#breemaggs

I dug my keys out and jammed the correct key into the lock. And tried to turn it. But it wouldn’t turn.

“What the fuck?” I whispered, yanking the key out and looking at it.

It was the right key. I tried again. With the exact same result. I groaned and put all my muscle into it.

“Oh my fucking God,” I moaned out, admitting defeat and pulling the key out again. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

I dropped my head against the door with a solid thud and cursed this day to hell and back. I was just working up a decent rhythm with my noggin to match my, “fuck this day” chant when the door abruptly opened and I fell forward. I flailed my arms in an attempt to catch myself before I hit the floor.

But the impact never came. Instead, strong arms caught me and cradled me against a hard chest. What the actual fuck. I blinked up at the man who had caught me and tried to clear the confusion clouding my brain. As I stared up into a pair of amused emerald eyes, understanding finally hit.

“This isn’t my apartment, is it?”

His lips curved up into a smile. “No, it isn’t.”

I groaned and pushed against his hold, trying to straighten myself. I was hampered by my work bag so the move took far longer than it should have and by the time I had straightened myself out, my cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

I couldn’t believe my luck. Seriously. I just tried to break into a stranger’s apartment. A gorgeous stranger. And then I’d practically molested him to boot!

I dropped my eyes to the floor and cleared my throat. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your night. Been a long day. I’ll just, uh, head to the right apartment. Have a nice night.”

I started to shuffle off, but he stopped me with a gentle hand on my upper arm. “I’m new to the complex. Are we neighbors?”

I swallowed thickly. “I’m not sure. What number are you?”

“315.”

Of course. “Yeah, we are. I’m in 316.”

He smiled and let go of my arm. God help me. I was neighbors with this perfectly sculpted man. I had a feeling I was going to be embarrassing myself on the regular around him. Because, if I hadn’t already made this clear, he was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on.

His lips were moving, I realized as my eyes danced back up to his face. Oops. I’d gotten distracted by his sinfully tight jeans. But that meant I had missed everything he had said to me.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry; I’m exhausted. What were you saying?”

He smiled again and the curve of his lips did weird things to my stomach. “Nothing important. I’ll let you go get some sleep.”

I nodded and headed towards my door before stopping and turning around again. “Wait! I don’t think I caught your name.”

He leaned against his door frame with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Loki.”

Loki. Perfect. A name for my fantasies. Of which, I was sure, there would be many. I clenched my thighs together and tried not to think of the vibrator in my nightstand.

I pulled myself out of my musings long enough to hear him ask for my name in return. I introduced myself and then used my long day as an excuse to get home. I didn’t hear his door close, but I didn’t look back, even though I was tempted.

My apologetic glance turned into an annoyed glare. “No, it isn’t.”

“Dr. Strange, tell her!”

I slid my eyes over to my colleague and friend. He shifted in his seat.

“He does ask after you quite a bit,” he confessed.

I rolled my eyes; I couldn’t believe he was agreeing with a sixteen year old boy. While there was some truth to the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty, it was far more complicated than a simple kiss. And we had no idea exactly what kind of sleep curse he had been hit with. I wasn’t going to start fucking around with ancient magic before I had weighed all my options.

I rubbed my temples and thought about how this whole mess had even started. It seemed like the beginning of a fairytale, that was for sure. A rogue witch had approached the compound. Loki had been holding down the fort. Rather than invite her in, he’d gone to her. We’d pulled the footage on the security cameras afterwards and watched as he cautiously walked towards her.

Before he could so much as raise an alarm, she’d placed a hand on his chest and the rest was history. He had crumpled at her feet and she’d turned, stared right into the camera, and winked. Fucking cocky bitch. And then she’d vanished into thin air. I’d tried to track her with the residual magic she’d left on Loki, but it was no use. She was out of range wherever she was.

And she’d never registered with the council; I’d checked, toting the security tapes to their New York headquarters along with the last of the magical imprint she’d left; it should have been enough to identify her. But since she wasn’t registered, she was a rogue. Which meant she was a ghost.

It had taken me hours to identify the type of curse. I’d blown up the security images. I’d run extensive scanning and reveal-me spells over Loki’s still form. All I could discern was that it was a curse that was sleep based. Which didn’t tell me much; there were quite literally thousands of such curses. They’d gained popularity in the sixteenth century and been improved upon ever since.

So, quite honestly, Peter could be right. It could be the Sleeping Beauty curse (named after the fairytale, of course). But it was such an old curse. And despite how easy the solution seemed, it was quite difficult to break. There was so much more to it than mutual affection; it had to do with body chemistry, soul mates and soul magic, from what I remembered.

And if that was the answer, what was the motive? Why would you use that particular curse? She could have hit him with anything in that moment, but she’d sent him into a slumber. A frown tugged at my mouth. Something about the whole thing just wasn’t sitting right. Something was off.

I sighed and stood up. I had to do something. Sitting on my hands wasn’t helping me find a solution. And, apparently, bouncing ideas off of this particular group of Avengers was relatively useless.

“Are you going to kiss him?” Peter called after me.

