An Alien Love Bk. 02 Ch. 23

Hello again.

Soooo I'm working on a new Ice Era Chronicle that I hope to share with you soon. In the meantime, I am working on this story and I have a clear vision of the ending. November is NaNoWrMo, which means I will be writing tons in the next thirty days. Wish me luck! Cheers!

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*Chapter 23*

Octnavin's Offspring arrives.

Sloan attempted to sleep but the pain was unbearable. Time stood still. With every move or shift to roll over, he either couldn't breathe, or he thought he would throw up. His belly was almost completely blue. The skin was bruised and aching. The thing was, even though he wanted to vomit, he'd barely eaten. Junior was starving and he knew it. He didn't know what to do. He tossed and turned on Elijah's couch.

Munroe, who was now a tall blue alien much like Octnavin, paced by the side of the sofa where Sloan napped on and off. Elijah did the same thing and only sometimes stared at the alien's tentacles. Every hour that ticked by seemed like an eternity. When the sun rose, Munroe faced the rays that filtered into the room. The light shone on his dark green tube hair.

"How many days do you figure?" Munroe asked.

Sloan glanced at the clock. "We're hitting six."

"You will not live." Munroe rubbed a tentacle over his tubes. He walked to the counter and opened the black suitcase. He pulled out an intricately carved knife.

"Whoa." Elijah's eyebrows rose.

"Elijah, I would like to speak to Sloan in private." Munroe jerked his head toward the bedroom. "Please excuse us."

Elijah took one quick glance at Sloan and then walked away. It was hard to argue with a six-foot blue alien. When the door to the bathroom shut, Munroe turned to Sloan and set the knife on the coffee table in front of him. The beautiful blue designs over the handle glinted in the morning light.

"I brought this ceremonial knife here in hopes that I could talk Elijah into painting it for me." Munroe ran a tentacle along the flat part of the blade. "This is a ritual Dagerstanteen knife. They are rare. I was given it when I left my planet because I was told by my creator that I had dishonored my species. Since I was now an outcast, I was supposed to kill myself with it. Weapons like this are special and very sharp." He straightened away from the blade. "If the pain gets to the point where you want to—"

"Where I want to kill myself?" Sloan shook his head. "No. That's not my style."

"I would not blame you or think less of you. The pain will only get worse. A million times worse."

"And then the offspring dies," Sloan growled. "I heard it before." Sloan struggled to sit and he leaned his head back on the cushions. "You don't get it. Octnavin needs this kid. The Dagerstanteens are dying out."

"I do get it." Munroe's lips pressed into a hard line. "But you do not understand. You will die anyway. I am offering you a way to stop the agony. It would be merciful to the offspring as well. Junior is in pain and will be in more. That young Dagerstanteen is dying in there. Starving. Do you wish to be this cruel to my species?"

Sloan looked for Junior in his mind. ~You okay?~

~I'm so hungry.~

~I know. I'm sorry.~

Sloan stared at the knife. This wasn't mercy... was it?

If he ate, the young alien would grow bigger and that would kill them. If he didn't eat, Junior would starve, and Sloan would still have the dead offspring inside of him. A dead baby alien meant he'd die with their mental connection. Sloan would die either way. By his count, this would be death number six. Only this time, his end would be permanent.

"Cut him out of me." Sloan knew that was the only solution. At least one of them would live.

"What?" Munroe took a hasty step away from him. "That is not what we are talking about here."

"You said it's sharp. And you kind of know where Junior is right? You could do it."

Munroe shook his head. "No."

"Can you cut him out or not?"

"It will kill you."

"I'm dead anyway. It's suicide by birth. This would save Junior. He can live without me."

"No." Munroe backed away again.

"If you do this..." Sloan eyed the warrior. "Then you would be the guy who saved the new ruler of the Dagerstanteens. You could bring the future leader home. Your species would greet you with open um... arms or open tentacles. All would be forgiven and forgotten."

~I would pardon you.~ Junior said in Sloan's head.

"Junior says he would pardon you for taking up with a human. Hell, he would get you home again."

"Sloan." Elijah came out of the bathroom and spotted the knife. "You aren't going to do what I think you're going to do?"

"I have to."

Elijah rubbed his sad eyes. "Maybe we can call a doctor."

