Chapter Nineteen Loki

I stepped out of the river and up onto a rocky bank covered in fallen leaves. A light dusting of snow blanketed the world around me, clinging to the golden leaves that had yet to give up their branchy perches. Cold bit at my naked skin, making me break out in goosebumps. A quick glance showed me we were on the southeastern side of the mountain. In the distance I could see the clump of glowing electric lights of Fenris tucked between the hills. Then I turned my head toward the sky, staring up at the moonlit clouds as snowflakes danced around my face. Closing my eyes, I breathed in the sweet fresh air, letting it fill me to the brim.

Freedom had never tasted so sweet.

"We made it," Heimdall sighed beside me, all the relief I felt evident in his voice. "I can't believe we made it…"

I turned to him, throwing my arms around him before I could overthink it.

"I don't want to go back yet," I said, my face buried in his neck. "I don't want to be your enemy again… not yet."

He stiffened for a split second before scooping me up into his embrace. "You'll never be my enemy again. I can promise you that."

"How?" I asked, already on the verge of tears. "How will we make that work?"

"I don't know." At least he was honest. "But we'll figure it out."

I wasn't sure I believed him. I wanted to, but I just didn't think it was possible.

"We don't have to go back yet, either," he added. "I think I know a place we can stay for a couple of days. It's nothing special or comfortable, but it's dry."

"I don't care where it is as long as I'm with you."

I pulled back, standing up on my tip toes so I could kiss him again. He held me tight, the warmth of his body helping to drive away the cold. The moment he slipped his tongue in my mouth, I felt a bolt of electricity shoot down my spine, my cock twitching as I realized our naked bodies were pressed against one another. And, as if on cue, my stomach growled louder than I thought possible.

"I'm hungry too," Heimdall chuckled, pulling away from me at last. "But I don't know if I have the strength for hunting right now."

"We don't have to," I said, pointing out over the edge of the mountain toward a cluster of lights glowing in the falling snow. "That's Fenris down there. We can find something to eat."

"I don't have any money…"

"Neither do I." I kissed him again, pulling back. "But we're wolves, aren't we? I'm sure we can steal something without getting caught."

Heimdall stared at me, a mischievous grin pulling at the corner of his lips. "You surprise me sometimes."

"What? I told you I don't like humans. That hasn't changed. So, I don't give a shit about stealing a meal from them." I huffed, turning toward the city. "Besides, the Hati resort keeps this town alive. The way I see it, they owe me and my family a lifetime of free meals." I glanced back at him holding my hand out. "So, let's go cash in on one. What do you say?"

He nodded, taking my outstretched hand. "That sounds amazing. I've never eaten in town before."

"Well then you're in for a treat." I pulled him along, leaving the river and the cave behind forever. "Let's wolf it up and get us something special."

Together we clambered down the mountain until we found a relatively flat spot to shift on. Thanks to our weakened state, we needed a bit more time to complete the transformation, hence the need for a safe space to do it on. But once we were both wolves again, we stuck side by side as we went down the mountain. Our tails wound around one another, black and white fur mixing with a giddy sort of happiness. The thick coats helped to keep us warm and by the time we reached the edge of Fenris, both of us were covered with a thin layer of snow.

I gave Heimdall a little yip, motioning for him to follow my lead. In this situation, I was the one on home turf. It was astounding to me that he'd never been into town, considering he'd lived only a couple miles from it his entire life. But that just meant I got to show it all to him for the first time.

The snow refused to cling to the pavement in town. Although there wasn't a lot of traffic that late in the night, there was still some. And a couple of the local bars were still open for the second and third shift workers that liked to grab a drink before or after their shifts. One such bar that I knew of, had an open kitchen all night long. They were the only twenty-four-hour place in town, and they had the greasiest fries I'd ever tasted. I was guilty of sneaking out and eating garbage food there on more than one occasion when I was feeling particularly annoyed or downtrodden. But tonight, it was going to be my salvation.

I knew that bar like the back of my paw and I knew there'd be something there for us to eat.