I resisted the urge to flip him off; he was only a teenager. I chose to just ignore him as I walked down the hall to the room where we were keeping Loki. I was using it as my research center. Most of my supplies were in there.

But my eyes strayed away from my work table when I walked in. They were drawn to Loki. He was so still. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that he was dead. His breathing was slow and steady, his chest rising and falling subtly with every breath.

I sighed sadly and drew my index finger across the softness of his cheek. My heart ached looking at him. I had to find the solution. I just had to.

xoxoxo xoxoxo

It had been two weeks and I was no closer to a solution. I had cried myself to sleep every night for the past week. I had consulted with the council, but they all agreed with my conclusions and could offer no further answers.

I rubbed my tired eyes and attempted to focus on the words in front of me even though I had damn near memorized every word of this particular passage. I dropped my hands and stared down at them. I didn’t know what else to do. I had exhausted every resource that I had at my disposal. I was beginning to get desperate.

I lifted my eyes and looked at Loki. I had placed stasis charms on his body to prevent him from succumbing to starvation, but they weren’t meant to last forever. I would have to find a way to wake him up.

As I stared at him, sleep deprived and depressed, Peter’s words from two weeks ago echoed in my ears. I wanted to dismiss them as easily as I had two weeks ago. But, by my own admission, I was damn near desperate. And really, what could it hurt? Nothing.

Fuck it. I was on my feet and across the room before I could properly process my actions. And, as I was standing in front of him, I felt an overwhelming sense of... rightness. It was almost peaceful. I blamed it on the exhaustion.

Almost as if in a daze, I leaned down and lightly laid my lips on his in the barest semblance of a kiss; just a brush of my lips against his. It only lasted about a half of a second and then I was pulling away from him and fighting the defeated tears that were welling in my eyes.

Nothing happened.

The disappointment surprised me. I hadn’t truly thought it would work, but deep down, I had hoped anyway. I choked back a sob and laid my head down on his chest.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“What, exactly, are you sorry for?”

My entire body stilled at the sound of his voice. And then my entire body was in motion. My head flew up. My heart started racing. My hands gripped his shoulders. My eyes locked on his. His eyes that were wonderfully, gloriously, open and responsive.

“Loki?” I whispered, almost afraid that I was dreaming. My hands drifted up to cup his face in wonder.

He looked annoyed and it made me want to laugh. “Yes. Were you expecting someone else?”

At that, I did laugh, throwing my head back in sheer joy. “No, I just... What’s the last thing you remember?”

His hands wrapped around my wrists and for a moment I thought he was going to pull my hands away from his face, but he just held onto them, his thumbs gently circling my skin. He looked thoughtful, his eyes faraway as he contemplated my question. I waited patiently, giving him all the time he needed.

“I don’t...” He didn’t finish his sentence.

“You were cursed,” I quietly informed him. “You’ve been comatose for almost three weeks.”

His thumbs paused on my wrists and his grip tightened. “What happened?”

I fidgeted under his intense scrutiny. “There was a witch... She approached you at the tower and cursed you. We’re still trying to make sense of it.”

He frowned and I pulled my hands away from him with some effort.

“How did you break the curse?”

It was my turn to frown. “It’s, uh, not important right now. You should go see Strange. He’s going to want to check you over. We can talk more after.”

I abruptly turned and walked out the door. I wasn’t ready to face the implications of my actions just yet. I wasn’t ready for the questions about something that I didn’t fully understand myself. I needed answers. Once I had them, I would be ready to answer everyone’s questions; my own included.

I didn’t see anyone in the hallway on my way to my room and I was grateful, but I knew it wouldn’t be long until they were knocking on my door. I cast a simple lock spell and sequestered myself at my desk, yanking the text I had on fairytale magic off of the shelf.

I hadn’t done much research on this curse because I had discounted it as a possibility. Stupid. I flipped through the thick pages until I came to the story of Sleeping Beauty. It was an extended section, detailing each curse and spell used by the evil sorceress in the story. I whisked past all of the protection spells and mage fire until I reached the section on the sleeping curse.

I skimmed the first paragraph describing how it was cast. I wasn’t interested in casting it; I wanted to know how exactly I’d ended up breaking it. Two pages and a lot of useless knowledge later, I was staring at my answer. My heart was hammering in my chest as my eyes drank in the words that would change the rest of my life.

Soul bonded.

I gulped and let my eyes drift back up the page to where it talked about why this particular curse had gained popularity. Apparently, when soul magic was just becoming known, those born to royalty were encouraged to try and find their soul mate. But very few born to royalty had any affinity for magic. So they contracted witches to help them.

Witches... I closed my eyes. Witches weren’t always... They weren’t always all that helpful. They would give you what you asked for, but not always what you wanted. And always for a price. Historically, witches were evil and hanged for their crimes, imagined or real.

At any rate, I had a feeling I knew where this story was headed. Regardless, I read on.

The witches were all too eager to help and they developed a curse that would put the target, often the royal heir, into an ageless sleep that could only be broken by their soul mate. It was extremely vague magic. There were no exceptions; so if the royal’s soul mate had already died, they would spend all eternity in the throes of the curse because the only person who could break it was already dead.

