Packless Monsters

Chapter 45

It was late the next morning before you finally woke again. Loki was still curled safely, protectively around you. You smiled and ran your fingers through his hair. You managed to sit up without waking him. His arms stayed around you, his head in your lap. He looked so adorable, soft, vulnerable when he was asleep. He smiled softly as you stroked his hair. You touched the back of your hand to his forehead and frowned. Still too warm, though not as bad, not as dangerous.

His eyes cracked open and he made a small noise. His cheeks were still flushed, his lips dry. The fever had dried him out. You needed to get him awake and fix that. "Morning, love," you greeted him warmly.

He gave you a small smile and his grip on you tightened. He curled himself more comfortably, his eyes about to close again. "Mine," he told you softly, possessively, but lovingly.

You sighed, but you knew how possessive he was, how protective. "Yes, silly trickster, but it's time to get up now," you told him gently. He growled in reply. You smirked and bopped his nose. "Stop that. C'mon, wake up," you told him firmly. He growled, but his eyes finally cleared and he finally seemed to wake the rest of the way.

"Y/N?" he asked softly, confused. You ran your fingers through his hair again, keeping him calm. He sat up, but slowly, shakily. You helped him prop himself up against the pillows. He hated being weak or ill, hated that you could see him like this. You kissed him reassuringly.

"Yes, love. I'm here," you told him gentle, peaceful, reassuring. You were well practiced at the gentle peaceful tone. "How are you feeling?" you asked. You knew he was still ill. His cheeks were still flushed. He was too warm. You touched his cheek worriedly, trying to gauge just how bad the fever still was.

"I don't- What happened?" he asked softly, confused and worried, shivering even as he was fevered. Poor Loki.

You wanted to protect him, to just cuddle him back to feeling better, but he needed to know what happened and wouldn't rest until he did. "Jareth bit you," you reminded him, unsure where his memories left off. The fever could do weird things to memories. He nodded and you saw that he remembered that part. You hesitated, but you had to tell him. "You were infected. You've been unconscious for almost a day. You nearly died," you told him, fighting to keep the tears from your eyes. You weren't entirely sure that he nearly died, but you knew how much pack magic and nursing it had taken to keep him with you. He just stared, shocked. "I know you don't remember. The fever you had was brutal. You're going to be fine, we're past the worst, we just... we don't know what'll happen at the full moon..." you finally told him. He needed to know.

"You mean I'll turn?" he asked with absolutely no emotion in his voice.

"We don't know. It's never been tested on an Asgardian. Fenrir said you might be immune. We just don't know and there's no way to know what will happen until the full moon. I'll still love you no matter what happens, and we'll get through it together," you told him firmly.

He gave you a small smile, reassured by your words. "I love you too, little wolf," you smiled and kissed him. "I assume I have you to thank for my current state of being alive and relatively well?"

You shrugged, embarrassed. "The others helped too," you didn't want to go into detail, didn't want to tell him how sick he's been. You didn't want to make a big deal about it. Loki gave you a look.

"Tell me, darling," his voice was firm, he wanted to know how embarrassed he should be. He wanted to know what had happened while he was unconscious. You hesitated. He placed two fingers under your chin and forced your head up, forced you to look him in the eyes. "Tell me, little wolf. I need to know,"