Winding between houses, I led Heimdall into the historic downtown area. There we were able to slip into alleys and stay out of sight. Not that there was anyone out and about, but I didn't want to take any chances. As far as everyone in Fenris knew, there were no wolves in the mountains surrounding town. But there were also plenty of werewolves living in town and I didn't want them to see me or Heimdall. Not if we were going to escape to his hiding place for a little while. Considering the Skoll pack hadn't come looking for us, they must have thought we were dead. And the Hati pack knew I'd run off. I wanted to keep it that way. And I especially didn't want anyone seeing us together. That could cause a whole world of problems.

I smelled the bar before I saw it, the scent of deep-fried foods and meat pushing away all thoughts of anything else. My stomach growled as we neared and the moment it came into sight, saliva began to drip from my lower jaw like I was some common house dog. But, forcing my wolf to calm, I led Heimdall around to the back entrance that was usually left propped open thanks to the heat of the kitchen. I was worried that the sudden onset of snow would force them to close it. But luck held out as we rounded the corner and I saw it cracked open, a sliver of bright light spilling out into the dark alleyway. Without a word I shifted back into my human form and placed a hand on Heimdall's thick neck.

"Stay here," I whispered. "If you see someone coming, howl. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for a reply, I tip-toed down the alley through the snow until I was at the door. Pressing my body against the wall, I pushed my eye to the gap and peeked inside the kitchen. I could hear something frying on the flat top and smell all the juicy, fatty smells oozing out with the warm air. But I couldn't hear anyone moving around.

Taking a chance, I pulled the door open slowly until it was big enough to get my head through. A quick look told me that there was nobody in the kitchen. However, I spotted my prize almost immediately. My mouth watered as my gaze came to rest on four separate baskets under the salamander, all of them piled high with fries, chicken strips, burgers, and the like. They were just sitting there, taunting me. And I, far too hungry to think straight, took the bait.

Fully aware that I was completely naked and still covered in blood and dirt, I slipped into the kitchen, letting the door come to rest against the small wooden wedge holding it open once more. I crept over to the salamander, checking the kitchen a few times to make sure I hadn't missed anyone. It was empty from what I could see, the only ways in being the door I'd come through and the swinging doors into the back of the bar. And those, as I well knew, could open any second. There was no time to waste.

As luck would have it, there was a stack of plastic bags and foam clamshells under the stainless-steel counter. Without a second thought, I grabbed a handful and began dumping the baskets into the take-out containers. Within a matter of seconds, I'd filled a plastic shopping bag to the brim with the containers, their interiors a bit of a mess, but still completely edible. I didn't care what the food looked like anyway.

I headed back toward the door. But the moment my fingers came to rest on the handle, I heard a long high-pitched howl from outside.

"What the fuck?" a gruff voice said from the other side, clearly only inches away from the door itself.

Backing away from the door, I crouched down behind some boxes. Thankfully Heimdall's warning had come before I walked directly into a human. A butt ass naked man stealing food from his kitchen was probably the last thing he expected, but it would get the cops called. And a lot of the workers here knew me by sight. Bloodied and dirty though I was, they would probably recognize me. I'd been there far too many times for them not to.

I cursed under my breath, wishing I'd waited a moment or two longer before breaking into the kitchen. But there was no use getting upset about it now. I had to find a way out of there.

It stood to reason that I'd have to shift. The staff would recognize my face otherwise. However, I wasn't exactly keen on letting them see me in wolf form either. The black fur might get me mislabeled as a dog, but my size would give me away. At the shoulder, my wolf form was as high as the stainless-steel benches surrounding me. No dog with my look got that big. I knew it would put people on high alert and it could get back to Thor and the Hati pack. As much as I wanted to march back up there and apologize for all the wrong I'd done, I wasn't ready for them to know about Heimdall and I yet. And I especially didn't want them to think I was being a nuisance in town. That would get a search party on my tail in a heartbeat.

Still, I had to get out and wolf form was my only choice. Reaching down, I tied the plastic bag quickly into a tight knot. Then, with all the concentration I had left, I forced myself to shift quickly. Bones cracked and fur sprouted from my pores. A few seconds later I shook off the itchy feeling on my skin and hooked my bottom jaw under the tied bag handles.