It was more harmful than helpful.

Everything was starting to make sense. Loki had been alive for over one thousand years. What were the odds that his soul mate was still alive? What were the odds that we’d be able to find his soul mate even if she did exist? The rogue had probably taken all of these things into account when she’d cursed him. And the council would be unable to go after her because, technically, she hadn’t killed anyone.

A frown tugged at my lips as I reread the last passage. I’m certain she thought that Loki would slumber forever while we tried to undo the curse. I bit my lip absently, thinking about the absolutely astronomical odds. There was so much that had to align just right. So many factors that had to come together.

And impossibly, they had.

I was Loki’s soul mate. I was the only person in the universe that could have broken the curse. And by acknowledging the magic between us, I had effectively bonded our souls together. That feeling of rightness I’d had? That was the beginning. The magic had already started stirring between us. When I had kissed him, I had bonded our souls together.

But I had no idea what that entailed.

A knock at my door jerked me from my contemplation. I released the locking spell and opened the door with a wave of my hand. Loki was standing in the doorway, his hand poised to knock again. He dropped his hand and propped himself up against the door frame.

“Want to come in?” I asked, fidgeting with the ring on my right index finger.

He didn’t say anything, but walked in and sat on my bed. I swung the door shut with a lazy flick of my fingers and spun my desk chair around to face him. I had some explaining to do if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. I dropped my eyes and swallowed thickly. I had no idea how I was going to tell him what I now knew to be true.

“Are you going to tell me how you broke the curse?”

I frowned, but nodded. “What do you know of soul magic?”

“Not much. It’s witch magic.”

I shook my head and lifted my eyes to his. “Soul magic belongs to no one. It’s ancient magic that works as it pleases. While it can be wielded by witches, it can’t always be controlled by them.”

He nodded and I stood up, too anxious to sit still. I started pacing, trying to plan my next words carefully.

“In the sixteenth century, soul magic gained popularity among royals, but they were mortal and unable to use it. They turned to the witches.”

I took a deep breath and watched as Loki took my words in. “I’m assuming you’re coming to some kind of point?”

I snapped my eyes up to his. “This is complicated magic. I’m trying to make it easier to understand. Do me a solid and shut the fuck up until I’m finished.”

He looked taken aback, but then he started grinning. He gestured for me to continue, taking my words to heart and shutting up. I huffed and rolled my eyes.

“The witches harnessed the soul magic and created a curse that would allow the recipient to find their soul mate.”

I paused because I needed a moment. Loki wasn’t stupid and I could already see the wheels turning in his head. I licked my lips and pressed forward.

“However, the recipient would then fall into a deep slumber. A coma, of sorts. The only way to break the curse was through a kiss from their soul mate. The joining of their lips created a soul bond and lifted the cursed one from their slumber.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “When Peter suggested kissing you, I didn’t take it seriously. The Sleeping Beauty curse is so old... there aren’t a whole lot of people capable of casting such a complex curse anymore. And the odds... Fuck, the odds are ridiculous.”

I stopped talking, letting the implications sink in. I sat back down and wrung my hands together. My eyes were glued to the carpet, unwilling to look at Loki. Logically, I knew that he must care for me as well; the magic wouldn’t allow a soul bond between two people that didn’t have the capability of developing a romantic relationship. It goes back to body chemistry.

And the bond... Fuck, I hadn’t even thought about that, yet. But I could feel it faintly thrumming along with my heartbeat. I took another deep breath and tried to bury the bond so that I wouldn’t have to deal with it. I wasn’t ready to deal with it. Not yet, anyway.

“So,” he started and I heard him stand up, “I’m guessing that we’re now soul bonded.”

I nodded, but continued my studious examination of my floor. He sighed and then his hands were cradling my face. He forced me to look at him.

“Is this result unpleasant for you?” he asked.

I was instantly horrified. Did he...? Did he think that I was the one who didn’t want this? I felt the bond open without my permission as I vigorously shook my head.

“No. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.” My voice was desperate. I had to make him understand.

“Then I don’t understand your behavior. Why won’t you look at me?”

I saw the moment that understanding hit him. His eyes widened as my emotions flooded the bond and stunned him. I bit my lip.

“Never doubt my affections for you. Never. The magic may have chosen us, but I chose you a long time ago. I just haven’t been able to convey it before now.”

I could feel the truth of his words hum along the bond, his emotions reassuring me in addition to his words. I licked my lips again and then jumped as I felt a new emotion come through the bond. I couldn’t quite name it and before I could analyze it any further, Loki was kissing me.

I made a startled noise against his lips and he used the opening to slip his tongue into my mouth. My hands, that had been hanging out in my lap, reached up to clutch at his long hair. I felt the magic sizzle around us, intensifying everything. He tugged me out of the chair and pressed me right against him. His hands came to rest on my waist, holding me to him.

The bond was almost a physical thing as it responded to our shared emotions and kiss. The magic reacted to us, crackling through the air as we continued to explore each other’s mouths. I moaned as the electricity ran through my body, heightening the already intense connection.

