Packless Monsters

Chapter 69

Thor rushed forward to grab Frigga and keep her from hitting the ground. He lowered her gently and stood again, summoning his hammer from where it had been hiding as a keychain on his belt-loop. He didn't leave the tower without the hammer, but he wasn't always obvious about carrying it. It could hide as a keychain or umbrella, depending on the situation. Thor stood over Frigga, looking around for who had attacked you, lightning sparking around him.

Don't mess with Mama Frigga's boys.

Thor and Loki would both jump to her defense without question and without remorse for their deadly results.

Thor and Loki.

Shit.

You dragged your eyes away from Thor and Frigga to the horrible roar that had turned from a man's cry of outrage and anger to the snarled roar of an angry wolf. Loki shouldn't have been able to make that noise. Not when he was only partially a werewolf.

You stared in horror at the sight in front of you. Fur had spouted along Loki's arms and you knew it would be down his back as well. His nails had extended to claws, his canines extended, and his eyes had turned molten gold.

Loki was turning.

Not his usual shapeshifting into a wolf, but actually, painfully, properly turning. This wasn't magic, not the magic Loki used anyway. This was him turning into an actual werewolf.

The full moon hadn't done it, even after months.

It had taken anger that his beloved mama had been attacked for his wolf to take control. The wolf was the one forcing the change and had taken over at his family being in danger.

You saw the pain it was causing him. His knees buckled and he collapsed to his hands and knees, snarling as his body contorted around him. You glanced at Thor. "The wolf's taken over. He's turning. He'll be defenseless until the change is over," you warned him. Thor would be on his own. You had to go to Loki.

Thor nodded and his grip tightened on Mjolnir. He knelt to lift Frigga over his shoulder. He would be better able to protect her from there. Men started coming out from buildings, from behind parked cars, from wherever they'd been hiding while they took down Mama Frigga.

"Thor, call for backup," you told him. You couldn't take on this crowd alone. Especially with a feral werewolf with you. Thor called for help through Jarvis.

You just hoped the team would come in time.

You went to Loki and knelt beside him. You didn't dare touch him, knowing that the first transformation was the worst. His body was in so much pain as it tore itself apart to turn into a wolf. You shielded him from view as the attackers moved closer, giving him as much time as you could while Thor shot blasts of lightning at them. There was no rushing the first transformation. You just hoped that Loki's age and magic would help him change faster.

Though this wasn't a magical transformation, this was a physical one. Loki was in agony and you wished there was something you could do for him, but his body was literally tearing itself apart and reforming.

As he was nearing the end of his shift, you shifted forms with a speed and ease gained from hard work and lots of practice. He needed a full-wolf to help keep him in control when he finished shifting. You didn't outrank him, but he couldn't order you around either. You were also his mate, so that would give you some leverage to keep him in line and only killing attackers and not innocents.

You noticed the rest of the team arrived, but you couldn't focus on them. You had to focus on Loki.

You had to help Loki.

Had to help keep him in control.

That was easier said than done.

You heard a soft pop and yelped at the sharp pain in your shoulder.

You didn't want to draw your attention from Loki, but your shoulder hurt, so you had to look at it.

And saw the dart sticking out of it.

Without you, there was no one to help Loki.

Non one to keep him in control.

Your last coherent thought as the world turned black was how dead those Hydra agents would be.