Five long, excruciating months had passed since I had transformed, and I had yet to return to my normal self. Alcina had taken the liberty of moving me into her room, though I barely fit in the corner I liked to sleep in, and she had even had a custom made dish delivered to the castle for me to eat scraps of bloody meat from, and liked to scratch me behind my ears whenever she entered or left the room. She did her best to hide her frustration and sadness from me, but I could see it in her eyes whenever she looked at me, and that cut me deeply. I had never wanted to hurt her, but every day that I was stuck in that horrid form, she was suffering, and I longed to do nothing more than to hold her in my arms and kiss her, and to tell her that everything was alright.

        Donna visited me often, reading me books she brought from her house, trying to keep me company while Alcina ran her wine business, and Angie liked to make me give her rides on my back around the castle, while Heisenberg had made me a collar to wear around my neck with the Dimitrescu crest, so that anyone who saw me knew who I belonged to. Moreau knew well enough to stay away from me, knowing that if he came close to the castle or Alcina, he would lose important fish parts, having been the one who helped Miranda kidnap my lover in the first place, his betrayal still aching inside of me, even after so long. Cassandra, Daniela, and Bela all took turns playing with me every now and then, tossing me human bones to chew on, and playing fetch, and, much to Alcina's frustration, even made me chase them around the castle, letting me lick their faces when I caught them.

        After awhile, though, even that didn't cheer me up, my heart heavy and aching, wondering if I was doomed to be a beast forever, never able to touch the woman I loved the way lovers do, stuck inside at all times, never able to play in the snow again. I began staying in my little corner of Alcina's room, watching the snow fall through the window, refusing to even eat, depression sinking into me like a heavy weight, and wouldn't even get up, not noticing the worried looks I began getting from my family. I had given up completely, and wished for nothing more than to just disappear completely, death being a better choice than being trapped as what I was for eternity. One night was worse than all the others, the sadness inside of me causing me to howl in pain, and Alcina was the first to reach me, her arms wrapping around my fur, tears in her eyes as she tried to comfort me, not even worried as fur clung to her nice dress.

         She softly stroked my fur, humming a lullaby, one she liked to use to sing me to sleep, and I calmed down a bit, settling for whining sadly. "My poor Snow Angel. How I wish I could set you free, and once again hold you in my arms, but I cannot. There is simply no way that I know of to change you back.. It breaks my heart to see you in so much anguish, and I worry that you may perish from it.. I hear your cries when you sleep, my love, and I know you refuse to eat a single morsel of meat, and I fear that your strength is leaving you. I cannot lose you, Alex. Not now.. We have come too far together to just simply give up like this. I need you, and I love you more than words can say. You are so very important to me.. Please stay with me." I saw tears shining in her eyes, and knew I could not let myself abandon her for death, no matter how upset I was, for she needed me as I needed her.

        I let her slowly lull me into sleep, her scent and warmth helping to soothe me, as she began humming that lullaby once again, and when I woke again, she was gone, though her scent still lingered around me, telling me she hadn't been away from me for long. Oddly enough, I seemed much closer to the floor than I remembered being the night before, and I felt.. Lighter. I went to stand up, and felt shock jolt through my entire body, as I saw actual skin where my fur had once been, normal looking toes showing instead of claws, the legs I now had turning to what felt like liquid, not used to carrying around lighter weight after so long.  I looked at my hands, also finding them normal, and used them to explore my body, tears stinging my eyes as I found myself once again.. Me. I wasn't certain how it had happened, but I was back to being myself, and I needed to find Alcina as fast as possible, to kiss her, and to hold her, and breathe in her warmth the way I once did.

            I felt heat creep up my cheeks as I was unable to find my clothing anywhere close by, and settled for wrapping the gigantic blanket I was used to sleeping under around my naked body, and shakily made my way downstairs, my legs nearly giving out several times, and as my hair fell into my eyes, I realized that it was longer than it once was, falling down to the middle of my back instead of stopping at my shoulders. I searched everywhere downstairs for Alcina, and was a bit worried as I couldn't find her anywhere, then made my way back upstairs, peeking inside of her bathroom, heat burning my face even more as I saw her bathing quietly, seemingly not noticing my presence. I quietly walked in and closed the door behind me, then noticed her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling slowly with deep breaths, telling me she had fallen asleep in the warm water, and that gave me an idea.

         I slowly let the blanket fall from my body, and very carefully climbed into the tub with her, pressing my back against her chest, the warm water instantly soothing my aching body, and I closed my eyes, feeling her arms wrap around my waist, our bare skin pressed together, the feel of her warmth almost making me fall asleep, as well. I'm not entirely certain how long I was held in her arms before she stirred, realizing she was awake as I felt her heartbeat speed up, and then, I felt her lips press against my throat softly, then my jaw, and finally, the top of my head, warm wetness hitting my shoulder as she kissed me, telling me she was crying, and I quickly turned in her arms, sitting on her lap as our chests pressed together, gazing up into those golden eyes I loved. "Hello, my love.. How I've missed you."