He slowed the kiss, pulling his tongue back into his own mouth and leaving soft kisses on my lips. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. There was a small smile on his lips and his eyes were hooded. I returned his smile with one of my own. The bond calmed down and cooled off with us.

“I trust we’re on the same page now?” he asked lightly, sweeping a hand through my hair.

“Yes.”

“Good,” he whispered.

And then he leaned down and kissed me again. I was sure there were going to be plenty of questions in the next few days, but right now, none of it mattered. Right now, it was just me and Loki.

There was just something about him. We had always gotten along well and we had a connection that I couldn’t quite describe. It was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced. He understood me in a way that no one else in my life ever had. And so, as time passed and we grew into adults, I had lost my heart to him.

Not that he knew. Or even cared. He had a beautiful fiancée. She was everything I was not. She was the perfect woman. She was gentle. She was kind. She was well put together. I’m sure she wore the finest perfume one could find. I’m sure her hands were soft. She was a perfect lady and would make a perfect Princess.

All of these things made their betrothal even harder for me to accept. I was nothing like her. I split my time between the stables and the library. More often than not, I smelled of horses and sweat. I had callouses on my hands. I had always had trouble acting like a proper lady.

It was a sharp contrast and it hurt. It made me realize that I had never even had a chance with Loki. Not really. I wasn’t what most nobles considered marriage material. I couldn’t be tamed and only a few men had ever been brave enough to try. Maybe that’s part of why I loved Loki; he’d never tried to break me or mold me into something I wasn’t.

But, unfortunately, I wasn’t what he was looking for in a wife.

I played with the ends of my dark curls and tried to lower my eyes away from them. I was only able to look away when she reached up and kissed those lips that I wanted for my own.

xoxoxo xoxoxo

I was lost in thought as I absently brushed the mare in the stall in front of me. I had to get over Loki. I had to. He was engaged to be married and no amount of wishing it wasn’t true would change that fact. I sighed and set the brush down before running my hands down the length of her neck.

I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I wondered if Loki would have wanted me if I had been more like her. I tried not to let my thoughts wander in this direction, but it had been creeping in more and more. It was a path to self destruction, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

I closed my eyes and let out a shuddering breath. I leaned my head against the mare’s neck and wrapped my arms around her. She whinnied softly, but didn’t protest overly much. I swallowed around the sudden lump in my throat.

I fought the tears, but it wasn’t any use. They were coming whether I liked it or not. So I quit fighting. I let go. I cried. I sobbed. And I just let it all out. I don’t know how long I stood there, clinging to the unsuspecting mare and sobbing. I do know that it felt good to get it out of me.

When I finally regained some sense of myself and was able to slow the sobs, I realized that I was no longer alone in the stables. To my absolute horror, Loki was standing just inside the barn doors, staring at me with eyes full of questions. I had no idea how long he’d been there. And I had no idea how I was going to answer the questions I knew he would give voice to.

He took a step forward, but didn’t say anything. I turned away, unsure of what to do. And I hated that. I’d never been unsure where Loki was concerned. I was always at ease with him. But now I didn’t know how to face him. So I didn’t.

But then I felt his hand on my shoulder slowly turning me towards him. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to tell him to stop, to leave me alone. But I couldn’t. In the end, I would always give him what he wanted. So I lifted my face up to meet his eyes. The confusion I understood. The anger I did not.

“Who-“ His voice broke, he swallowed hard, and then began again. “Who hurt you?”

I blinked, not sure that I had heard him correctly. And if I had heard him correctly? How I was I supposed to answer him? How was I supposed to tell him that I had hurt myself by falling in love with him?

His hand shifted from my shoulder to my cheek, cradling my face. “Who made you cry?”

I bit my lip and tried to turn my face, but he used his other hand to hold my face still. I forced the sob that wanted to break free back down my throat. I didn’t know what to tell him. He would feel terrible if I told him the truth. That was the last thing I wanted.

His thumbs feathered across my cheekbones. “I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong,” he told me softly.

To my horror, his words brought forth another round of waterworks. Without a word, he tugged me into his arms, pressing my face into his shoulder. His hands ran up and down my back while he whispered soothing words to me. It only made me cry harder.

His actions were giving me a taste of everything I was missing out on. And it hurt. I wanted his arms wrapped around me. I wanted his soft whispers. I wanted his warm kisses. And I wanted his body pressed tight against me.

But I would never experience any of those things.

Loki held me as I mourned these things and it was a long time before I was able to calm down. The thought of having to explain why I was such a wreck kept sending me right back to square one. Eventually, my sobs quieted and my shoulders quit shaking with every ragged breath I took.

When he pulled away to look at me, I wanted to cry again. There was so much concern on his face. So I pasted on a smile and prepared a weak excuse for my behavior. My monthly. A broken fingernail. A full moon. Anything. Anything but the truth.

But he saw right through me, just as he always had. “Please. Let me help. I can’t bear to see you so upset.”

I closed my eyes. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “I’ll be okay.” I don’t know if I was trying to convince him or myself.

