So so sorry for taking this long! I had one hell of a summer and I mean hell in the literal sense. It involved, shock horror, NO internet. And a dissertation. But lets not dwell on that. I really hope you enjoy this chapter! (And hope I haven't lost my touch- reviews very much appreciated as its been a while since I wrote anything that wasn't factual and boring)

Amora cried out quietly and jerked forward, attempting to get away from the changing figure. But Loki dug his fingers into her hips even harder, forcing her back and holding her in place. She watched him change in the mirror, small gasps forced from her with every violent thrust. His eyes were dangerous, and he held contact with hers as he fucked her, his glare so threatening that Amora, for the first time, felt genuinely afraid. This was not her usual coy teasing; she wasn't testing how far she could push him and his anger like she so often did. They loved each other, and she betrayed him. He'd killed for less.

Loki's transformation was complete, and his breathing was ragged. He was close, Amora could tell, though she could hardly believe he was actually going to finish after revealing himself to her. After she tried to get away. After she started to cry. Breaking their eye contact she looked down, allowing her hair to obscure her face, and her tears, tears of what she was unsure, to fall on the white sheets. Almost immediately though, she felt Loki carelessly and roughly pulling a handful of her long hair backwards, forcing her face back up, to look into his hurt, betrayed and terrifying eyes. She murmured in pain, but he didn't hear, as his eyes fluttered shut and he silently, almost expressionlessly came. He let go of his hold on her hip, and untangled his fingers from her hair, before falling back breathlessly against the foot of Amora's bed. Amora turned over, and feeling exposed, vulnerable and threatened, covered herself up by climbing under her sheets.

Loki did not look at her for a long time. For a while he focussed on his feet, and then the ceiling. Then a particular spot on her spotless bedspread. She could hear wind blowing the trees outside her window in the silence. Unsure of where to look she chose a spot on her bed near his. After what seemed to be an eternity of fearing for her life, he finally spoke.

"I...I am sorry. For that. Please, I..." she was taken aback by the meek, embarrassed apology. Loki may have tricked her but it was she that had been unfaithful. And Loki had certainly never apologised for tricking anyone before, at least not so honestly. He noticed her confusion and continued, "I have done many terrible things Amora, but fucking someone I love while they cry in fear is not one of them. I should have stopped."

"Loki please, I-" Amora began, but she was cut off.

"Amora do not plead with me, I am not going to hurt you. Does it look like I want to hurt you?" he gestured to his completely naked form, still leaning, slightly curled up against the end of her bed. She smiled briefly, though still concerned. Loki looked back down at his feet, and exhaled, shifting uncomfortably.

"I will not lie to you about this. I am very good at hurting those I love, and those that love me, as you know. But I hurt you much more than you think I have, and I do not want you to think that when I tell you that we can no longer be together, it is just because of you."

Amora was utterly confused. She had assumed, naturally, that this was the end of their attempt at a relationship, about as doomed to fail as a relationship could be, but she was not prepared for this.

"My tricking you tonight began, not as I assume you think when I transformed into my disguise and went to the inn. In fact I had no idea you would be there. My tricking you began only when I saw that you were there. I had, in fact, been intending to find a stranger to spend the night with. Just like you."

There was another long pause, but eventually, to Loki's surprise, Amora smiled sadly.

"A relationship between a seductress and a liar" she said, "what were we expecting?" Loki too smiled half-heartedly. They were both genuinely sad that their attempt had failed, that they were, in essence, incapable of committing to one another. Perhaps to anyone. "Perfect for one another, and perfectly incompatible as a result" Amora murmured, mostly to herself. It had been something she thought often when their relationship began, and clearly she'd been right.

Loki frowned, and leaned forwards towards her. "But why? We are perfectly suited, we love each other, I cannot think of an adjective to describe how good our sex is, so what is wrong with us?"

Amora reached for Loki's hands and took them in hers. "I think, Loki, that it is us. You are so good at lying that Odin made you the god of it. And I...well, before you I built my life on exploiting and using men. Frankly I am surprised we lasted this long, my love"

Loki sighed, moving his hands so that they were holding Amora's, and squeezed gently. "We shouldn't see one another for a while, I think. We should have time to become accustomed to being alone" he said quietly, almost as if he hoped she wouldn't hear.

"Of course" Amora replied, "Though I see no reason why we should not get along, after a time, do you?"

"Not at all" Loki smiled.