Get On Your Knees and Pray to me By Shining Loki On AO3

Chapter 32 - Sorrow, Sadness, And Sacrifice

Why? There's no point.

Stay alive. Stay alive for Cooper.

A piece of you hoped, prayed, wished that Loki would appear in front of you and whisk you away. But prayers didn't work for you, not anymore. Loki stopped listening. Maybe Gretchen would try to sacrifice you and it wouldn't work. Loki wouldn't come. Then maybe all of this would be for absolutely nothing.

Your feet continued to carry you blindly up the steps to Gretchen's apartment. When she got you inside, she locked the door and pushed you towards her room. Her smile was glowing as she pointed to her bedroom.

"It is time to prepare for our god."

*

Cooper did not know what to do.

You told him to stay and that you would be back. But he was smart, and he was pretty positive you would not be coming back. He whimpered just thinking about it. But what was there to do? Gretchen had swept you from the house without looking back. He could try to chase her down but he didn't know where she lived. He could probably scent her down but would trying to follow you bring her to violence? He saw the gun, he knew what that meant.

Cooper plopped onto the ground and began to whine. You were his best friend, his best girl. He would do anything for you. Because you had saved him. You saved him when he was a puppy from being brought into a bad household or tossed into a shelter. You gave him a home and a heart, all of your warmth and love. You were the best thing to ever happen to him.

And now, you were gone. Just like Loki, you were -

Fuck. That bastard! Loki!

Cooper shot up and sniffed around the room. The smell of his collar was faint after weeks of hiding but he had to get to it. That was the only way! Gretchen wanted to summon Loki but fuck it, Cooper would do it first.

He caught the scent of his collar on the highest shelf of your bookshelf. Dammit, fuck humans and their height. Also fuck those opposable thumbs too.

Cooper stared up at the bookshelf. There was no guarantee that calling to Loki would work. After all, he hadn't listened for the last month. He had to try, though. It was the only thing that he could do to save you.

Cooper pawed at the bookshelf. Growling, Cooper hit his side against the shelf, but it still wouldn't budge. Letting out a sharp huff, Cooper managed to wiggle beside the bookshelf and slip his paws behind it.

And he pushed.

He pushed and pushed and pushed until the shelf moved out from the wall just a bit. Then, he slid more of himself behind it. He continued this process until he could fit his entire body behind the shelf. Standing up on his hind legs, Cooper placed his paws on the bookcase and with a howl of power, he thrusted himself forward.

The bookshelf came crashing down.

It was cheaply made - you had said so. You bought a cheap, practically broken, bookcase from a garage sale because you couldn't afford anything more with the paycheck you had. When the shelf fell, the sides broke apart, allowing the back panel to be easily shifted. Cooper nudged the back panel off of the shelving and managed to find his collar. He grabbed it with his mouth and ran into the kitchen room. He placed it on the floor and stepped on top of it. And with a deep breath, he howled and howled as loud as he could.

"Loki! She's gone! Gretchen took her! Get your ass here now! LOKI!"

*

Loki stared at the ceiling, an open copy of an old book of love poems on his chest. It was tattered, even though he had only obtained it last week. Loki read it over and over every day, several times a day, losing himself in the words that reminded him so much of you.