He drew me back into his arms and pressed a kiss to my hairline. It almost broke me. I pushed against his chest and struggled to get out of his hold. If he continued to treat me with such affection, it would break me. I would forget that he didn’t belong to me. He wasn’t mine. He was hers. And I had to remember that.

He let me go with minimal fuss. “Please,” he said again.

“You can’t!” I practically shouted. “You can’t fix it. It is what it is.”

There was frustration written on the lines in his face and he reached out for me again. “Let me try.”

I whipped my head back and forth as I recoiled from his touch. “You can’t.”

He let out a noise of exasperation and he finally succeeded in hauling me back against him. I pounded on his chest, my tears returning with a vengeance.

“You can’t fix this! You’re going to marry her and it is going to destroy me!” I finally wailed, succumbing to his will and collapsing against him. “Because I’m in love with you and I can’t have you.” The last confession was so soft, I couldn’t be sure he even heard me.

He stopped fighting me, but his arms tightened around me as he eased us both into the filthy barn floor. I didn’t care. I had nothing left to lose. I’d laid it out for him and now he would realize that I was right. There wasn’t anything he could do to fix this, to fix me.

I was forced to look up when he started laughing above my head. It ignited my temper.

“I’m so glad you think this is funny,” I cried, trying to get away once more. There was only so much I could take.

“No,” he chided, exercising his muscle and yanking me back down until I tumbled into his lap. “You misunderstand me. We’ve misunderstood each other.”

I didn’t say anything, waiting for him to elaborate as it became exceedingly clear that I wasn’t going to be escaping his grip anytime soon.

“I am going to break the engagement.”

I swear my heart stopped beating, if only for a second, when I heard those words.

“She is a nightmare. And I would never be able to love her.” He paused and looked down at me. “Do you know why?”

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

“Because she’s not you.” He said it simply, as if it was just another accepted fact of life. As if it didn’t completely change my life.

I inhaled sharply and met his eyes, desperate for some indication that this was real. My answer came in the form of the sweetest kiss. It was everything I’d ever imagined and more. It was light at first, a cautious brush of his lips against mine before he deepened the contact and effectively melted my insides.

His tongue swept into my mouth and I met it with mine, tangling them together in a way that curled my toes. My hands slid up into his hair, holding his face to mine and drawing the kiss out. His hands were pressed flat against my back, pushing me up against him as if he couldn’t get me close enough.

After a few softening kisses, he lifted his lips away from mine and set his forehead against mine. He graced me with a small smile and I returned it, happy for the first time in a very long time.

“Are we understanding each other now?” he asked teasingly.

I laughed and used my hands in his hair to connect our lips once more, letting my actions answer his question.

But Loki knew better than to kick up a fuss. It would only make Odin enjoy the entire process more. So he stayed silent, limiting his protestations to body language only. But it was difficult; he had to bite down on his tongue more than once to stay quiet and just let him carry on.

All he could think of was how dreadful it was going to be. Daughters of important dignitaries and nobles... He suppressed a shudder. The daughters were bad enough on their own, but the prize at stake was going to make them absolutely crazy. He could almost hear them simpering about how much they adored him and wanted to forever be in his favor. And the mothers... Fuck, best not to think about the desperate mamas seeking a match for their babies.

His only saving grace was his mother. Frigga kept casting concerned glances at her youngest son when the King wasn’t looking. He took comfort in the fact that his mother was on his side. She had always been on his side, even if it was often only in secret. And while she couldn’t completely keep the atrocity from actually occurring, she could keep it relatively under control.

It would have to be enough.

xoxoxo xoxoxo

Well, it wasn’t a complete atrocity, Loki thought as he looked across the ballroom from his hiding place. It was going well. Or at least, that’s what Odin must have thought as he watched Loki’s illusion interact with the silly debutantes. He was careful to keep his projection from touching anyone. It wasn’t difficult; he’d been playing with illusions since he was a child and he’d damn near perfected them. He didn’t even have to babysit them anymore.

It helped that his mother was running interference. He was sure that she knew it wasn’t really him on the floor. She was waving off the formal greetings for all the women who were trying so hard to even graze against him. He loved her all the more for it.

And he was having his own fun, proving his personal theory correct. He knew none of these women wanted him for who he was. He wasn’t stupid and neither were they. Love matches were exceedingly rare. These women were out for blood; they wanted to align their families with royalty. They wanted the endless pampering and wealth that came from a marriage to a prince.

So he’d cast a glamor over himself, creating a new identity. No one paid him any mind, just as he had expected. It was fun to experiment, though. No one was interested in anyone but the prince. Woman after woman had turned down his deep bows and offers of a dance. He’d taken it well enough, but a hint of annoyance was beginning to creep in.

Fucking nobles. They were all the same. Money hungry and utterly ruthless in their attempts to better themselves.

Deciding he’d seen enough for the moment, he headed towards the library, shedding his glamor as he did so. There would be no need for a disguise in his favorite hiding place. It was his sanctuary. It was where he went when he needed space to breathe.

