Chapter 65: Life is really, really, really, great.Sloan finished work at the gym and headed to the coffee shop where he liked to pick up a raspberry smoothie. He sat outside at a metal table and sucked on his straw. As he watched people coming and going, he traced his new tattoo. The word devour was in beautiful scroll lettering around his wrist. Sometimes he liked to think that Octnavin would like it. After he finished his drink, he got on his bike again. He was home as the sun began to set.Today was great. He had a great job and money in the bank. He had a great place to live, and Elijah was great. Even Jazmin was great. They had become friends since she helped him birth an alien. Except… If everything was so great, why did he have to spend every night convincing himself of that?He'd used the word great way too many times, and he knew it.It had been two weeks. Octnavin and Junior shouldn't bother him anymore. The aliens shouldn't be on his mind.After Sloan entered his apartment
Chapter 66: Almost sure.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 enormous wide window at the front. None of the aliens or Murry were talking or moving. The entire group eyed the water like they were looking for a monster. The room pulsed with fear."What's going on?" Sloan tossed down his bag and scanned 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 t
Chapter 67: A mountain and a pebble.Around the docks and on the shore, the curious chatter that Sloan couldn't understand started to go silent. As Sloan stood there staring up at the great ruler of the Dagerstanteens, the general din hushed."Human?" Octnavin's voice was hard as granite, and his English sounded like the alien was weighing every word. "Why have you come here?""I came to…" Sloan thought about a hundred things he could say. None of his ideas were suitable. Octnavin was a ruler, a warrior, a king. Here, at 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 supposed that he would just have to 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 help him out a little."A slave should love his ruler." Sloan held in his smile at the look of s
Chapter 68: Late for a meeting.The inside of the palace was all pink tiles. Sloan wasn't surprised by the color choice. As he followed Octnavin and his advisor, Sloan gazed around the grand interior. Daris wrapped a tentacle around Sloan's arm as they walked into a long wide hall with windows for a ceiling."This is called the Meeting Gallery," Daris explained as he rubbed a tentacle over Sloan's new tattoo.Huge pieces of Octnavin's Nebos decorated the walls in cascades of different shades of pink. Sloan gave the area a glance before he faced the alien baby he carried. "Daris, what's up with you?"His alien child looked to the ceiling, and then a frown wrinkled his brow. "Up?""Why are you giving your creator a hard time?" Sloan dropped his voice while Octnavin talked briefly to a few other Dagerstanteens who joined them in the gallery. "Keltrix told me you have been a royal asshole.""I…" Daris looked to Octnavin and then back at Sloan. Roughly, the alien pulled him into a hug. "My
Chapter 69: Say I love you.As soon as Octnavin said he wished that Sloan would make him late, Sloan laughed. He pushed away from Octnavin and pulled his shirt over his head."I think I'm going to make you late for a few meetings." Sloan set the top aside, and then he stripped off his boots and socks. He put everything next to his leather jacket on the floor.The second Sloan's hands went to his pants, Octnavin stood before him. The alien pushed Sloan's fingers away and began to unbutton his jeans and send the zipper south."Do we have to be quiet? Will everyone hear us?" Sloan asked as his pants hit the floor. He stepped out of the jeans and kicked them aside. "I know I'm not a secret, but maybe you don't want everyone to know that you just fucked me in your office.""You do not have to be quiet." Octnavin traced his tattoo. "Not in here and not in my wing of the palace. Those rooms are soundproof. My Nebos takes care of it.""Good." Sloan dropped his boxer shorts. "I plan to make you
Chapter 70: The end of... Ruler and Slave.Sloan and Murry circled each other in the boxing ring in the palace's training center. "I'm getting better." Murry danced backward. "I swear it.""Stop talking and show me." For how long they had been training together, Sloan hoped that Murry was getting better. Every day for months, they worked on his fighting technique, and still, Sloan was kicking the kid's ass.Murry threw the first punch. Sloan easily dodged. He danced around Murry and spotted Octnavin entering the training area on the far end. Behind the ruler followed Rhylent, JP, and one of his advisors, Neilattellemen. Murry caught their entrance as they walked up to Keltix, Daris, and Petey. Sloan did a smooth gutshot, and Murry bent over, swearing. "Pay attention. You're watching them and not me."Murry muttered a nasty word in the Dagerstanteen's language. He threw another punch and missed Sloan again. "I thought you said you were getting better?" Sloan asked as he did some fanc
Chapter 71: One cage is the same as the rest.Place: Alien Slave Market, Somewhere in the Universe."Chasm?" Norwell whispered his name from the small osmium enclosure next to him. "I've got an idea."Chasm ignored his friend as his eyes wandered around the swarm of aliens buying and selling in the slave market. The last idea Norwell had didn't go so well for him. Chasm's legs had been cut off under the knees, and after that, he'd been fitted with the weights that forced him to move slower than a drugged actnabar. Not to mention the horrible agony he lived with every day."Chasm?" Norwell hissed, trying to get his attention. Maybe today Chasm wasn't interested in Norwell's next big getaway plan. Perhaps today, he would just sit here and accept his fate.In his steel pen, Chasm cast his eyes away from his female friend hunched in a ball. Instead of talking to her, he tilted his neck back and forth, working to relieve the ache. At the moment, Chasm wasn't restrained. It was a first that
Chapter 72: Another day, another master."I was told that you have the fuel I need." Rhylent motioned to the younger Dagerstanteen next to him. "Peltratria?"The alien named Peltratria had brown tube hair, and from the mass of brown curls, he pulled out a small radiant ball. The tiny orb had only a few drops of orange liquid rolling around at the bottom. The tiny amount of fuel glowed with a swift pulse. The less muscled alien showed his power source to Varnas before sliding the sphere back into his thick hair. "Do you have what I want?" Rhylent asked as his thick black eyelashes dropped lower over his stormy blue eyes. "Yes." Varnas rubbed his little hands together. Chasm could see him doing math in his head."How much?" Rhylent looked like the kind of alien that would not be fooled by someone like Varnas. His strength and beauty had Chasm temporarily captivated. Of all the aliens he'd seen in his life, there was something mighty and elegant about this Dagerstanteen."You look like