The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 17

"Mother..."

"I saw it as well, Loki but we cannot do anything until she wakes up."

"But what was it?"

"I think it would be best if you let her tell you that herself.  Take care of her, I will notify Odin that she has been found and I will attempt to find out how much she was searched for in this room and make it sound as if she was here and whoever showed up panicked.  I will try to shift the blame off her."

"Thank you, Mother."

"When she wakes, she will be in a lot of pain.  Don't bombard her with questions until she is stable."

"Ok."

"Promise me this, Loki."

"I promise."

"Good.  I will return when I have news."

3rd Person POV

As expected, Odin was furious when he found out about the false alarm, that she had really been in her bathroom and that in a panic, one of the newly-recruited guards had sounded the alarm for a full-scale search.  However, that did not compare to the fury he felt at the sight of Loki sitting next to her sleeping body in her room.
"Loki!  You did this to her!"

"No father, I didn't!  I was the one who found her like this!  Mother was with me!"
"You are spending far too much time with her for my liking.  She is to marry Thor as soon as I deem him ready to take a bride."

"You can't do that!" Loki leapt to his feet, "She's just a visitor in Asgard!"

"A very powerful one.  Perfect for Thor."

"She should have a say in the matter!"

"Since when have you stood up for the rights of those you barely know?  Oh.  I see.  You want her for yourself.  You are greedy.  I never thought you could sink so low.  Your mother will hear about this." Odin stormed from the room and Loki collapsed on the side of her bed once more.

Loki's POV

How could father do this?  Why couldn't he be happy for me?  I had thought he would be happy that I had finally found someone who wasn't Thor or mother who accepted me for who I was and didn't try to change me.  What would Arista think?  No.  I couldn't let this happen.  I wouldn't. 

"I'm sorry, Loki."

"Mother, can't you convince him to change his mind?"

"I will try but he is determined."

"Why can't he just leave us alone?  Why must he every time I find something or someone good in my life, take it away and give it to Thor?  Am I not good enough for him?" Mother sighed.

"Your father loves you just as much as Thor, he just thinks that Thor is a better match for Arista."

"But we're–"

"I know.  She told me.  Have you bonded yet?"

"We have."

"Then why are you worrying?  If the bond has been formed, then there is nothing Odin will be able to do about it.  He will be upset about it but over time, he will come to accept it.  I promise."

"Thank you, mother."  With that, she departed and I looked forlornly at Arista.  She looked even worse than she had when she got out of the dungeon.  She had gained no weight.  In fact, she had lost it.  Her cheeks were hollowed out, her cheekbones sticking out sharply against her skin, just as her ribs jutted out of her sides.  My cloak was doing little to cover the fact that she was just skin and bones.  When she had arrived here, she had been strong, muscles had rippled under her skin with every move.  I almost didn't recognize her and if I hadn't been spending so much time around her, I probably would've mistaken her for a corpse and not for a moment would I have considered that she might be Arista.  Although she wasn't awake, Arista was shivering violently.  I couldn't just do nothing but I also didn't want to give Odin another excuse to try and keep us apart but at the moment, I didn't care.  If she fell ill, he would blame me for that as well.  So, I laid down and pulled her freezing, frail body into mine.  Almost instantly, the tremors running through her under her skin stopped and she cuddled further into me, pushing her face into the crook of my neck.  Although I knew she wouldn't hear me, I reached out and grasped desperately at what small fragment of her mind that I could still sense and spoke sweet nothings to her, hoping that by some miracle, she would hear me.