And he definitely needed some space to breathe tonight. He loosened his collar and let out a long sigh as he approached the closed doors. He threw them open and was well on his way to his favorite nook when he realized that he wasn’t the only person in the room.

He stared in shock as the loveliest woman he’d ever seen, scrambled to pick herself up off the floor from where she’d been sprawled out reading. She had auburn curls that were escaping their pins, sending her hair into disarray around her heart shaped face. Her green eyes were a bright contrast to her perfectly tanned skin and they were pleading with him as she looked up at him.

“Shit! No, um.” She fumbled for words. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I’ll go, okay? Please, please don’t tell His Highness that I was trespassing!”

At that, he laughed, charmed by her mouth and the way her lips shaped her filthy words. “I promise you that I will not tell on you, my little trespasser. Your secret is safe with me.”

She gave an audible sigh of relief and her shoulders sagged with it.

“I am curious, though. Why is it you are in here and not out there-“

“Oh, please. Those blathering idiots.” She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t be caught dead vying for the hand of a prince. The only reason I accepted the invitation was to see the library.”

He cocked a brow, but let her continue as he watched her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm.

“This library is the stuff of legends. Noble women aren’t encouraged to read or, in all honesty, have much of a brain. My father thought that was stupid and made sure that I had the best private tutors and teachers.” She trailed a hand down the spines of the books on the shelf closest to her, her eyes faraway and a small frown forming on those damnable lips. “But that all changed when he passed away. My stepmother didn’t agree with him. She thought he was indulging me and filling my head with nonsense.”

He opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say. She turned towards him and gave him a grin.

“She’d shit her pants if she knew I was wasting this opportunity in the Royal Library.”

He laughed again and was rewarded with a true smile from her. She stepped away from the shelves and put her hands on the desk in between them, leaning forward just enough that he could see the barest hint of cleavage. But he was raised a gentleman and yanked his eyes away from temptation and met her amused ones. She graced him with a smirk as if to say that she knew exactly where his thoughts had gone.

“So, what about you? Why are you hiding in the library when there’s such a wonderful party going on? Too much competition from the prince, huh?”

It was at that moment that he realized she had no idea who he was. She didn’t know he was the prince. She thought he was just another guest in attendance. And that filled him with relief. Finally. Someone who wasn’t after him just for his title. Someone who could hold an intelligent conversation.

“Something like that,” he affirmed with a shrug, pulling out the seat in front of him and sitting down at the desk.

She took the hint and pulled the chair on the other side so that they were sitting across from each other. “I can’t imagine you having trouble finding a date,” she admitted, propping her elbows on the desk and cradling her face in her hands.

He smirked. “I find that their company is extremely lacking,” he confessed.

It was her turn to laugh and he immediately loved the sound. It didn’t grate on his ears the way most women’s laughter did; he supposed the fact that her laughter wasn’t forced or faked had something to do with it.

“I can’t say I blame you,” she agreed with a soft sigh. “They’re all bitches, if you ask me.”

That. That right there. He loved that. What would she say next? He had no clue. It was a constant surprise. He had known her all of twenty minutes and he was already enchanted. She was so different from any woman he had ever known and that was so very appealing to him.

He lost track of time as they swapped stories about their childhoods and shared interests. And there were a lot of shared interests, they found as they continued talking. It wasn’t until she was yawning in front of him that he realized that it had grown late.

The clock chimed midnight and she started in front of him.

“Fuck! Is that clock right?” Before he could answer, she was up and out of her seat. “I have to go. If I don’t beat my stepmother home, my life is over. This was fun! We should do it again!”

Her last words were toss over her shoulder as she raced out of the room. He took chase, calling after her. He couldn’t lose her now. He’d only just found her.

“Wait!” How did she run so fast in those fucking heels? “I don’t even know your name!” And I never told you mine.

She looked over her shoulder, surprise written all over her face. “It’s Ella!” And mine is Loki. Prince of Asgard.

And then she was gone, tearing through the gates as if the very hounds of Hel were on her tail. At least he had a name. Ella.

Now he just had to find her. And then tell her that he was the prince.

He’d have to figure it out.

xoxoxo xoxoxo

It had been a week. A very, very long week.

He was frustrated. He was smart. He was resourceful. He was multitalented. And he had still been bested by a woman. A woman who had seemingly vanished into thin air. Ella. She’d said she’d gotten an invitation to the palace for the ball, but he couldn’t find her name on the guest list. And he’d checked it more than once.

To make matters worse, his father was insisting that he should abandon his search and marry one of the many other girls that had attended. His mother had stepped in at that point; she knew the entire story as she was the only person Loki had trusted enough to confide in. She’d urged Odin to let him find his mystery woman. Odin had reluctantly given in to his wife’s request.

Loki knew that wouldn’t be the last conversation on the matter, but for now, the subject was closed and he was free to try and find her. He poured all of his time and energy into finding her. He pulled the previous year’s census report, but because he had no surname, it wasn’t any help.

He was exhausted and beginning to lose hope. So he decided to go back to where it all started; his safe haven, his favorite place. The library. He did his best thinking in there anyway, surrounded by books that held years of knowledge.

