Omega Mine

Chapter 22

Loki turned back to the Alpha who had dared touch you once you were safely tucked against Thor's side. Loki trusted that Thor would protect you. His brother wouldn't let harm come to his mate. And something had changed and shifted between you and Loki. It wasn't official, not yet, not quite, but he did consider you his mate.

Which meant the Alpha who had touched you would pay and pay with more than the mutilated hand that Bucky had already given him.

You couldn't do more than watch as Loki strode toward the Alpha with a feline predatory grace. As he murder-strutted toward the Alpha, his magic shimmered and his black suit of sexy changed to his battle armor, including his cape and golden horned helmet.

At least the idiotic soon-to-be-dead Alpha had the decency to pale and start to look properly afraid at Loki's change in appearance. At the literal god striding toward him intent on murder. At the realization that the entire team of Avengers was standing around him with weapons drawn. He would find no mercy or quarter from them. He had messed with the wrong Omega.

And there was an unmistakable look in Loki's eyes. One that told the entire room of the press that human law did not apply when it came to anyone who messed with his Omega. He was riding the killing edge and his magic sparked around him.

There was only one course of action for the idiot Alpha. You saw the moment when he realized what it was. Sure, he could ask to be arrested. Under normal circumstances, the team would have allowed him to be hauled to jail where the other criminals would take care of him for trying to harm an Omega. Except, this time, it had been the Avenger's Omega who had been assaulted.

None of the team would be likely to help him. Even Steve who was usually such a stick in the mud.

No one would get in Loki's way.

So there was only one way for that Alpha to try to keep his life.

"I-" he paused, his voice shaky. He straightened his spine and tried to hide the stink of fear and how he cradled his shattered hand. "I issue a Challenge for the right to this Omega," the words were ancient tradition. Formal Challenges were rare anymore, though they were still legal. Most Alpha settled things much more diplomatically. There was no diplomacy anymore after the Alpha had accosted you.

Loki's dark expression turned to a malicious grin. He paused the proscribed distance in front of the other Alpha. "The Challenge has been heard and I accept," his voice was malevolent, dark, deadly, and sexy as hell.

Steve moved forward, coming up close enough for the pair to both turn their attention to him. "I stand as Witness," he announced. No one would deny a fair fight when Captain America himself was standing as Witness. Witnesses acted as judges and referees.

This fight wouldn't need a referee.

It was going to be to the death.

The Alpha had signed his own death by demanding a Challenge. Loki was legally allowed to kill him for touching you in the first place. Issuing a Challenge just made it all the more legal.

Loki nodded to Cap, accepting him as Witness. The Alpha reluctantly nodded his agreement as well. Loki turned his attention back to the Alpha and offered a polite, formal bow. The Alpha returned the bow, because that's how these things were done in civilized society.

They both settled into a fighting stance. Loki's was fluid, strong, but set to move. The Alpha looked like he was preparing for a bar brawl.

Thor pulled you closer. "You do not need to watch this, Meimei," he told you gently, as his case draped over you. He knew this was going to get violent and bloody extremely quickly.

You shook your head. "No, I need to see," you told him. You had to watch and make sure Loki made it through unscathed. Though there was no doubt he would, you still worried over him.

Cap announced the start of the Challenge and stepped out of the way.

The Alpha didn't even stand a chance.

Loki allowed him to throw the first punch, goaded him into attacking with all of his lack of skill. He caught the punch and shattered the man's other hand with no effort. While the Alpha screamed in pain, Loki ripped his entire arm off of his body and tossed it aside. The Alpha tried to throw another punch, but it was no use. Loki was too fast, too well trained. He was a skilled warrior, a god, a fighter with centuries of experience and magic.

And everyone in attendance realized what it meant to go against a god.

Magic flashed, keeping the man alive as his other arm was ripped off. "You will never assault another Omega again," Loki snarled as the man screamed. He glanced toward the Alpha's crotch. "And you won't need that in Hel," he growled maliciously.

Which was when Thor turned you to hide your face against his chest while Loki finished his brutal execution. He wouldn't let you watch, but you heard the squelching sounds and screams of the Alpha dying.

When Thor finally let you go, the Alpha and all evidence of his death was erased, thanks to Loki's magic. Loki was impeccably dressed again in his black suit. He was still riding the killing edge, though. There was only one cure for that unless he calmed himself.

You went to him slowly, careful not to rile him. No one else dared move. While his actions had been legal and expected for an Alpha whose Omega had been assaulted, no one would risk turning his wrath against them.

Loki's eyes followed you, hungry and cautious, his Alpha instincts too close to the surface. You reached him and reached up to cup his cheek. "Are you alright, Alpha?" You asked, letting your aura surround him.

You heard the whispers around you, heard the reports from the press. The Avenger's Omega had been assaulted. One of the Alphas on the team, one who was in the process of courting and claiming said Omega, had taken care of the assaulter. It was a tragedy of course that the man had died, but that was to be expected when Alpha personalities were involved. And Loki was perfectly within his rights to do so, especially when an official challenge had been issued.

His eyes relaxed as he took in your scent and presence. He turned to kiss your palm. "Now that you're safe, my Omega," he purred and the entire room breathed a sigh of relief as everyone in attendance and everyone the press reported to would take note not to touch Loki's Omega. They had all seen the consequences of the one who had made that fatal mistake.