Without taking much time to form a plan, I headed for the door, intent on bolting out of it the moment the man opened it. However, it began to open before I got there, and the linoleum floor was greasy. I slipped and slid, my claws doing little to gain traction on such a smooth surface. So, instead of bolting through the door, I ended up colliding with the man's legs, sending him tumbling backward into the snow.

I held onto the bag for dear life, making sure it never left my jaws. I was on my side, still tangled in the man's limbs before I finally managed to get to my feet. With pavement under my paws, I got some traction and took off. But not before he caught sight of me and the bag.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Bring that back here!"

Like any animal would, I ignored his request and sprinted out of the alley. Heimdall was at my side the moment I turned the corner, and he let out a little bark of excitement as he saw me. But when his eyes narrowed in on the bag, he began to drool uncontrollably. He made a move for it, but I shouldered him, blocking his attempt. When he looked at me confused, I just nodded back toward the mountain. He seemed to understand and together we headed back to the edge of town.

Once we were there, I let him take the lead. With his head held tall, he took me through the woods and up the mountain on the side furthest from the Skoll village. It was an easy twenty minutes of trotting uphill and weaving through the trees before I finally saw our destination. There, tucked deep into the woods at the edge of a small creek, was what looked to be a house. As we got closer, I realized it was less of a house and more of a shack. The roof was in bad shape and the walls themselves looked to be made of the thinnest wood imaginable. It was weathered and gray from the many winters it had seen, and I doubted it would survive another.

However, it was secret, dry, and there was freshwater mere footsteps away from its front door. As we neared, Heimdall shifted back into his human form and pulled the door open, the hinges squealing angrily against the rust that tried to hold them tight.

"Come on," he said, nodding toward the interior. "Nobody knows this is here. Not anymore anyway."

I placed the bag on the ground and forced myself to shift back. It was getting more difficult thanks to the amount of times I'd done it and my lack of food. But that was about to be remedied momentarily.

"What is this place?"

"It used to be a storage shed for the pack when my grandfather was Alpha. The patrols would keep supplies here in case someone was hurt or needed rescuing. But it hasn't been used in decades. My father actually helped me turn it into a sort of playhouse when I was little…"

His voice trailed off as his gaze slipped to the ground.

"He… He used to be more… fatherly I guess."

It was hard for me to imagine Tyr being a great father, even for a moment or two. But from the look on Heimdall's face, I knew he was telling the truth. There was a sense of loss there. Not just for his childhood when the days seemed rosy and unending, but for all those good memories he'd had with his father. It was all too obvious that those days were long gone, and he didn't understand how or where they'd gone.

"Come on," I said, grabbing the bag and his hand. "We can talk about things once we're done eating."

He nodded. "Right. Sorry."

"Don't be. I want to know everything about you. The good." I reached up a hand and tipped his chin up so his eyes met mine. "And the bad."

A sad sort of smile filled his face. It made me realize how long it had been since this man had heard a kind word from anyone.

"I want to know everything about you too."

"Well, then you better strap in because I've got a lot to say." I gave him a soft kiss and pulled him into the shack behind me.

"Fucking christ that smells amazing," he said, pushing the door closed. He crossed the tiny room to a bench in one corner that turned out to be some sort of chest. Lifting the lid, he pulled out an old, ratty woolen blanket. "Well, looks like the mothballs did their job and kept the rodents away." He shook it out, the room filling with the weird chemical smell of the mothballs. "It stinks, but it'll keep out the cold."

"You know what mothballs are, but you've never had a french fry?"

He nodded, looking rather sheepish.

I rolled my eyes, wandering over to him with the bag in hand. "In that case, I'm about to blow your fucking mind."

Both of us took a seat on the floor as Heimdall wrapped the blanket around our shoulders. I ripped open the bag and pulled out the clamshells, flipping each one open in turn.

"Well, what do you want?" I asked. "A burger, chicken strips, a turkey club, or a pastrami sandwich?"

He stared down at the food, only a single word leaving his lips.

"Yes."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yep. Me too."

And without another word, we dug in, eating like the two starved wolves we were.