An Alien Love Bk. 02 Ch. 26

Hello again. So I am setting up a read for review event for my next Ice Era Chronicle, Holiday Cup Of Joe. Because of that, I have not worked on my Alien books! I'm sorry about that. I know some of you actually read my writing (Or I hope you do!) Anyway, I am letting my book baby go out in the world on the 1st, so I promise as soon as it is released into the wild, I will be back here!

Cheers.

~M. from C.M. Moore

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*Chapter 26*

Facing the ruler of the Dagerstanteens.

After Sloan pulled on his band t-shirt, he grabbed his leather jacket and his backpack. He tossed the strap on his shoulder and walked out of his quarters toward the ship's command center.

When he entered the large oval room, he noted that everyone on the spaceship was staring out the huge wide window at the front. None of the aliens or Murry were talking or moving. The entire group gapped at the water. The area was pulsing with fear.

"What's going on?" Sloan tossed down his bag and eyed the spectacular view. Ahead of them was a massive clear lake and bright peach sky. On the far end was a long dock that stretched out into the water. The ship was quickly approaching the dock and flying so low as to make little rippled waves.

"You know how in a space movie ships get caught in tractor beams?" Murry turned his head and their eyes met.

"Yeah."

"This is like that." Murry looked back at the approaching dock. Now Sloan caught that there were Dagerstanteens in boats along the waterfront. Hundreds of them. "You know how we made the plan to park in the back hidden ship hanger and then sneak you into Octnavin's bedroom?"

"Yeah," Sloan said slowly. His nerves began to jingle.

"That's not going to happen either."

"What the fuck?"

"Control plucked us out of the air when we got close to the palace," Keltrix explained.

"It was like they were waiting for us," Murry added. "They knew we were coming."

"The tower is now controlling the ship. This meeting is not going to be hidden or secret. We have an audience." Keltrix inclined his head to the window. The alien was right. The closer they got, the more aliens Sloan spotted. The shores, waterfront, the harbor, there were Dagerstanteens everywhere. They were in boats and some stood on the shore. Some were even swimming nearby. All eyes were on the approaching spaceship.

The front of the window splashed as the ship slowed and pulled up to the end of the dock. Beyond the water's edge, Sloan could make out a majestic palace. Past that, a giant city of multiple levels was shadowed by mountains. The sky was a mellow peach like the sun was setting. Sloan had to give it to Octnavin's home. It was beautiful, grand, and made for a king.

They parked at the end of the dock. No one moved.

"What do I do?" Murry asked. "How do I hide? I wish I had a Dagerstanteen suit like you have a human suit."

"Do not worry, Murry-cat. I will look after you." Keltrix pulled Murry into a hug.

"Maybe we can wait until everyone leaves?" Sloan suggested. Maybe this was an alien holiday like the Fourth of July. After it got dark, everyone would go home.

"No." Keltrix took a deep breath. "Octnavin knows we are with Sloan. My sibling says to disembark and face him or he will send warriors onto the ship and forcibly drag us out."

"Dick," Sloan muttered. "Wait... I thought you said he would want to see me. You said he loves me and misses me."

"He does...pretty much...mostly..." Murry trailed off.

"Keltrix?" Sloan looked to Octnavin's sibling. "What the fuck?"

"Octnavin made us all promise to never get you."

"Murry," Sloan groaned. "I'm going to punch you in the balls."

"But I'm not wrong. He loves you and misses you. He wants you here, but he can't ask for it. He can't ask for help, but Octnavin is upset and sad and suffering."

Sloan agreed there. Octnavin never asked for help. The ruler carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, alone. Sloan pictured the alien starving and never saying a word while he suffered.

"He does want to see you." Murry nodded. "I'm almost sure."

"Almost sure?"

"It is a little late now to argue if retrieving Sloan was a good idea or not." Keltrix let go of Murry and faced the window. "I will protect you even from Octnavin's wrath."

"Like last time when you got tortured?" Murry closed his eyes like he was reliving a particularly bad memory.

"Fuck." Sloan waved to the window. "I'm going. I came here to see Octnavin and if he's pissed about it, then he can just deal."

"You interest me." Keltrix grinned.

"Hey, at least I can tell Octnavin to get a better handle on Daris." Sloan didn't wait for a response from dumb and dumber. He turned on his heel and exited the command center.

Straightening his leather jacket, he made his way to the front entrance to the ship. The wide square door dropped just as Sloan stood next to the ramp. The walkway extended to the dock. Without looking back, Sloan headed straight for the fucking ruler of the Dagerstanteens.

"Wait up," Murry called. Keltrix and Murry fell into step behind Sloan. "I'm responsible for you being here. I'll go with you."

No other aliens stepped off the ship. Cowards.

Strolling with head held high, Sloan walked in the center of the dock. All around him he could hear the buzz of conversation from every alien he passed. The talk was muted and in a language that Sloan didn't speak. Without the connection to Octnavin's brain, Sloan understood nothing of what was said around him.

After four steps, Sloan decided he was glad he had no idea what everyone was saying about him. He didn't care anyway. All he cared about was Octnavin. The sound of the chatter blended with the water lapping at the side of the dock.

Halfway up the wharf, Sloan started to make out Octnavin's form. The ruler of the Dagerstanteens was on a short platform at the end of the dock where the wood met a stone walkway up to the palace. Next to Octnavin stood Daris. Sloan knew the alien was Daris by his lean frame and his blond tubes. Daris didn't have the same shade of tubes as any of the younger aliens around him.

In the sunlight, jewels around Daris and Octnavin's neck glinted and sparkled. As he got closer, two young thin Dagerstanteens broke from the crowd and hurried past Sloan to fall into step next to Murry.

