Page 50 of Grumpy Alien Billionaire

"Stay back," I snap, my golden eyes never leaving Bob. "This is between me and him."

I launch myself at Bob, my claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. The first clone goes down in a spray of green blood, his body crumpling to the floor. Another steps forward, and I tear through him too, my claws ripping through scales and flesh with savage fury.

"Come on, Lanz," Bob taunts, his voice echoing through the room. "You’re going to have to do better than that."

I don’t respond. I don’t have the breath to waste on words. My claws are a blur, slicing through clone after clone, their bodies falling to the floor in a grotesque heap. Blood splatters across my scales, the metallic tang filling my nostrils. My muscles burn, my lungs heaving with the effort, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop.

"Lanz!" Tyler’s voice cuts through the chaos, but I don’t look back. I can’t. If I do, I’ll lose focus, and that’s exactly what Bob wants.

The clones keep coming, their milky white eyes fixed on me, their smirks identical. I tear through them, my claws ripping through flesh and bone, my body moving on instinct. The pile of dead Bobs grows higher, the floor slick with blood, but still they come.

My arms ache, my legs trembling with exhaustion, but I don’t stop. I can’t. I’ll tear through every last one of them if I have to. I’ll rip Bob apart with my bare hands if it’s the last thing I do.

At last, the room falls silent. The last clone collapses to the floor, his body twitching once before going still. I stand knee-deep in the dead, my chest heaving, my scales slick with blood. My claws drip with green ichor, my body trembling with exhaustion, but I’m still standing.

"Lanz," Tyler whispers, her voice barely audible over the sound of my ragged breathing.

I turn to her, my golden eyes meeting hers. "It’s over," I say, my voice hoarse. "For now."

But even as the words leave my mouth, I know it’s not true. This is far from over. And as long as Bob’s still out there, Tyler’s not safe. Neither is anyone else.

“Krel, take a team and secure the perimeter. The rest of you, with me. We need to find the prisoners.” I can still smell Grolgath, faint but acrid, clinging to the air. Not Bob’s clones. Something…different. Older.

We move deeper into the cannery, the silence broken only by the rhythmic thud of our boots against the concrete floor. The air grows heavy, thick with a metallic tang that makes my scales prickle. The stench of blood is stronger here, mingled with something else… something sickly sweet.

We find them in a vast, underground chamber. Humans, dozens of them, strapped to metal tables, their eyes vacant, their bodies pale and emaciated. Tubes snake from their arms, connected to humming machinery that lines the walls. The air shimmers with a faint, green haze, the source of that sickeningly sweet smell. Cloning vats, row upon row of them, filled with a viscous, green fluid.

“By the Precursors…” Krel whispers, his voice hushed with horror.

I clench my fists, my claws digging into my palms. This is worse than I imagined. Far worse. “Get them out of here,” I bark, my voice tight with barely suppressed rage. “Now.”

The warriors move quickly, their faces grim as they work to free the prisoners. I scan the room, my golden eyes searching for any sign of Gordo.

“Lanz!” a weak voice calls out.

I spin around, my heart leaping into my throat. Gordo, slumped against a far wall, his fur matted with blood, hisbreathing shallow. Relief washes over me, so potent it almost buckles my knees.

“Gordo!” I rush to his side, kneeling beside him. “Are you alright?”

He coughs, a weak, rattling sound. “Peachy,” he rasps, his voice strained. “Just a little…lightheaded.”

I help him to his feet, my arm supporting his weight. “We’ll get you out of here,” I promise, my voice thick with emotion. He’s alive. He’s alive.

Later, after the prisoners are safe and the cloning technology secured, I find Tyler standing on the loading dock, watching as the last of the equipment is loaded onto a Veritas transport. The rising sun paints the sky in shades of pink and orange, casting a warm glow over her face.

I walk toward her, my heart pounding in my chest. “It’s over,” I say, my voice still rough with exhaustion. “You did it.”

She turns to me, her blue eyes shining with a mixture of relief and something else…something that makes my scales tingle. “We did it,” she corrects, her voice soft.

I reach out, gently cupping her face in my hand. “No,” I say. “You did it. The future, the present… they both owe you a debt. Anything you want, Tyler. If it’s in my power, it’s yours.”

She looks at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. Then, a slow smile spreads across her face, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Okay,” she says, her voice playful. “I want you to keep me as your special pampered pet, forever.”

I laugh, the sound echoing through the morning air. I pull her close, my lips finding hers in a kiss that’s both tender and fierce. “Forever,” I whisper against her mouth.

“I love you, Lanz,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible.

“I love you too,jalshagar,” I reply, my voice thick with emotion. Now and forever.

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