The Wolf Ring

by Meg Harris

  The Wolf Ring

  By

  Meg Harris

  © copyright 2010, Meg Harris

  Cover design by Meg Harris, © copyright 2010

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  "I want you to have this, Faelan."

  Faelan Murphy stared at the ring her boyfriend held in his big hand. It was an ornate silver filigree band, set with a small, golden topaz.

  "Wow," she said, taking it from his hand and turning it over reverently. "That's beautiful, Conner. But it looks like an antique."

  "It is." He shuffled his feet, looking a bit nervous. She knew that Conner Leavitt hated making himself vulnerable. He wasn’t the kind of guy who liked to put his feelings on display, and never had been. He was sweet, but not especially romantic.

  The two of them stood together in a quiet spot near the pond at the center of the local park, and clouds hung low and ominous in the sky. A few snow flurries spun through the air, and a cold breeze ruffled his too-long hair, lifting his dark bangs out of his eyes. He went on in an awkward rush of words. "I saw it, and… well, I don’t know why, but it made me think of you. Maybe it’s the stone. It’s the same color as your eyes."

  She looked up at him. They’d been dating for six months now, and although they’d been the best six months of her life, she hadn’t expected a ring yet. "It’s beautiful. But is it... I didn’t think we were quite ready for…"

  She tactfully trailed off, refraining from asking the obvious question. He blushed, and stammered a little.

  “It’s not, you know, an engagement ring. It’s just… well, like I said, I saw it and I thought of you.”

  Disappointment and relief battled inside her. He was right. They weren’t ready, not yet. But even so... She shoved the disappointment aside, and smiled up at him, accepting the gift for what it was. “It’s lovely, Conner. Thank you.”

  He seemed relieved by her pleased smile. She took the ring from his hand and held it up, admiring the soft sheen of silver, and the way the stone glimmered, even on a cloudy day.

  “It’s supposed to be part of the town’s history,” he said. “The jeweler couldn’t give me details, but he said it had something to do with why this place is called Lupine Rapids."

  She frowned slightly, considering the ring. “I don’t think lupines come in this color. And they’re pretty flowers, but they don’t grow around here, anyway.”

  Conner shrugged a big shoulder. “He was probably just trying to get me to buy it.”

  “Maybe.” She felt her smile widen. “I’m glad he succeeded. I love it, Conner.”

  “I’m glad,” he said softly. “And one of these days, I’ll get you a different ring. You’re the right woman for me, Faelan. The only woman for me.” He spoke very softly, staring at her with earnest blue eyes. A shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and lit him from behind like a halo, accentuating the beautiful, strong lines of his face. "I've known that for a while now. The ring is kind of a promise—a promise that we’ll always be together."

  Her eyes stung with sudden tears. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, and let him slide the ring onto her right hand.

  It fit as if it had been made for her.

  *****

  "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine." Faelan's voice sounded strained, almost angry. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

  "Uh..." Seated at his desk in his home office, where he was working on designing a website for a local business, Conner pulled the phone away from his ear for a second and stared at it with bafflement, then put it back. "I've only asked twice, Faelan. You just seem, I don't know, kind of..." Bitchy. "Grumpy."

  "I'm fine. I'm just busy." He heard her make a growling sound. "Honestly, Conner, do you have to be so damn needy all the time?"

  He winced. Faelan had a sharp tongue, but it didn't usually cut that deep. "I just called to see if you wanted to have dinner."

  Since they had dinner together at least four times a week, this wasn’t an unprecedented suggestion by any means. But she growled again.

  "I don't. Leave me alone."

  The phone went dead, and he put it down on the desk, turned away from the computer, and stretched his long, denim-clad legs out, propping them on his pine coffee table. He stared out the window at the crimson sunset, feeling a little bewildered. Faelan wasn't usually that short with him, and she was generally quite happy to have dinner with him. Their brief conversation had left him perplexed, and not a little hurt.

  It was a cold winter evening, and he'd hoped for a little warmth and affection.

  And instead it looked like he was going to stay cold.

  *****

  She itched.

  After she hung up on Conner and threw the phone across the room, Faelan sat huddled on the bed in her apartment, scratching irritably at her skin. Ever since she'd put that damn ring on, she'd been itching like crazy. At first the itching had been confined to her right hand, but now it was starting to spread everywhere.

  And it wasn't a normal itch, like she got from poison ivy or bug bites. It was a weird tingling sensation that she couldn't begin to describe. All she knew was, it was bothering the hell out of her. It made her want to get up and run at top speed around the room until she somehow outdistanced it.

  She grumbled to herself. Damn Conner, she thought with annoyance, not for the first time. Other guys gave their girlfriends nice normal diamond rings in gold or platinum settings. But Conner being Conner, he just had to give her something unusual.

  And it just figured that she was apparently allergic to silver.

  Not a good omen, really. She was allergic to the first ring he’d ever given her. Maybe that was fate’s way of letting her know they weren’t meant to be together after all.

  She shrugged that thought aside, because she just couldn't believe that. She was way too much in love with Conner to believe it. Conner was far and away the best thing that had ever happened to her.

