Packless Monsters

Chapter 20

The team was impressed with how you'd taken down both werewolves. Tony wouldn't stop laughing for days at you taking down the first one by licking his cheek. "He'd never seen an Omega before," you protested when Tony had laughed too many times. That comment didn't help.

Cap kept analyzing the footage of your fight with the Alpha. He hadn't seen you fight in wolf form as it was too dangerous for you to spar as a wolf. The chances of accidental injury to the team was too high and you wouldn't risk turning any of them. You didn't know what he was doing with the information, but he was impressed with your fighting too.

*

The night of the next full moon landed at the end of finals week. Whoever designed the schedule just wanted to torture you apparently. It was a nasty, awful, terrible combination of events. Add to that your internship and a boyfriend who did stupid things for attention when he was bored or lonely and you were dead by the time the moon fever hit the day before the full moon.

You somehow made it through your last final, though you'd pulled an all-nighter between studying and entertaining Loki. He'd pouted until you beat him at Mario Kart at 3am, since you were awake anyway, he thought you were lonely and up to playing with him. He didn't understand finals and the amount of stress you were under, which you obviously hid from him. You didn't want him to worry or be upset.

You tried to shove away the haze of fever while you were taking the exam, drawing even more strength from your wolf as you did. You'd been draining the wolf's strength and stamina all week to keep yourself going, to keep up with your obligations. She was as tapped as you were, but you somehow pulled through the exam. She didn't understand finals anymore than Loki did, but she understood you had to get through it.

After you'd delivered the report Pepper needed, she ordered Happy to drive you home. "I'm not sick," you protested. She knew what was wrong with you just as well as everyone else did. "And I'm not shirking," you protested harder. You were never going to get hired on at the end of the internship if you couldn't keep up with your obligations and stop missing work.

She gave you a look that she had obviously perfected through using on Tony when he was being stupid and stubborn. "I know you're not shirking. You came in dying of a fever that I know isn't contagious. I got the report I needed. That was the only thing for you today. Go home, you're my best intern and I will see you the day after tomorrow. Happy, make sure she eats something when you get her home," she added to Happy. Happy escorted you from the building with his hand on your back before you could protest again. He finally left you alone once you were settled on the couch in the living room at the tower with a bowl of soup and a stupid daytime judge show playing on the TV in the background.

*

You must've fallen asleep watching TV on the couch because you roused to a cold hand on your forehead. "You're burning up, love," Loki's voice was past concerned and had gone straight to actively worried. "The moon fever wasn't this bad last month." His words had you opening your eyes and looking at him. "Hello, Lady Wolf," he greeted the wolf who looked out of your eyes kindly and with the same love and care with which he spoke to you. The wolf was awake and in control.

"Mate," she greeted him warmly in reply. Your voice was huskier when she spoke, another indication that you weren't awake and Loki was playing with the wolf. He was momentarily taken aback by the greeting and her choice of address, but he brushed it off quickly. She was more simplistic than you were. He smiled kindly and laid his cold hand on your neck, making her moan in pleasure.

"Why are you so sick, Lady Wolf?"

Your expression turned confused and you tilted your head, just like you would have done in wolf form. "The moon calls us," she finally replied. She couldn't handle complex questions or emotions.