I didn't know what to say, if I was supposed to say anything at all.
But there was no doubt in my mind that this was real; this was not Toke. I saw it, felt it, and smelled it. Loki, what a strange name. Suddenly my eyes widened; Loki! Like the freaking trickster god Loki?
He chuckled, leaned back, and started dragging his fingers through his hair. Looking down at himself and wrinkled his nose while trying to adjust the collar of his shirt. Or rather, the missing collar of his shirt.
"The god, like the trickster god?"
"Ah, please! Don't use that degrading profanity! It was all a joke from Thor, and of course, his words are etched with gold, so that is the name that stuck in the books! Ridiculous if you ask me! But yes, I am a god!"
Pride was not enough to cover the sense of self-love coming from this man, even when he was so obviously uncomfortable with Toke's choice of clothes.
"Why are you here? Don't you have better things to do?"
Even the way he arched his brow was different, even when using Toke's face. The arc was sharper, lifting higher than I had expected on this face. It occurred to me that he was indeed a god; I'm speaking to a god! A freaking god, and I'm being rude.
"Well, I had planned a grand story time here! But I guess you don't like that, not even time for some pleasantries. Very, well then, straightforward it is! I want your wolf, and I need your blood!"
His dark eyes locked to mine, and that wicked smile kept tugging higher on the corner of his lips, studying me like he was expecting some reaction. I knew I should be scared, I should protest, but instead, I'm curious. I'm never giving him Drifta, I rather die, but what makes my blood any special at all? Enough for a god to want it? That irked my curiosity more than my sense of fear. Or maybe I'm just ruined; my natural reflexes have always been all over the place, so why not my fight-or-flee response too?
"That doesn't make sense; Toke talked about a deal."
"Ah, the hot-headed wolf boy! Yes, he had some demands. Thinking he could even make me give him anything. And, of course, it makes sense! He got exactly what he asked for! His wolf called for his mate to even the faiths become annoyed. They pulled their strings, and they got you here five years earlier than planned. Then, he was already the perfect match for you. A brute you hated but eventually had to admit protected you and cared for you better than anyone had. Pathetic, actually, wasn't even a challenge! But anyway, he got all that. Here you are, his mate and all that. He never said anything about keeping you! He makes deals like a fool."
He chuckled, and I frowned, letting it sink in. Toke made a deal, thinking it served him and Miranda. Attending it to please his wolf, Fury, but instead, he ends up getting played. Used for Loki's agenda. The more I thought about it, the more it sounded right. Everything I've read about the old Norse gods, the movies, and all that, it is a reason why trickster god was the description that stuck.
"What about Fury?"
"The dog?"
"His wolf..."
"Yeah, his dog. He made his own deal, deceitful mutt! He was the only thing that didn't go as I planned. He was supposed to be part of the winnings, but oh well. I'll make do without."
He grinned, but I still didn't understand. He answered without giving an answer, only leaving me with more questions than I already had.
"What does that even mean? His own deal, with who?"
"That nosy moon goddess. I don't understand how she still manages to use her time looking over her precious wolfs. Like come one, she is a beautiful young-like woman, loosen up and find a new hobby! But no, she had to meddle when he begged her for another chance, another life."
"Stop that! Tell me! "
He laughed, smacked his thighs with his palms, and laughed.
"So impatient! Oh my! Fine, I will accept this once. But only once, o you understand? And only because I've been bored for so long, I needed some entertainment. Next time you speak to me like that, even raise your voice to me like that, I will turn you into an ugly dung beetle and put you in a tin yar. Get it?"
Without a word, I swallowed hard and nodded in response. Again, I have no problem believing he is serious.
"He left Toke when they got all their memories back. He knew what deal he made and what was to happen. He also realized he was part of the reason why this deal was made. He tried talking to him, reasoning with him. He threatened to leave him, to take over and all that shit. But his wolf was already weakened, and Toke kept on poisoning him to keep him down. Then the worst realization hit him, the human's mate bond was ruined. That dog kept on pining for you, but his human was as cold as ice towards his mate. He had no remorse; he could hurt you, drug you down. He would eventually kill you if he felt it was necessary to keep his pride and reputation. The final straw was when he tried marking you; oh my god! You should have seen his face when he realized what his human had done! How he had tricked him into doing something that horrible! It was priceless! He knew he could not win this battle, so he made a deal. Pleaded to the moon goddess, and she finally gave in to that weak-hearted female form. She granted him a new life and a new human. That is all I know. And now I'm tired of this story. It is boring. So let us spice it up instead! Where is your wolf?"
"I don't know. Toke gave me something, and after that, she retreated. Sometimes I can feel her, but I can't reach her or even contact her."
"What an idiot, he gave you wolfsbane! I told him not to use that! I can't have that in your blood! It will make it all wrong. But then again, I knew I made a deal with a fool. Again, noting serious, just yet again, utterly unnecessary!"
He walked up and stood in the middle of the room, snapping his finger over his head, and the air left the room for a couple of seconds. When it rushed back in, he was no longer in Toke's body. Left in the middle of the room was another man. Long black hair, grey eyes and was a tall and slender boy. His attire looked more like a mixture of modern clothes from my world and leather details from this. Satisfied, he adjusted his collar; his linen white shirt had a stiff collar lifting up around his neck while ark brown leather west draped over his shoulders and tightened around his waist. He was almost looking like he was wearing a corset.
His face was slimmer and sharper, and his short beard was pitch black. His long black hair was brushed back away from his head, sleek and very much the opposite of how most men in this world keep their hair. The thought struck me, Loki, the Norse trickster god, was a vain creature! In this situation, it seemed almost funny. So misplaced and strange, like everything else here.
"Now, let us get your thunder wolf forward! I'm dying to teach Thor a lesson he won't forget!"
He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of bed, and around us, dark clouds spun around us-a hurricane of clouds and shapeless black birds. My heart jumped in my throat when he suddenly fell straight down.