With a heavy heart, he yanked the doors open and was, once again, shocked to find someone already using his space. His heart leapt into his throat as he took in the form of a woman patiently restocking the shelves. She slowly turned around at the sound of the door and his heart began a wild rhythm in his chest.

Ella.

She shot him one of those smirks he had so enjoyed the night they had met. “Took you long enough,” she told him, setting the rest of the books down on the desk they’d shared only a week ago.

He frowned and crossed his arms. “If I knew all I had to do was return to the library, I would have done it a week ago,” he replied crossly, trying to ignore his leaping pulse.

She laughed. “Calm down, I wasn’t trying to insult your intelligence. Your mother said you spend a lot of time in here. I thought we’d have crossed paths before now, that’s all.”

His heart dropped into his stomach and his jaw dropped ever so slightly. He swallowed. He didn’t know what to say. This was uncharted territory. He’d prepared a speech to explain to her that he was, in fact, the very prince she’d been avoiding at the ball, but apparently she already knew. And his mother was in on it.

She laughed again at the expression on his face. “It’s okay,” she said with a soft smile.

She came around the desk to stand in front of him. She used her hands to uncross his arms and tangle their fingers together. She tilted her head and studied his eyes. What she saw in them, he wasn’t sure, but he found that he couldn’t look away.

“Loki,” she breathed and he bristled.

Assuming she knew who he was and having it confirmed were two very different things. And suddenly, he was very worried that she’d just played a very elaborate game to trap him. He didn’t like that notion. He finally dropped his eyes away from hers and fought the growing hurt.

But she wasn’t going to let him off so easy. She lifted his head with gentle fingers until their eyes were locked again.

“Let me explain. A week ago, I truly didn’t know who you were,” she told them and he could see the truth in her eyes. They were shining bright with determination. She wanted him to believe her. She wanted him to know that she wasn’t lying to him. She took a deep breath and the rest of her words came tumbling out of her mouth.

“But the day after the ball... The prince was all my stepsisters could talk about. They regaled me with tales about the prince’s soft raven locks and cool eyes. They told me about how polite and wonderfully handsome he was. With every description, I found myself thinking about how very similar you and the prince sounded. And then there were the posters...” She paused to frown, drawing a finger down his smooth cheek. “Stasja got her greedy hands on one of the promotional pieces for the ball... And there you were staring at me from my dining room table.”

She visibly swallowed and closed her eyes for a moment. He reached up and swept her unruly hair out of her face. He let his hand tangle in her hair. She leaned into his touch and he felt the knot that had formed in his stomach loosen a little. Her words rang true to his ears.

“I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to see you again, but I didn’t know how. The fact that you are a prince...” She winced.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, feathering his thumb across her cheek.

She didn’t seem to believe him and continued with her explanations. “You have to understand. My father came from a very noble and old bloodline. But my stepmother is nothing more than a leech. After my father died, she began treating me like dirt beneath her feet. I had to sneak out of the house to get to the ball. That’s why I ran out of here so fast.”

If I don’t beat my stepmother home, my life is over.

“Your mother caught me trying to sneak into the palace two days ago.” She smiled. “I thought was dead. Caught by the Queen. Fuck, I thought she was going to send me straight to the dungeon. But she seemed to know who I was.”

“That sounds like mother,” he agreed.

She sighed and finally lifted her eyes to his. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

She shrugged. “I get it. You’re used to the bitches at court.”

He laughed and tugged her against him. She wrapped her arms around him and returned his embrace. She felt so good against him. Better than he had ever dreamed. He pulled away ever so slightly and used the hand in her hair to angle her head back. And then he took the plunge and kissed the woman who had literally run away with his heart.

She kissed him back with a ferocity that surprised him, but shouldn’t have. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. It was in her nature. And she, apparently, wanted him. She wanted him for him. Not for his title. The thought lit a fire in him and he deepened the kiss, wanting her to feel the depth of his emotions in that kiss.

She whimpered against his lips and opened her mouth, giving in to his demand. Her hands were pressed flat against his back and she used them to pull him impossibly closer. His hand in her hair tightened and tugged while his other hand squeezed her hip.

When it became clear that the kiss was getting out of control, he broke away from her. It took everything in him to keep from kissing her again when he saw her lips that were swollen and wet from his kiss.

“Why did you stop?” she asked.

“Because I would hate for someone to catch me fucking you against the bookshelves,” he murmured wickedly in her ear.

He stepped back with a grin and watched as a blush spread up her neck and to her cheeks.

“But what if that’s what I want?” she shot back at him, her eyes flashing.

He smothered her devious laughter with another kiss. She would be the death of him.

I shuffled into the common area of the compound and collapsed on one of the couches. I closed my eyes and let out a slow, shuddering breath. Missions like these are never easy and when there are hostages involved, it’s ten times worse. I blinked a few times to clear the tears that were building and thought about how nice it would be to have a hug.