"And then they would cut me open and take Junior as a science experiment." Sloan had already thought about that as an idea. Going to the emergency room would end badly. Humans were mean and crazy. "Best case they take Junior and give him to the FBI, and they put him in a cage. And I might die anyway. Worse case? The doctor and nurses kill Junior on sight because they would freak out. And then I bleed out and die too. Please, Munroe? You know I'm right. Save him. He can live. You can take him home."

~I don't know about this,~ Junior said slowly. ~It seems wrong.~

~It's going to be fine. You'll see. You'll be out before you know it. Trust your dad.~

Munroe's eyes darkened to a deeper green and then onto black. "You are willing to trade your life for Octnavin's offspring? I am formally asking."

"I am."

"I need to make a call." Munroe picked up Elijah's cell.

While Munroe was on the phone with someone, Elijah tried to talk Sloan out of his decision, but his friend didn't understand. Sloan had only given him the bare bones of the story. Octnavin needed his young. Sloan had to do this. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he loved the fucking ruler. This was the right thing to do.

~I think we should do something else,~ Junior piped up. ~I don't want you to die. I need you.~

~It's okay. Everything will be fine.~ Sloan tried to believe that. He thought about his parents. They would never do this for him, but Sloan wasn't like them. He was more like Octnavin. If the alien were here, the ruler would understand that sometimes people had to make sacrifices. Sometimes people and aliens had to make the hard calls. Octnavin would say no regrets or some kind of wise bullshit.

"Jazmin will be here in five minutes." Munroe set the phone on the counter.

"Who's Jazmin?"

"She is my adopted daughter. She is going to school to become a doctor."

"So... she isn't one yet?" Elijah asked. "Is that a good idea?"

"Do not mistake her youth for ignorance. Jazz is smart, incredibly so. She had been helping me keep my human body suit alive since I met her at fourteen. I adopted her when her parents died. People do not understand her. She will be an amazing doctor one day. I believe Jazmin can help Sloan stay alive."

"She knows what you are?" Elijah asked.

"Yes. She has seen me this way." Munroe waved his tentacles. "And she loves me all the same."

"You have a plan?" Sloan asked but he could already tell that Munroe was coming up with what they should do.

"I do." Munroe nodded. "I will cut you open and take the offspring. Jazmin will keep you alive while Elijah calls for the ambulance. I will have to leave to hide the young, but Jazz will be here to help you. She is capable. You will see." Munroe handed Elijah his phone. "After I have Junior, call and say a crazy man broke into the house and stabbed your friend."

Elijah nodded as his worried eyes met Sloan's.

"It's a great plan." Sloan clumsily rose from the couch and decided he'd die on Elijah's bed. That would be more comfortable. At least he wasn't dying in the mud with a hamster looming over him. When he was on his back in the middle of Elijah's comforter, it felt like Junior was about to break his spine in half. He gritted his teeth against the pain.

~I'm sorry,~ the baby alien said.

~Don't be sorry about anything. You're worth it.~

~I'm scared.~

~I know.~ Sloan thought about what Octnavin said to him when he was scared. ~Peace, Junior. Peace.~

Elijah grabbed all his towels and set them on the bed while Munroe cleaned his ceremonial knife. Once again, the alien put on his human suit and came out of the bathroom dressed as an old man.

When there was a knock on the door, Sloan couldn't believe his five minutes were up. He tried to be ready for whatever would happen next. He wished he could say goodbye to Octnavin.

Glancing at the entrance, Sloan watched a five-foot young woman march confidently into the apartment. The blonde kissed Munroe on the cheek and then strode to the bed. She studied his belly and then tossed her backpack on the floor next to her feet.

"I'm Jazmin." She headed into the bathroom and he could hear her washing her hands.

"Sloan."

"I'm Elijah," Elijah called from the other room.

"You ready for this?" Jazmin asked as she came back into the bedroom and swept Sloan. She set her backpack next to him and began to rummage in the sack.

"Yes," Sloan said with conviction. This was the right thing to do. He could feel it in his bones.

"Is there anyone else in the building who might hear you scream?"

"No." Elijah answered. "The gallery isn't open right now. There is only us."

"Good." The short woman had a beautiful smile. That was a nice thing to see before he died. Still better than a hamster. "Munroe gave me a breakdown of what we are going to do. I'm going to keep you alive, okay?" Jazmin folded a towel into a thick wad and handed it to him. "Bite down on that if it hurts. Well, not if, but when."