       As soon as she heard my voice, Alcina's lips were against mine, moving hungrily and desperately, as if she thought I were a dream, or that I might disappear if she didn't kiss me then, and I kissed her back just as hungrily, my hands sliding across her skin, my heart bursting with happiness that I was once again able to touch her like that. She whispered, "Alexandria?", as if in shock, and I shushed her, my lips pressing to every inch of her that I could reach, wanting to feel every part of her, and as one of my hands slipped under the water and stroked her gently, I was rewarded with a deep moan, a shiver shooting through my body at the sound. "I promised you that I would touch you like this so long ago, and now, I want to do it, to touch every inch of you, and make you mine as I am yours, Alcina. I've missed your scent, your taste, your warmth, and just being able to touch you like I am.."

       Her fingers tangled in my hair as I went to stand up, locking me in place. "I want to taste you and touch you, my love, and in the water, I can't do either of those properly." Before I was able to say another word, I was in her arms, and she was climbing out of the tub, hurrying to her room with both of us completely naked, my face on fire as we passed several servants on the way. Alcina gently set me on her bed as we entered her room, and then, laid down beside me, her eyes locking with mine. "I am yours, my love. I want to feel you all over my skin, as I feel you inside of my heart." That sent a wave of heat through my entire body, and I began kissing my way down her skin, until my face nestled between her legs, my tongue licking up the extreme amount of wetness gathered at her center, moaning quietly at the taste, realizing just how much she truly wanted me to make love to her, and slid my tongue inside her core, licking every inch of her that I could reach, her moans reaching new heights every time I hit a particularly sensitive area, until I began sucking on the sensitive bundle of nerves above her entrance.

        Instantly, her hips jerked upwards, a gasp of pleasure rewarding me, her fingers once again tangling in my hair as she ground herself against my face, trying to create friction between us to increase her pleasure, and I kept sucking, as I deftly slid three fingers deep inside of her, massaging her tightened walls roughly, curling my middle finger to hit her really sensitive spot deep inside, and that seemed to be what drove her over the edge, as she tightened painfully around my fingers, my name choked out in pleasure from her lips, warm wetness soaking my skin. As she relaxed, I removed my fingers and mouth, and slowly licked her juices from my skin, nearly going insane from the taste, and moved up, until I was able to lay my head on her rapidly rising and falling chest. "You taste much more delicious than any wine, Alcina. Thank you for letting me taste you, my love."

       She wrapped her arms around me, holding me as close as possible, and I felt like I had done something wrong as she went silent. "Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me?" Worry and fear clawed at my heart, until she laughed quietly, and used one hand to stroke my face. "Of course not, draga mea. Why on Earth would I be angry with you for pleasuring me so wonderfully?" She sighed, and her lips softly pressed to mine for a moment, before I looked up to see tears sliding down her face. "I'm simply beyond happy to see you this way. I feared I would never get to hold you this way again, or to touch you, and even now, I wonder if this is a dream. Are you really here with me?" I frowned, and snuggled as close to her as I could. "Of course, Alcina. I suppose I shouldn't have surprised you the way I did, but I couldn't wait to see you. I thought I would be trapped as a beast for eternity, and the thought of not being able to touch you like this was unbearable. You are my world.." Confusion spread through me as she sat up, reaching over into a drawer of her dresser, and grabbed something. "I was going to give this to you before Mother Miranda stole me away, but I never got the chance. I want to ask you properly, but we are both so comfortable, and I refuse to let go of you for a moment, my love, so I wish to ask you.. Will you be my wife?"

      At that, she showed me an open box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring, which shimmered in the light coming through the window, and I felt my heart nearly stop as tears flooded my eyes. Worry crossed Alcina's face at my reaction, but before she could say a word, I kissed her deeply, and sniffled. "Of course I'll marry you! Your daughters mean the world to me, and you are my everything, Alcina. Thank you for rescuing me on that night so long ago, because you have given me the greatest gift I could have asked for. You have given me a family.." Guilt showed in her eyes, and she whispered, "My love, your parents-" I shook my head, and helped her put the ring on my finger. "Whatever that crazy bitch wanted me to know about my parents, I don't care. They were abusive, cruel people, so whatever happened to them, they likely deserved. All that matters is that I'm here with you, and that soon, we'll be married." She smiled at that, and I closed my eyes, laying my head over her heart, listening to her heartbeat, knowing that I was the luckiest monster alive, because I would get to hear that sound for the rest of my life, which would be eternity..