Among the Stars

Chapter 6

Jane tore out of Sif's room, trying to remember her way back to the main hall. If she ran into someone first, she'd try to get help—surely Loki couldn't have everyone under his mind control? Otherwise, she would go back to her portal hub. She couldn't call it up anywhere once she'd fixed the position—she had to open it the same place she closed it. But if she could only get there, she could get back to earth and away from this madman.

And he was mad. He was even crazier than last time she'd run into him. How could he think he could openly take control of Asgard? Thor and the other warriors would never allow it. Loki might be able to control the foot soldiers, but the Avengers would help Thor. Loki didn't have a chance.

And what was this insane rambling about making her his queen? He had to know she would never stay by choice, and how could he possibly hope to keep her trapped there?

Another thought entered into her head against her will—what if he succeeded? Just the thought of sharing Loki's bed every night filled her with unspeakable horror. She knew he had absolutely no interest in her other than hate and the obsession to cause his brother pain. There were so many terrible things he could do…

Don't think about that, she commanded herself. Focus on getting to the portal.

She ran for all she was worth, knowing Loki was somewhere behind and probably closing fast. Those damned long legs… She'd heard his foot crack but knew it was only a hairline fracture—enough to cause pain but not enough to slow him down significantly. He had come after her with his throat torn open and gushing blood—a little cracked bone was nothing to him.

As she ran, she frantically looked for someone to help her, but the halls were empty and silent. That had to be Loki's doing as well—pulling her into a part of the palace that was deserted, sending people away. She tried not to think about being alone with a crazed demi god. She'd get to the portal… she didn't even hear Loki behind her yet. Instead of wondering why, she counted it as a blessing. Maybe that broken bone had slowed him down more than she'd estimated.

She was rounding the corner towards the hall that would take her to the main hall—sheesh, this palace was like a labyrinth—when she saw a sight that almost made her melt in relief: Thor.

"Thor!" she cried, almost sobbed, dashing over to him and flinging her arms around his neck. For a moment she couldn't speak, overcome by relief, so instead she just buried her face in his neck and cried.

"Jane, calm down, it's all right," Thor soothed, hugging her close. "What's going on? I found your note."

Jane had difficulty controlling all the thoughts running through her head, but she managed to control them enough to explain, "It's Loki—he's come back, and he said he killed your father, and he's coming after me, and—"

"What?" Thor exclaimed. "That can't be. That's impossible—I saw him die."

"It was a trick," Jane replied. "Please, take me away from this place and come back with your Avenger friends and… and… stop him!"

She tugged on his hand impatiently, trying to pull him towards the portal. It was a pointless effort, since he was far too solid to be moved except of his own accord. And he was too perturbed to move.

"I don't know what's going on," he started, "but I have to visit my father's chambers. I have to see if he's truly gone."

He started walking back down the hall that she'd come from, and Jane pulled back instinctively, pulling on his hand again. "Thor, don't!" she insisted. "Loki's out there somewhere. Please, we should leave!"

Thor put his arm around Jane protectively. "Don't worry, Jane," he told her tenderly. "I've got you."

His presence did relieve Jane's fears greatly. She trusted him, and she knew he would protect her. Besides, she was worried about Odin too, and would be so relieved if it turned out Loki was telling her just another lie. And what could Loki do to them now that Thor was here? So she let him lead her down the hallway.

"Rest assured, dear Jane, that I will never let Loki touch you," Thor declared stalwartly as he marched ahead of her. "My brother has much to answer, especially in regards to you. I still have not have time to repay him for his attack at your house while I was away."

Jane stopped suddenly, her heart plummeting into her ribs. "What?"

Thor turned to her, puzzled. "He's never been punished for his terrible attack at your home in New Mexico. I had meant to talk with him of it but the alien invasion got in the way."

Jane stared at him in horror, trying to pull her hand from his, but his grip only tightened on her fingers.

"Get away from me," she whispered.

"Jane, whatever's the matter?" Thor asked, but it wasn't gentle and concerned now—it was mocking. Suddenly, his voice changed. It was still Thor in front of her, but Loki's voice came through his lips. "Aren't you relieved to be with your golden prince?"

Jane tried desperately to break free from his grip, but he held fast. "Get away from me!" she repeated, louder and more frantic this time.

