The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 47

By the time we got to the stables, Hathwari had begrudgingly begun listening to Loki to some degree without extra encouragement from her siblings.

"You can ride Apollo with me." Loki told me as I went to get Kurt.

"But he can't carry all five of us.  Those hatchlings are much heavier than they look." One of the horses snorted and Sleipnir poked his head out from his stall.

"I recall you promising me to take me out at some point."

"And I intend to make good on that promise." I unlatched his gate and let him out.  Meanwhile, Loki was already astride Apollo bareback and was waiting on me.  Sleipnir was nearly as tall as Loki's stallion form so I climbed up onto the stall door and got on from there.

"If you required assistance, all you needed to do was ask."

"I'm fine, thanks.  Loki, I'm going to turn full control of the hatchlings over to you for the trip there."

"What!?  Why?"

"Because you need to be more confident in your abilities.  You're much stronger than you make yourself out to be."

"You're already trying to distract me." His tone had an accusing edge to it.  And I couldn't deny his words.

"So what exactly is going on between yourself and Mother?  I know it is not ordinary, just as you are not."

"No.  I am a Shapeshifter.  A remnant of an ancient race.  But I shall spare you the details of how we died out."

"How did you disappear back when we first met?"

"Old magic.  Very harmful to the body.  But Loki has since taught me another method."

"And the baby dragons?  How did you acquire them?"

"It's a long story.  That is all I wish to say on the matter."

"Fine.  But I must warn you that if your break Loki's heart, you will have to answer to me." I laughed softly at that.

"I wouldn't dream of it.  I know that you could kill me easily."

The ride to the clearing was shorter than I remember it being the first time and Loki didn't seem to have any issue getting Hathwari to obey him.  When we reached the clearing, it was empty, just like the last time we had been there.  The damage created during our last visit was healing quite nicely, in a couple months the trees would look as if nothing had happened.

"What now?"

"We wait" I sat back and watched the hatchlings run free in the longish grass, playing a loose version of hide and seek.

Unlike the last time we were here, the father did not show up soon.  We waited for at least two hours before his form circled above and landed, scaring the bored hatchlings out of their afternoon nap.  Sleipnir jumped as well.  Loki had filled him in on why we were here but I think it just went in one ear and out the other.

"My hatchlings." His neck swung in close to the three trembling bodies huddled together in the grass, provoking Platino enough for him to get up and swipe his father across the snout.

"So much like your mother." His voice was pained.

"THAT is their FATHER!?  Does this mean they're going to be as big as that one day?  Good luck hiding them from Odin then!"

"I can hear you." The dragon rumbled in our mental group chat.  He seriously needed a name.

"She called me Kaylinth." I didn't need to ask who 'she' was.