Wild Magic One: By the Light of the Moon-- A Wolf Shifter M/M Romance

31- The Ring

EDON

The dreams may have been the worst part. They always started out beautifully: Lacy and Tay playing in the garden, the toddler chasing Lacy as a puppy clambered at their feet. Lhiam stepping up behind me, planting a gentle kiss against my neck as he whispered his greetings softly into my ear.

Lacy and Tay would run up to Lhiam, Tay crying out "Papa! Daddy, Papa's home!" as he launched himself into Lhiam's arms.

I would smile at Tay's exuberance and lead them all inside, with Lhiam's arm around my waist, towards dinner in our big, private family dining room.

And then the dreams would change. The foreign princess would bend down, pick up Tay, and the child would call her mother. Lhiam would pull himself from my arms, pushing me back into a dark corner, and kiss the princess. He would rub her pregnant belly as they laughed.

And then there were the dreams where I was my wolf, standing by Lacy's side as Lhiam and the princess exchanged vows, promising to love one another and be true. And after the ceremony, Lhiam would corner me in a dark closet and bend me over and fuck me, leaving me covered in his cum, dirty and sobbing as he left me alone again.

Those dreams were the worst ones. Not the ones seeing him with his wife. The ones where he was with her, and then he was fucking me hard and rough, in a closet, a chamber pot room, up against a wall in a dark corner, leaving me dirty and alone in the dark. The dirty secret he couldn't let anyone know about as he returned to his wife and children. I woke to those in my human form, my wolf's heart too weak to withstand the physical ache of my heart breaking.

I wandered aimlessly, sleeping only when my legs would give out, drinking and eating only enough to keep myself going. I was too weak to hunt, so I ate a few berries, some herbs I knew were edible, but otherwise I remained empty, hungry, and cold.

It was a few days before I realized I had gone in circles, and the smell of the keep hit my nose. I felt my entire body go taut, my heart hammering, as I began to run. There was no thought in my mind but Lhiam. I needed to see him. I had to.

He would take me back. I knew he would. He was too kind to turn me away. I would explain to him. I wouldn't tell him how I felt, because it would be hard for him to deal with a lovestruck freak by his side, but I would beg him to let me stay by him. I would be his pet. He would never have to see Edon the man again if he asked. Or I would be his whore. I would let him have my body, my soul, my heart, because I had thought I could be without him, and I had been wrong. Being his whore, at least I would be able to see him and love him quietly, in my own way. At least he would be mine, for a little while every few days. He would be mine, for as long as he could be away from his family.

I snuck past a few familiar guards, but when I made it to the south garden, our garden, and saw Lhiam there with her, I heard something inside me break off and I wanted to laugh at my own stupidity.

If my belly wasn't so empty, I would have hacked into the bushes. As it was, I forced myself to turn and slink back out to the forest. Back out where I belonged.

I was a fool to think I could endure that. I wasn't strong enough to watch them together for even a few seconds, much less over a lifetime. And I hadn't missed the silver, glinting ring in his hand. He was playing with it, twisting it around his fingers, as he watched the light play off the metal.

No. I couldn't think about it. Because the thing that had broken inside of me throbbed each time I thought of the silver in his hands, and the way she laughed as she brushed her fingers across his hand.

I wandered further this time, my mind completely empty. I was thirsty, hungry, and then I wasn't. Everything began to fall away. I slept more, but when I woke I didn't stop to eat or drink, I simply moved on.