"Come now," Loki purred, switching his voice back to Thor's as he yanked her to him so that their bodies were flush against each other, "I heard how terribly you missed me and I just wanted to give you more attention."

He yanked on her hair so that her head tipped back painfully and then he crushed his mouth against hers. It was a brutal kiss, as he forced his tongue into her mouth and explored it greedily. It felt so wrong to receive such a rough kiss from Thor's lips, Thor who had always been so patient and gentle.

Still kissing her, Loki slammed her against the wall, pinning her wrist above her head. He leaned hard against her, trapping her other arm with his shoulder. The heat of his body washed across hers, and her stomach twisted as she once again felt every part of him.

"Why so shy, dearest?" he asked with a malicious grin when he finally allowed the kiss to break. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

His free hand slid down her stomach and pushed between her legs, and she jerked in surprise. He pushed his hand over her hip and started hiking up her dress. At the same time, he kissed her again, biting her lip hard enough that she tasted salty blood.

It's not Thor, she told herself firmly. It's not Thor.

She knew what he was doing—he was trying to ruin any future interactions with Thor, trying to give her such terrible memories she could never look at the kind demi-god without shuddering and feeling ashamed. He was trying to erase all their wonderful times together and fill her mind with memories of him.

But even as her brain told her that, she was starting to panic inside, unable to reconcile the reality from the fantasy.

Loki finally left her bruised lips and started kissing his way along her jaw and towards her ear. He nibbled it at first, then bit it so hard she jumped.

"Is this how he does it?" he whispered into her ear. "Is this what sates your desire? Or maybe you haven't been fully honest with yourself."

The voice had morphed back into Loki's, and to Jane's relief Loki morphed back into his own form as well.

"Maybe you don't desire him at all," he continued, as he continued to inexorably pull up her dress. He started kissing his way along her throat, taking his time and talking against her skin. "Maybe there's a reason you never told me about my visit—could it be because you were ashamed how excited it left you? Maybe the only way you can cool that frustration is to think of me at night, using your fingers to touch you in ways Thor never could."

Jane tried to push him away with her free hand, which could only push against his hip, but he was terribly solid. "You're delusional," she hissed. "Thor makes me feel things you never could. You're nothing compared to him."

He'd hiked the dress up high enough by now to slip his hand underneath it and grab Jane's leg above the knee, jerking it forward so that their bodies were fused together.

"Is that right?" he whispered. It was soft as velvet, but somehow it was full of menace. "I'll touch you in ways he could never dream of—ways you'll never forget as long as you live."

He reached the hollow of her throat and kissed it deeply, his tongue flicking out to find her pulse point. Jane could feel him smiling against her skin.

She realized what he was going to do a second before he did it, but she was powerless to stop him as he sank his teeth into her throat. She couldn't even scream; her throat closed up from the shock and terrible pain. Her legs started to buckle, but Loki pushed harder against her and propped her up with his body. Reflexively, she clutched his shoulder for support, even as she shuddered underneath him.

He raised his head back up to look into her eyes, his lips were smeared with her blood. His grin was obscene. "There, now we match," he told her, leaning forward to rub his cheek against hers and smear her with her own blood. "Consider it the first of many ways I'll mark you as mine."

Jane had difficulty listening to him, her mind trying to deal with what had just happened and the pain that still lingered. Her legs had regained the strength to stand, and her hand flew to her throat to stop the blood that still ebbed from the wound. The feel of her sticky blood against her fingers almost made her gag.

"Don't worry, darling," Loki assured her, reaching up and cupping her face with one hand, "I didn't bite deep enough to do any real damage—we still have a lot of fun things to do tonight, and I need your throat intact for other… activities." He brushed his thumb across her lips with a dark chuckle. "It will be a lovely scar, though."

Jane's mind had recovered from the initial shock by now, and it was replaced by anger—and the cool conclusion that there was only one way out of this.

So she bit him.

She clamped down on his hand, biting for all she was worth. Loki shrieked and let go of her wrist, jerking back to get space to swing an arm. But Jane was quicker, letting go of his hand and ducking under him. She knew she couldn't outrun him for long, but she just had to get down the main hallway and to her portal. Then she'd be safe.

And while he was faster, she was better motivated, because she knew terrible things would happen if she didn't make it.