  But even so, she didn't have much choice but to remove the damn thing. The itching, tingling sensation ran over her skin in ever-increasing waves, making her squirm uncomfortably, making her want to whimper. It was slowly morphing from a sensation of itchiness to one of...

  She wiggled uncomfortably, rubbing her thighs together. The tingling sensation was still all over her skin, every inch of it, but it seemed most intense right between her legs.

  The truth was, she was starting to feel kind of... horny.

  Damn silver, she thought, and yanked at the ring angrily. It wouldn't come off, no matter how she tugged at it. Earlier it had fit just fine, but now it seemed too tight. It wouldn't even move.

  She glared at it, and her eyes went wide with shock.

  The skin around the ring was starting to turn silver.

  Chapter 2

  Conner sat alone in his office. The window was wide open to the cold winter night, but he hardly noticed. He was still seated at the computer, doing his best to get that website together, but he couldn't. He couldn't seem to concentrate on anything but Faelan.

  The ring had called to him the moment he’d seen it, all but demanding that he buy it. He didn’t understand why he’d wanted to purchase it so badly, but he hadn’t been able to resist the impulse. Which was admittedly a little strange, in a guy who adhered to a strict monthly budget covering everything from car payments to candy bars.

  He’d simply known it would be perfect for her. And, he thought, remembering the way it had looked on her hand, he’d been right.

  And he'd thought....
he'd gotten the impression she thought it was perfect, too. The way she'd looked at him when he gave it to her-- he remembered the glow in her golden eyes, remembered her bright smile. He'd been certain she'd been thrilled.

  So why was she being so short with him now?

  Maybe, he thought, she’d been put off by his stammering explanation that it wasn’t an engagement ring. Women did have certain expectations, after all. When a guy gave them a ring, it was usually because he was proposing. But he wasn’t quite ready for that, and neither was she. He thought they’d both been on the same page there. But maybe he’d been wrong. When it came to women, he all too often was.

  He sighed and rolled his chair away from the computer monitor, admitting to himself that he wasn't going to get any work done tonight. Faelan’s odd attitude was weighing too heavily on him.

  He frowned, remembering what the jeweler had told him, that the ring had something to do with the town’s earliest legend. Not that a legend could possibly be affecting Faelan. But still…

  Not being a native—he’d moved here five years ago, after graduating college—he didn’t have any idea what that legend might be. He’d never heard a single whisper about it, so it must be fairly obscure. He rolled back to the computer and Googled “lupine,” finding entries about the tall, graceful flowers, but without any hint as to what they might have to do with the ring. He thought about it a moment, then searched for “lupine rapids” and “legend.”

  Ahhhh, he thought as he began reading the first entry. Not lupine as in flower, but lupine as in wolf.

  According to legend, he read, some of the first settlers in this area had moved here and found themselves transformed into werewolves, able to become wolves at will.

  Sure, he thought with an eye roll. Of course they were.

  But now it made sense that the ring had something to do with the legend. It didn’t look like a flower. But it did look sort of like…

  He closed his eyes, trying to picture the ring. Now that he thought about it, he could see that the filigree pattern was a somewhat abstract depiction of a wolf, with a topaz for its eye.

  None of which explained why he’d felt so strongly that Faelan must have it… or why she was angry with him now.

  He stood up, stalked away from the computer, and went to the window to stare moodily into the night.

  The night sky was inky black, but on the horizon, the full moon was just beginning to rise. It hung low in the sky, enormous and golden, making the light dusting of snow on the grass and trees seem to glow. It was a lovely, romantic night, a night he'd like to share with Faelan.

  But apparently Faelan didn't want to share the night with him.

  He bared his teeth. Damn it, he wasn’t going to sit here and mope about what the problem might be. In the past six months, they’d been happy, as happy as it was possible for two people to be. He was damned if he’d let her suddenly and inexplicably turn her back on him.

  Whether she wanted to talk about it or not, this was something they needed to discuss.

  He spun around, grabbed his car keys, and strode out the door.

  *****

  Oh, God, I'm dying here.

  Faelan fell to her knees on the floor, running her hands wildly over her own body. She'd never in her life felt such a desperate craving. The itch had totally morphed into sexual need now, and her skin felt like it was rippling in endless waves of desire. She could feel goosebumps rushing over her body, could feel her skin tingling and prickling as the little hairs on her arms stood erect.

  She imagined Conner's big hands on her skin, and another wave rushed through her, so intense she could hardly bear it. She wanted Conner, wanted him so much it hurt. She’d made love to him many times before, of course, but she’d never in her life wanted him this badly.

  And instead she’d snapped at him on the phone, and told him to not come over. God, what had she been thinking?

  Desperate to assuage the overwhelming need, she stroked her own nipples through the sweater she wore, and whimpered at the intense stab of ecstasy that shot through her. It felt good, but it wasn't enough. She needed so much more.

  She caught her nipples between thumb and finger and squeezed them, as roughly as she could, and pleasure exploded through her, so overpowering she could barely hold in a scream.

  Oh God oh God oh God...

