Scott had a very long talk with his grand-Odin the day of the brunch and found out the cause of Loki’s hate. Odin had never promised the throne to Loki. He’d promised to give the boy a better life than the one he was living. A home where he would be loved and cared for and the opportunity to become something good in his life. But what Odin hadn’t foreseen was the jealousy Loki carried in his heart and his desire to be the only child who would have Odin’s love.
“As much as you anger me, Loki. As a father, I can never turn my back on you,” Odin said over Scott’s shoulder.
“Don’t tell me you forgive me again.” Loki sat up and backed away from Scott.
“Look at the destruction you’ve caused. Look at your son as he lays there laboring for breath, and tell me if you would forgive the man who has caused this?” Odin asked. “You brought innocent souls into your quarrel with me, and what has it gotten you?” Loki looked away from them, refusing to see what he had done. “I still care for you, Loki. Which is why it pains me to do the one thing I’ve wished to never do, especially to my own child. But it is the only punishment I can think of that will make you understand the consequences of your actions.”
Loki’s eyes widened as he looked at Odin in shock, and his face grew pale. “Father, please. I beg of you, don’t do it. I promise to change, to be a better son and brother. Please, father. Don’t take it away from me.”
“I’m sorry, Loki.”
Odin leaned forward and touched his forehead to Loki’s. Tears streamed down Loki’s face and his body shook and glowed as Odin took away his godly powers, making him nothing more than an immortal human. Odin kissed Loki’s forehead.
“It is done,” he said and then stepped back.
“You’ve damned me,” Loki cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Scott could feel the hurt and anguish coming off Loki—the true depths of his pain.
“You’ve damned yourself,” Odin said looking down at Loki. “You were warned countless times that your deeds would be your ruin, yet you refuse to heed my words.” Odin turned to walk away but stopped at Loki’s next question.
“Will I ever get my powers back?”
“That my son, is for you to decide,” Odin answered, not turning to look at Loki. His shoulders slumped in disappointment and pain. Scott could tell Loki had never really understood how much Odin loved him as his son. “Until you have seen the error of your ways, you are banned from entering the realm of the gods. Henceforth, you are no longer…”
“Grand-Odin, don’t,” Scott said, stopping him. He knew exactly what Odin was about to do. “You’ve stripped him of everything. Leave him that one dignity.” Scott could tell it had been a hard decision he’d made to remove Loki’s powers. He couldn’t let him be stripped of the one thing he craved—his father’s love.
“Is that your wish?” Odin asked, looking at Scott over his shoulder. “Even after all he has done to you and your mate?”
“Yes,” Scott answered.
“Be grateful for his compassionate heart, Loki. Because at this point, you have taken all I had left for you.”
Odin went to disappear when lightning and thunder cracked in the air, but there wasn’t any sign of rain.
“What the fuck is happening now?” Scott grumbled.
A bright light burst from the sky as a scream filled the yard. They all turned to see Donald’s eyes and mouth open, his body was lifted up off the ground and being sucked up by the light. The shirt he was wearing was ripped off his body and bones grew out of his back, slowly spanning wide. Black and white feathers started growing on the bones until it was full. Slowly, Donald was lowered to the ground next to Fenrir, and the light disappeared. Donald’s skin still held the glow of the light as he caressed Fenrir’s thick, midnight fur.
“It’s time to wake up, my beloved.”
He brought his hand to his mouth and bit into it his wrist. He brought it over Fenrir’s mouth, letting the blood fall onto his tongue. Scott and Odin stood back and watched as Fenrir shifted from wolf to human and reached for Donald’s arms.
“You kids can never do things simply,” Odin snapped, shaking his head.
Scott was getting ready to ask him what he meant, but the sound of a baby crying had him looking towards the house.
“At least that is easy to explain,” Odin grumbled.
Scott didn’t stick around to find out what else was going to happen. He needed his mate. He ran into the house, up to the second floor, and back to the room where he’d seen Quintus earlier. He stopped at the threshold. Quintus was sitting behind Sareena holding a baby, while his uncle Mohe was holding two more in his arms.
“Is she?” He didn’t know what he was asking.
“She’s sleeping,” Quintus whispered. “Come and look at the cubs. They are so beautiful.”
Scott walked over to Quintus and sat beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He kissed the side of his head, thanking every deity he was able to get more than a lifetime with his mate.
“I love you,” he whispered.
