Prince's Mate

Chapter 5 - Skye

Skye had caught the swing of Loki's scepter on his shield. He absorbed the impact, holding firm. He had tried to get the Omega to stand down and learned what he truly needed to. This really wasn't Loki's idea, wasn't his doing. Loki was under the control of the mind stone.

Skye's first order of business would be fixing that little problem.

As the mind stone took full control of Loki again, Skye moved. He didn't give the Omega time. He shifted his weight, slanting his shield to send the scepter sliding off to the side. He moved fast, raising the shield, aiming as if to hit Loki in the head. Loki stepped back, as he did, Skye shifted his trajectory, hitting Loki's hand where it held the scepter.

Skye threw his shield, sending it and the scepter flying away from the pair, limiting its connection to Loki. Loki growled, shifting back in to attack, but before he could, Stark flew in in his Iron Man suit and knocked Loki on his ass.

"Your move, Reindeer Games," Stark told Loki, his repulsers aimed at the god. Loki raised his hands, looking defeated as his magic shimmered and his horned helmet vanished. "Good move," Stark quipped.

Skye reached a hand out, summoning his Jotun blade back to himself. He vanished both blades as he approached Loki. Cap went to retrieve the scepter. Skye didn't try to stop him, the soldier was unlikely to be corrupted by it, at least not so quickly. Skye offered Loki a hand to help him up. Stark still had his blasters pointed at the god. Skye wasn't afraid, even if those blasters weren't guarding his back. Loki looked up at Skye, surprised at the offer. "Come, prince," Skye bid him gently, his voice quiet, but with an Alpha's presence and authority. His voice held the promise of protection. Loki's eyes widened, not only at the words and the offer, but the fact that the words were spoken in perfect court Asgardian. Loki reached up a hand automatically, the usually silver-tongued god quiet and calculating, silent while he evaluated the situation.

Skye helped Loki to his feet, supportive and noting the prince's injuries. He was much more injured than he pretended to be. Of course he was. Nothing about this situation was what it appeared. Skye needed to learn more, but that could wait. Now wasn't the time. Now, he needed to get the Omega to safety and figure out how to stop the upcoming battle. Skye recognized that this was just the beginning. There was more to Loki's plans than getting caught here.

Skye steadied Loki, one hand holding the prince's arm, the other at the small of his back. "Good Omega," he purred in the deep growl-purr that Alphas were known for.

Loki melted, his eyes glazing at the praise, the approval from the Alpha who called to him so strongly, at that rumbling deep grow-purr. He let Skye support him, let him escort him more like a court Lady (or an Omega), than a prince, much less than how an opponent would be treated.

Skye paused after a couple of steps toward the jet, a decision made. "This is for your protection, little Omega," Skye growl-purred in Loki's ear. Before Loki could move or react, Skye reached a hand up and touched the side of Loki's neck, where a mating mark would eventually go. Under Skye's fingertips a design bloomed, looking like it was tattooed onto Loki's skin. It was Skye's sigil: a sun in golden magic on one side, a moon in silver-blue on the other. It wasn't a formal mating mark, not a true permanent cleaning. It was a temporary mark instead, telling the world that Loki was under Skye's protection.

Loki gasped in shock and reached a hand up to that mark, that feel of magic, even as Skye continued escorting him to the jet. "Why?" He asked, more than a little confused.

"Because," Skye started, his voice a growl. "I know as well as you do that none of this is your choice or fault. Like it or not, Omega-princeling, you are under my protection, at least until this mess is sorted out,"

At least.

A promise of the 'more' that Skye felt toward this Omega. Toward his prince. Toward the prince of both sides of his heritage.