Loki: Fenrir

[moonshadows]

The wolf prowled around him, huge and glorious in night-black fur and eyes that burned like molten gold. “So, Asgardian…” The word rolled off his long, pink tongue as though he were lapping blood from a kill. “You seek to buy passage for you and yours with your body?”

Loki, in the shape of a silver wolf with black ears and eyes like glinting emeralds, twitched but did not move. “I seek passage for me and my pack. The price, O king of wolves, is yours to decide.”

Teeth snapped inches away from his nose, ivory daggers clashing. “Do not seek to fool me with your words, not while your body proclaims your desire.”

So. He had not been imagining that heat between his legs.

“What are you, that you proclaim yourself a prince yet you would lift your tail like a common bitch in heat? Are you so desperate to whelp?”

“I am second to my brother, Thor Odinson. In fifteen centuries, only twice have I given birth. Once to the king of horses, and the other, a princess of Midgard. I had thought to offer you the honor of siring my litter, but…” Loki shook his shoulders in the lupine equivalent of a shrug and turned to go, only to find his path blocked by midnight fur and molten gold.

“And if I cover you, and give you my seed, then what? Will you send my son against me, to take my pack, my mates, and my territory?”

Loki’s eyes became as chips of sea-green ice and he growled, “My pups will be just that – my pups. There are mates aplenty in the other eight realms, and hunting territory, and my pack is greater than yours. As a Son of Odin I give my oath that your son – my son – will not seek to depose you. Now, are you going to name the price of passage, or am I going to have to win it from you in blood?”

The Nightwolf’s tongue lolled. “Fiercely spoken. Yes, I will permit you and your pack to pass through my lands provided they kill no living creature. I accept your oath, and the offer of your body.” He laughed as Loki shuddered with renewed heat. The silver wolf did not struggle as he mounted and began his work. “If you had not been willing to bare your fangs to me,” he growled into one ear as Loki whimpered beneath him, “you would not have been worthy of bearing my get.”

 ~*~*~*~*~

“…and so we may pass, provided we kill no living creature within the bounds of his territory,” Loki concluded, tearing into the cold meat, and bread, and cheese as though starved.

“Hungry, are we?” Volstagg asked, eyebrows raised.

“Being a wolf is hungry work,” Loki retorted.

“Let’s move, people,” Thor said, clapping his hands for emphasis. “We do not want to overstay our welcome. Brother, with me.”

They marched through the night to leave the Nightwolf’s territory, and made camp well past dawn. Loki thought nothing of Thor’s order to join him in the command tent until he realized they were alone.

“Brother,” he said sternly, “are you with child?”

Loki’s hands flew to his abdomen. The bone-crushing hug was a surprise.

“I saw the way you were eating,” Thor whispered. “How long?”

Tension bled out of Loki’s lean frame. “Two months, perhaps less. Wolf pups are small; it shouldn’t hamper my ability to fight.”

“Hopefully, we will resolve this conflict before then.” Thor released his brother, only to take him by the shoulders and look into his eyes seriously. “If they should come, though…tell me what you will need.”

Slowly, Loki smiled in gratitude that went beyond words.

  ~*~*~*~*~

At first, he thought the strike had been turned back by his armor. The attacker was quickly dispatched, fool that he was for attacking a Son of Odin. Then he looked down, and saw the sword-hilt protruding from his…

…from his…

The world vanished in a sheet of white-hot fire, fear and pain and rage.

  ~*~*~*~*~

“Hold him down!” Thor bellowed. “Healing stones, quickly!”

“My lord…”

“Did you not hear me the first time?” The words had an ominous edge to them.

Hands, hands on his arms, his legs. Hands holding his head still. White pain in his belly.

“There’s something in there!”

“Gently,” Thor threatened. “Where are those blasted stones!”

“My lord…!”

Empty. Where there should have been life. Loki thrashed and screamed, freeing one hand with which to grope towards his slit belly.

