away , forcing her into a bond she didn't want . She had borne a pup she could not accept , then - unable to endure - ended her life before his very eyes . Aaron had watched his mother die . He had grown up in the shadow of his father's cruelty , convinced he would become the same : a man incapable of love . And yet , he had become the perfect blend of his parents - loving someone as deeply as his mother once did , yet wounding those he cherished with the same cruel precision as his father . འབ འཅ བ ཐ ཅན ༠ The guilt hollowed him out . He poured drink after drink into himself , until the floor was littered with bottles . Eventually , he collapsed on the sofa , curling into himself like a boy seeking warmth . The alcohol tore through him , burning holes in his stomach . Yet he remained motionless , his expression unreadable , without the slightest intention to rise . Only his deathly pale complexion betrayed the fragility he fought to conceal . Aaron endured the pain like a form of self - punishment , swallowing every groan into silence . Let it come . Let it tear him apart . Claire had endured worse . Whatever agony gnawed at him now , her suffering had been a thousand times greater . He whispered again , voice breaking . " Forgive me ... forgive me ... " Chapter 17 Dreame - Read Romance Storie 68.00 % The room tilted , then dimmed . His eyelids grew heavy , his chest hollow . For one brief , terrifyingly peaceful moment , he thought - if I die here , maybe it would be better . Darkness rushed in , tugging him under . And in the fog of fading consciousness , her face came back to him . He remembered her fretting when his stomach flared up , learning to cook simple meals that wouldn't hurt him even though she was terrible in the kitchen . He remembered her sitting beside him , making sure he took his medicine , refusing to leave until he was better . Ordinary , homely care . Warmth he had dismissed then , and could never have again . If I could really die now , he thought , maybe that wouldn't be so bad . Chapter 17 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!