Page 63 of Alien's Luck
“And why would they help us?”
“Because you have something they want.”
“A tiara? Maybe another death mask?”
“Me.”
Carla went still, the color draining from her face. When she finally spoke, she said, “No.”
“Carla—”
“No.” She pointed an accusatory finger at her. “You said they’d keep you frozen as a statue for a century or more. No.”
“It is the only way.”
“It absolutely fucking is not,” she said, jabbing him in the chest with that finger. “We’ll get a second opinion. Find a fancier medical thingy. We’ve tried nothing and you want to hand yourself in. We did not just get one over on a bona fide supervillain for you to immediately throw your hands in the air and go, oh well, can’t be bothered to find a fungal specialist, better turn myself in.”
He wrapped his hand around her finger. “You are a fighter. You will be fine.”
“Damn right, I’m a survivor. Stick with the humans. We’re adaptable as fuck.”
Pleased that her spark was back, he pulled her in for a kiss. He poured all the unspoken longing and devotion into that kiss, the lifetime that he would have spent with her. His hondassa, the mate of his heart.
“You will do what is best for yourself,” he said as he pulled away.
She frowned now. “For us.”
“I will stand guard over your Poppy until you no longer need me.”
“I’m always going to need you.”
He wished that were true. She was the most capable person he knew.
With a rueful smile, he positioned himself to the side of the medical platform, far enough away to allow access. The shift was slower than normal. He felt his flesh resist the transition. What had been as easy as breathing was now a struggle due to the venom.
“Don’t do this,” Carla whispered, tears in her eyes. “I can’t be helpless when it comes to the two people I…”
His heart leaped into his throat. Did she care for him as he cared for her?
“The two people I care about most in the world,” she finished.
Not the words he craved, but they would carry him through his Stone Sleep. She would not be there in a century when he woke, but her words would warm his heart. “You are not helpless. You know what you must do.”
“This isn’t goodbye,” she said, tears now flowing.
“Know that I love you, Carla,” he said with this last breath as he slipped into Stone Sleep.
CARLA
A moral dilemma.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“You dick,” she said, her forehead pressed against his, tears rolling down her cheeks. The stone was cool to the touch. He didn’t feel alive. He felt… frozen.
She pressed a kiss to his stony lips and stepped back, wiping at her tears. “I’m so mad at you right now.”
Everything happened so quickly over the last week, she hadn’t had time to really process her emotions. Ari dropping the L-bomb on her didn’t help. She liked Ari, sure. She wanted to spend more time with him, absolutely. Love?