  The strange sensation wasn't going to stop on its own. That much was clear. She had to take matters into her own hands. Without even bothering to get up and lock the door, she reached down a hand between her thighs and began to rub frantically.

  Her head arched back, and a wild noise of pleasure came from her throat, a feral sound. A savage growl.

  Almost instantly she realized the denim of her jeans was in the way. She unfastened them with shaking fingers and pushed them down, struggling awkwardly out of them. And then she put her fingers against the silky fabric of her panties. She wanted to tug them off, too, but she just couldn't wait. The throbbing, desperate need was too urgent.

  Now.

  She stroked herself, hard and fast, caressing the aching, swollen bud of her clitoris beneath the satin, feeling her inner muscles clenching wildly. Need and desire ran over her skin in unbearably hot waves. She strained frantically for an orgasm, gasping with the need.

  She could feel the moisture spilling from her body, wetting her panties, but she couldn't quite reach the climax she could feel surging just out of reach. The need burned brighter and brighter, but it wasn’t enough.

  Desperate, she reached up with her other hand and pinched her own nipple brutally.

  Ecstasy burst through her like a nuclear explosion. She screamed as her body convulsed with the purest, most intense pleasure she'd ever experienced in her lifetime. Heat poured over her skin and through her body, and she slowly collapsed to the floor, still sobbing for breath.

  It was so good, far and away the best orgasm she'd ever had in her life.

  And yet she needed so much more.

  *****

  Faelan.

  From the stairwell of her apartment, two flights down, he could hear her screaming. Alarmed, he lifted his head and listened intently for an instant, then raced up the stairs.

  Seconds later he was at her door. All he heard now was silence. He darted in without bothering to knock—neither of them knocked at the other’s door any more-- and found her curled up on the floor, silvery blonde hair fanned out around her.

  He knelt next to her. "Faelan," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

  "Oh, God." Her voice was harsh and unusually low, and she was panting. "Conner. Help me."

  All of a sudden he realized she'd stripped off her jeans, and abruptly it dawned on him exactly what she'd been doing, and why she’d been screaming. Suddenly horrifically embarrassed by his thoughtless intrusion on her privacy, he shifted back, moving away from her a bit and dropping onto the floor.

  "I'm sorry," he said, staring at the wooden planks. He could feel his cheeks flaming like an out-of-control forest fire. "I, uh, didn't mean to, uh..."

  "Please." She caught at him wildly. "You have to help me."

  He was pretty sure she'd already helped herself, and his cheeks went redder than before. "Faelan, I..."

  "I need you." She caught his arms and pulled herself to a sitting position, staring at him with a strange intensity. Her eyes gleamed a brilliant golden green, and her hands clutched his arms desperately. "Conner. Fuck me."

  Chapter 3

  Conner hesitated, so Faelan put her hands on him. He felt good beneath her palms, a solid, unyielding wall of muscle, and she gave into temptation and let her hands start sliding all over him. He was wearing an old leather jacket and a gray sweater over a plain white t-shirt, and her hands delved under all his clothing and found his warm, smooth skin. He uttered a little moan and put his arms around her.

  "Hey," he said softly. "What's going on here?"

  "I told you." She buried her face in his throat, inhaling the intensely masculine scent
of him, and licked at his skin. "I want you to fuck me. Now."

  "Yeah, but..." She could hear the frown in his voice. "I'm not complaining, believe me. But you're just acting kind of... strange."

  "Please." She wrapped her arms around him. His long legs were stretched out, and she climbed right into his lap. "Please, Conner, you have to help me."

  She rubbed against his cock fiercely, and he made another of those little sounds. She knew she was turning him on, because he was already hard. He felt so good up pressed against her hot, throbbing body, felt exactly like what she wanted, what she needed. She moved against him more urgently than before.

  "Okay," he said, his voice hoarse. "But I'm taking you back to my house first."

  “I can’t wait…”

  “My house,” he repeated firmly. “Or no deal.”

  She remembered the way she'd screamed as she came, and she had to admit that might be a good idea. She was so overwhelmed with need she hardly cared if someone overheard them, but Conner would never survive the embarrassment if someone happened to hear them. Reluctantly, she nodded.

  "Okay."

  *****

  A few minutes later, Conner lay Faelan gently down in his bed. She’d twitched the whole way, squirming in the car like ants were biting her, gasping and moaning as if she were already on the verge of orgasm. He’d seriously thought about pulling the car over, yanking her into his lap, and making love to her right on the side of the road. Only the knowledge that small town cops frowned on that kind of thing had stopped him.

  Now she lay sprawled out on his navy blue comforter, looking up at him, her eyes heavy-lidded and dark. She looked so purely sexual it made his lower belly tighten with need. He knelt on the bed, between her legs, and bent over her, still looking into her eyes.

  Her right hand lifted, touching the side of his face, and all of a sudden he noticed something that shouldn't be on her hand. She was still wearing the ring, but around it...

  He caught her arm and looked at it carefully. "Hey," he said. "The skin on your finger. It looks weird. Kind of silvery."

  "I know." She tried to pull her arm away. "Forget about it. Right now, I need you, Conner."