A sharp snap yanked me from my musings. I lifted tired eyes towards the sound. Loki, the newest member of the team, placed his book on the end table and stood up. I forced myself to sit up and grit my teeth against the protestations of my sore muscles. I didn’t know much about Loki and I didn’t think he knew much about me. But I knew that I didn’t want to look weak in front of him.

By the time I got my body to comply with my demands, he was standing in front of me, holding his hands out. I looked stupidly from his hands to his face, trying to figure out what he was doing. His face gave nothing away, however, aside from an exasperated sigh and eye roll. He reached down and pulled me to my feet, grasping my hands in his.

I stumbled against him and fell against his chest. He promptly wrapped his arms around me, giving me the best hug I’d had in ages. Which practically brought on a panic attack. Oh my fucking God. Can he read minds? My sleep deprived brain was in overdrive, thinking about all the things that I definitely didn’t want him to know.

After a few moments of no reaction to any of my absurd thoughts, I mentally chided myself. I’d been briefed on Loki’s various abilities and telepathy wasn’t on that list. No, there was another explanation that made more sense.

I’d unknowingly voiced my desire for a hug. And he’d given me exactly what I needed.

The thought made me want to cry. He didn’t even know me. He didn’t have to do it. He could have just ignored me. I was all but passed out in the couch anyway. But he hadn’t.

I hesitantly brought my arms up and returned his embrace when it became clear that he wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. I swallowed around the lump of emotion that had formed in my throat and rested my head on his chest. He tightened his arms around me in response.

I frowned. “Staring isn’t going to accomplish anything,” I told him, moving my gaze to her.

She was standing with a guy I had never seen before. She looked over at us and gave Loki a haughty smile. My frown deepened. Why he had ever dated her, I would never understand. She was a bitch. She played games. She was playing one now. She wasn’t stupid. She knew he still had feelings for her. And she was using it to her advantage to trample all over his heart.

I had seen enough. It was time to turn the tables on her. I could play games with the best of them. I’d gone head to head with other girls like her and come out on top. I could do it again. I wouldn’t let her win. Not when it would hurt the man I’d fallen head over heels for.

“I have an idea.” I went up on my tip toes to murmur in his ear. “Follow my lead.”

I reached on hand up to turn his face towards me. I begged him with my eyes to trust me. Once I had his attention, I snuck a glance at her. She was watching. Perfect. I licked my lips and went in for the kill.

I felt him stiffen with surprise when my lips brushed his. “Relax,” I breathed.

He obeyed, melting into the kiss, obviously understanding my intentions. I moved my lips against his slowly, getting accustomed to the feel of them. They were incredibly soft and better than I ever could have imagined.

I had wanted to kiss him for so long...

My lips parted when I felt his tongue press against them. I was surprised that he was going this far... My thoughts turned to mush at the first brush of his tongue. I was vaguely aware that his hands had stopped being passive; one was buried in my hair and the other was splayed flat on the small of my back. I moaned when he fisted the hand in my hair and tugged in order to deepen the kiss even more.

As for my hands, they were tangled in the hair at the back of his neck. I flexed them as he completely devoured me. He pulled me into him and I moaned again. He was hot and hard, pressed up against me. This was rapidly getting out of hand, especially considering we were in public and that it was all for the benefit of his ex-girlfriend.

And that last thought stopped me in my tracks. This kiss wasn’t for me. I shouldn’t get so wrapped up in it. That would only make it hurt worse. I gently pulled away and looked around for her. She was gone. I took a deep breath, trying to even out my erratic breathing.

“She’s gone-“ I didn’t get to finish my sentence.

Loki had pulled me back to him, his eyes looking at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. And then he was kissing me again.

“Mmfph,” I let out against his lips, startled by his sudden action.

What the fuck? She was gone. Why was he kissing me again like his life depended on it? I couldn’t unravel that mystery with his tongue in my mouth. It was impossible. The logical part of me reasoned that this was so not going to end well. It was going to end in tears; my tears. Another part of me, the louder part, insisted that it didn’t matter. That I should take what I could get.

It won.

I was going to take whatever he was willing to give me. I threw myself into the kiss, participating in a way that I hadn’t before. I let my tongue battle his. I let my hands wander down his arms, appreciating the muscles that I found on my exploration. My hands found his and I let my fingers entwine with his.

After a few heartbeats, he withdrew, panting. I was panting, too. And my heart was racing, both from the kiss and all the emotions that were threatening to choke me.

“Um,” I uttered, unsure what to say.

He didn’t say anything for what seemed like an eternity. He just kept staring at me, his eyes full of wonder. It was starting to freak me out. I didn’t know what to make of it.

“I’ve been a fool,” he said softly.

I blinked up at him, his words not clearing up my confusion in any way. I waited for him to elaborate.

“You have been right in front of my eyes this entire time .”

I licked my suddenly dry lips, trying to calm my poor heart. His words had sent it fluttering again after I’d just gotten it somewhat calm. Surely he didn’t mean...

“Would this fool happen to have any kind of chance with you?”

My poor, poor heart. If it didn’t explode, I would be amazed. I smiled brightly at him, hardly daring to believe this was real. I didn’t use words to answer him. I kissed him again. After all, actions spoke louder than words.