Packless Monsters

Chapter 55

You held on tightly to Loki as the Bifrost lifted you into the sky. He chuckled and kept a tight grip on you while you stared in awe at the rainbow lights around you. You'd barely seen any of Earth. This was beyond your wildest dreams. You stepped out into a large circular room and knew instantly that this was definitely not Earth. You knew it was Asgard you were going to the second Thor called to Heimdall, but you hadn't expected the other realm to feel different. But there was no denying it. This was not Earth.

A large black man with a huge sword was waiting for you. Loki's arm stayed around you as you moved further into the room. "Welcome home, your highnesses," Heimdall told Thor and Loki before he turned his amber eyes to you. "And welcome to Asgard, Lady Wolf," he bid you warmly.

"Thank you, good Heimdall," Thor replied for all of you and led the way out of the large circular chamber.

Loki chuckled at your disbelieving look at Heimdall's automatic acceptance of what you were. You knew enough from the boys talking about their home to not be surprised that Heimdall had known what you are. He saw everything. "I did say that wolves are treasured here," Loki told you warmly as he steered you out of the Bifrost room. You stiffened when you saw the horses waiting for you. "Never ridden? Loki teased you.

You shook your head emphatically. "I've never seen a real horse," you told him softly. "Animals are terrified of werewolves," you explained. "Occasionally dogs like us, but everything else is terrified,"

Loki chuckled. "Our steeds are made of sterner stuff," he reassured you warmly and led you over to the beautiful black stallion. He was right that the stallion didn't balk at meeting you. Delighted, you pet him and stroked his nose cooing over the horse. Loki chuckled. "Come on, darling. There are many more wonders of Asgard than an animal who isn't afraid of you," he told you warmly. You grinned at him and your wolf ears appeared in your excitement. You flushed and reached up your hands to cover them. Loki grabbed your wrists before you could. "Wolves are treasured here, my little wolf. You do not need to hide here, my love," he told you warmly. You nodded, but got the wolf calm enough to dismiss the ears anyway. You didn't want to advertise what you were, despite Loki's reassurances. He swung gracefully into the saddle and reached a hand down for you. You reached your hand up and he swung you up easily onto the horse behind him. You eeped at how tall the horse was and wrapped your arms firmly around his waist. He chuckled at your reaction and clucked the horse into a gallop, racing Thor down the rainbow bridge. You giggled in delight at the speed of the horses and the silliness of your boys.

There were hostlers waiting to take the horses at the end of the bridge. Loki dismounted and reached up to help you when he had, his hands on your waist to lift you off of the horse. "You're freakishly strong," you told him as he did.

He laughed. "I am a god, darling," he reminded you warmly.

"High and mighty god," you teased, then found yourself staring in awe at the beautiful golden palace the lay before you and the golden city around you.

"Annoying puppy," he countered and kissed the top of your head. "You need a costume change," he told you with a smirk and leaned down to kiss you. His magic shimmered around you and you were suddenly wearing a gorgeous floor length dress.

"Loki..." you told him softly, looking at the gorgeous flowy dress in a muted forest green with a soft gold wrap.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead. "You have to dress as an Asgardian while you're here, darling. No jeans on Asgard," he teased. You huffed at him and he laughed. "I told you I was bringing you here to pamper and treat like a princess like you deserve,"

"We do have a couple of stops before you can get to torturing your lady with pampering," Thor laughed.

Loki sighed. "That we do," he turned to you. "There's a few introductions we need to do before I can get to pampering you," he explained.

"You're going to take her to Mother first, aren't you?" Thor teased.

Loki's cheeks turned a little red and he glared at Thor. "I'm not taking her to the Allfather or your idiot friends first, so yes. I am taking her to meet Mother first," he told Thor hotly. You laughed at the silly boys. Loki took your hand and placed it on his arm as his clothes shimmered into proper Asgardian clothes too.

The three of you entered the palace and the boys began to point out interesting things in their gorgeous home. You knew they were princes. You knew they had grown up in a palace. But this place was huge and gorgeous, and... and... you didn't have words for it. You'd never seen anywhere like this. There were castles on Earth, not that you'd seen any of them"Thor! You're home!" the loud voices called. "And you brought Loki and his Lady with you!" they called. Three men and a woman dressed in armor came over to you. Loki stiffened when they were in sight and sighed.

"Thor's idiot friends," he told you softly. They all hugged Thor, clapping his back and generally being loud and boisterous. You felt Loki stiffen next to you. He didn't want to be hugged. He didn't want to deal with these morons who were Thor's friends and not his. You saw the careful court mask fall into place and realized that these people had been among those who had hurt Loki all the years he was here. Not on purpose of course, but they were Thor's friends and had been only grudging to Thor's misfit little brother.

They were loud and boisterous and hurting your Loki with the type of attention he didn't want. You couldn't allow it. You couldn't allow them to be mean to your Loki. They all reminded you of Stark, making jokes at the younger prince's expense. It upset the wolf that her mate was sad by these people.

"I would rather if your idiot friends did not decide to hug me or upset my lady," Loki told them.

They ignored him.

You snarled a warning and they paused to give you a look. "Is that a sound Midgardian mortals usually can make?" the tall blond one asked stupidly.

The biggest one ignored the warning and went to hug Loki anyway. That was the last straw for your wolf. Between one breath and the next you had shifted to wolf and put yourself between Loki and Thor's idiot friends, growling a warning at them to leave your Loki alone

"That.... is a wolf..." the blond one said stupidly. "Can all Midgardians turn into wolves?"