"Okay." Sloan looked down at the towel and once again gave himself a pep talk.

"Elijah." Munroe gestured to his friend. "This is going to be bloody. Wait in the kitchen until I tell you to make the 911 call."

"I'm going to be right here, Sloan." Elijah held up his phone and then vanished from Sloan's sight.

"I'm ready," Sloan said.

"This might help." Jazmin yanked out an orange pill bottle from her bag. "This will dull the pain."

"The offspring will ingest it." Munroe shook his head.

Jazmin cursed under her breath. "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

"I've had bumpy rides before." Sloan inhaled. He was ready. He could do this. He had to.

Jazmin motioned to the cloth. Sloan shoved the terry cloth into his mouth. That was all the prep he got. Munroe made the first cut.

Sloan screamed into the cloth. After hollering, tears slid down Sloan's cheeks. The slice into his skin was like the blade was made of fire. He burned like he was in an incinerator. He thought about swinging, but Jazmin must've read his mind. Her small hands grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the blankets. She was surprisingly strong.

Sloan screamed again as his eyes blurred with a fresh wave of tears. Although the pain was staggering, the release of the pressure was almost euphoric. There was a gush of blood and then the weight on his organs eased.

Jazmin let go of him and suddenly she went to work. She hovered over his stomach all the time giving herself mumbled directions in a steady stream. While she muttered to herself, Sloan looked up into bright green eyes.

Junior.

The alien sat on the bed next to his head and leaned over him. Octnavin's offspring was beautiful and covered in Sloan's blood. Yanking the cloth from his mouth, Sloan wiped at the alien's face. Junior's tube hair was blond like Sloan's hair color. The alien had Octnavin's green eyes.

"Your creator is going to like your hair." Sloan smiled.

"I saw the memory of your meeting with my creator." Junior smiled down at him and his lips never moved. Just like his dad. "I picked this color."

"Hey now," Sloan whispered. "Stay out of my memories. Some of those things I did with your creator weren't for you to see."

The alien laughed and set his forehead on Sloan's. Sloan closed his eyes as a rush of pain hit him. He floated and his brain became a huge deep ocean that he couldn't swim through. He was drowning, slowly but steadily. His body became lead. Sloan fought unconsciousness, even though passing out was all he wanted to do. Sleep would end the torture of whatever Jazmin was doing to him, but he needed a few minutes with Junior.

"He's losing too much blood," Jazmin muttered to Munroe. "Did Elijah make the call?"

"Ambulance is on their way." Elijah's voice was mist on the air.

"We have to go." Munroe picked up Junior from the side of the bed where he sat next to Sloan's head. The offspring already looked like a little Dagerstanteen.

"Look how big you are," Sloan slurred. "How did all of that fit?" Sloan closed his eyes again.

"I kept my limbs tucked in."

"We have to go," Munroe repeated.

"Cool." Sloan opened his heavy eyelids. "You need to leave, Junior. Munroe will help you. JP will be here soon." Sloan closed his eyes. He was so finished. It hurt to breathe. His brain felt like it was full of rocks and all he wanted to do was stop the torment.

"Sloan?" Elijah said his name.

Sloan didn't bother to open his eyes again. He couldn't anyway. Licking his lips, he caught the copper taste of blood in his mouth.

"Sloan?" Jazmin was trying to get him to open his eyes, but that was impossible. "Stay with me."

He could just let it all go. It was over now. Junior was alive and safe.

"He's dying. I can't stop this." Jazz's voice fluttered around him.

Sloan laughed to himself. He knew this would happen. Wasn't the first time he'd died either. At this moment, as his life slipped away, his mind conjured Octnavin's smile and his eyes like emeralds in the moonlight. He looked for a connection. There was nothing. Since Sloan couldn't find a spot in his brain where the alien still resided, he played memories. The alien had been pretty amazing. Junior would be fucking amazing too.

"Junior?" Sloan whispered.

"I'm still here." Junior's little tentacle slipped along Sloan's tattoo. Again, just like his dad.

"Tell Octnavin I love him. I didn't get the chance."

Sloan never heard the response if he got one. He relaxed and embraced the quiet welcoming darkness.