Sloan glanced behind him and Murry gesture that these two were Kel's offspring. These were the alien's Murry had incubated. They were tall. He guessed they were trying to give a unified front for the man they loved like a mother.

"How bad is it, Petey?" Murry whispered.

"Well, it's not good."

Sloan ignored their whispered conversation. They didn't get Octnavin as he did. Sloan wasn't afraid of the ruler. Their history was too deep. Sloan would trust Octnavin with his life even here and even like this.

Marching swiftly, Sloan walked up to the square decorative platform. He stared up at Octnavin. The alien look hella good. Octnavin's blue skin shimmered in the sunlight and his muscles flexed. His tentacle had grown back like he said it would. The ruler looked even bigger and stronger than Sloan remembered.

Daris leaped off the platform and squeezed Sloan with all six of his tentacles. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"Darislumroma," Octnavin said sternly. "Remember your place."

Groaning, Daris climbed back up on the platform next to his creator and pouted.

Sloan tipped up his head and held in his grin. He was fucking over-the-moon happy to see Octnavin. Even if this meeting wasn't like he planned, and even if Sloan got lynched, being here and seeing the alien was worth whatever happened to him. At this point, he would even take Octnavin's pissed-off side.

"Human?" Octnavin's voice was hard as granite. "Why have you come here?"

"I came to..." Sloan thought about a hundred things he could say. None of his ideas were right. Octnavin was a ruler, a warrior, a king. Here, in this moment, Sloan had to honor the alien's position. They were not alone where he could say what was really on his mind. He'd call Octnavin a dick later.

"Speak, human." Octnavin stared down at him and his green eyes looked like sea-glass. Sloan wasn't fooled. This was Octnavin's game face. The alien was coming up with a plan. Sloan would just help him out a little.

"A slave should love his ruler." Sloan held in his smile at the look of surprise that lit Octnavin's features.

"You mean that?" Octnavin's eyes widened. "I mean... You may continue."

"A slave should love his ruler and you are my ruler. You're my king, my leader, my mountain. I came here to give you my love and devotion." Sloan dropped to one knee. He bent his head slightly, but he caught the grin teasing Octnavin's lips.

"I thought you said I would never be your anything."

"And you said we shall see." This time Sloan lifted his eyes and met Octnavin's green-eyed stare. "I will serve you, my exalted ruler. If being your slave is what it takes to be with you, you have me. I'm yours."

Sloan exhaled. Those might've been hard words to admit out loud, but maybe later when they were alone Sloan could tell Octnavin that he was a dumbass or something. That would make Sloan feel better.

"I accept your pledge of love and devotion." Octnavin motioned for Sloan to raise. "But you will never be my slave."

"But... I...?" Sloan stood. His brow wrinkled. He didn't want to be a slave but now that he'd been turned down, that kinda stung.

"You will hold the title of my royal incubator. I know you can never be a pleasure slave. You are too wild." Octnavin gave him only the slightest grin. "But you will be mine. I will claim you."

After he spoke, Octnavin waved a tentacle to Daris. Octnavin's stone expression fell back into place as his offspring jumped off the platform again. Daris snapped a language band around Sloan's non-tattooed bicep.

"He wants you to listen to his speech," Daris whispered in Sloan's ear before he sprung back on the platform next to his creator again.

Octnavin addressed the crowds around them. The language was Dagerstanteen, but this time, Sloan understood the words perfectly.

"My fellow Dagerstanteens." Octnavin's voice was a booming sound and the call caused the mass to become silent. "There have been many who have wondered where my offspring came from and who produced Darislumroma. Up to this point, I have not given details. But now, I will admit that I used a human as an incubator. It was necessary to ensure the continuation of the royal line." Octnavin waved a tentacle at Sloan as he continued. "At this moment, my incubator has pledged his allegiance to me. He has offered me his devotion and loyalty and I accepted. I will be keeping Sloan. This is my official claim on this human. From now on, I will be exploring new ways for us to continue as a species. Our known name as fierce and strong warriors will not fade into history while I am your ruler. We will continue. Long live the Dagerstanteens!"

As the crowd cheered, Sloan lifted an eyebrow. Octnavin motioned for Sloan to step closer to the platform. When Sloan was right in front of Octnavin, the alien bent down and whispered in his ear.

"You are not a secret."

Sloan grinned, but before he could say anything in return, a Dagerstanteen next to Octnavin spoke.

"My glorious and noble ruler, permission to speak?"

Octnavin straightened away from Sloan and turned to the other alien. "Granted."

"You cannot ignore the laws that were put in place to protect us from pleasure slaves. These humans will destroy us."

"Sloan is not a pleasure slave. He is the human that incubated the next ruler of our planet," Octnavin growled at the alien on the platform. "Do not confuse one with the other." Octnavin paused and then glared. "And the last part of your sentence is utterly ridiculous. A human destroying a Dagerstanteen? That is outrageous."

"But—"

"These humans that you dislike may one day be your future. I will not let our species die out because of old rules that have never been revisited. We need more offspring. We all know it. I will be facing the assembly and explaining my actions. But do not mistake my explanations as an apology. What I did was the best thing for us, and I will not change my mind. I stand by this decision. Sloan is staying with me." Octnavin lifted a tentacle and waved. "You are dismissed."

Sloan grinned. Octnavin did his Folanto-dismissed-wave. Sloan missed that dick move.

"Sloan." Octnavin spun on his heel and stepped off the platform and toward the palace. "I wish to speak to you in private. I will give you orders. Keltrix and Murry come as well."

"You have a meeting." Octnavin's adviser held a glass plate and followed the ruler. Daris fell into step with Sloan as they all headed into the palace.

"This will only take a moment," Octnavin said as he sailed through the huge archway.