“Give it to him!”

“But my lord, it’s…”

Thor sounded ready to call the lightning. “I know what it is. GIVE IT TO HIM.”

A warm, wet form touched his questing hand, and he pulled it to his chest. A tiny life beat against his. His baby. His precious baby. Still blind with pain, half-mad, he reached for the magic.

“No, brother,” Thor said gently in his ear. “Your child is imprinting. You must stay Asgardian.”

Yes. Of course. Loki cradled the tiny body closer. Hands opened his armor, his tunic, and he nestled his newborn child against his skin. The shape flowed beneath his fingers, smoothing and rounding until the thin cry of an Asgardian babe pierced the air.

“Your son,” Thor said thickly.

Son. He had a son. But…

“There were two,” Loki whispered as the white-hot agony cooled.

“We have healing stones. The other was injured…”

No, Loki knew suddenly. The other – his daughter, his she-wolf cub – was dead.

“Fenrir,” he whispered to the squalling infant imprinting on him. “My son. Fenrir.”

Slowly, the fires cooled. Loki’s breathing eased, and Fenrir quieted. He did not bother to open his eyes, sensing that Thor still watched over all, the Alpha of his pack protecting the youngest member of it. He felt it when Fenrir’s imprinting was complete. Hands had long since removed the healing stones, and his belly bore not even a scar to mark the place where a sword had taken his daughter from him. To become the wolf was not the best thing for the moment, he knew; instead, he called the magic that would make him female, and suckled his son. Strong, warm hands lifted him to a sitting position, and Loki opened his eyes to see Thor staring in awe at his nephew.

“My daughter was dead when you pulled her from my body,” he said sadly.

Thor looked away. “She still bled. I tried…”

“I know you did.” Loki took a shaky breath. “She died in battle, pierced by an enemy’s blade. I wonder if she will go to Valhalla.”

“We will build a pyre for her,” Thor promised, blinking away tears.

“Thank you, brother.”

“You need to eat,” Thor said, voice rough. “I will bring you food.”

For the first time, Loki looked around and saw that he was in the command tent – indeed, in Thor’s bed. Something that had been tense relaxed at the sight. “Thank you,” he said again.

  ~*~*~*~*~

“He is a fine son,” Hogun said in his quiet, restrained way.

Fandral ruffled the black fuzz with one gentle finger. “If he takes after you in looks, he’ll be very popular with the ladies. Gold eyes!”

Volstagg just chuckled. “I approve of his appetite. Nothing can be wrong with a babe so eager to drink his mother’s milk!” He paused. “Are you his mother, or his father?”

Loki smiled tiredly. “Mother, although I will not take offense to father.”

The Warriors Three exchanged a look.

Hogun asked, “Does his father know?”

“Probably. I don’t care. I am not of his pack; he has no claim on Fenrir save kin-right.”

Thor slung an arm around his nursing brother. “Mother’s going to be beside herself that she missed the chance to dote on you.”

“I know,” Loki chuckled. “I’d say she’ll have puppies when she finds out, but I’ve already had them.” He sobered. “I only wish I didn’t have to tell them about the other one.”

“What did you name her?” Sif asked quietly.

“Valda.”

“She will wait for you in Valhalla.” Hogun held Loki’s eyes until he saw the other man nod.

  ~*~*~*~*~

“Heimdall, open the bifrost.” Thor commanded, and it was done. “I am sending Sif with you,” he said to Loki. “She will be your honor guard, so that you may concentrate on protecting your son if anything should happen.” He clasped forearms with his brother. “Give Mother my love. Give Father my word that I will bring victorious troops home within the month.”

Loki nodded, fighting the wolf’s instincts that said he should not be exposing his pup to the outside world for weeks yet. Sif fairly bristled with weaponry at his side, a comfortingly hostile presence, and they allowed themselves to be sucked into the stream of energy that pierced the void between the worlds.