Page 13 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

"Show me?" Valen extended a tentacle in offering.

Logan stared at it for a long moment before accepting the contact. He thought of Jeff, of their first Christmas together, decorating the tree, the way Jeff's eyes lit up when he laughed. The accident. The empty house afterward. The grief that still felt raw even years later.

Valen withdrew his tentacle slowly. "You still love him."

"Yeah." Logan's voice cracked. "I do."

"And this prevents new pleasure?" Valen's tone held genuine confusion. "New... connections?"

"It shouldn't." Logan slumped onto the couch. "But every time I feel something for someone else, it feels like... like I'm betraying him."

"Even though your body craves touch?" Valen asked. "Even though you ache with loneliness?

"That's not fair," Logan whispered. "You have no right to dig through my mind."

Valen tilted his head as if he did not understand this protest. "You are my mate. Of course I know your mind."

"I never asked to be your mate."

Valen recoiled.

A gust of wind rattled the cabin windows, drawing both their attention. The snow had picked up considerably, creating a white wall beyond the glass. The forecast hadn't mentioned a storm, but mountain weather was unpredictable at best.

"We're going to be stuck here for a bit," Logan said. "So let's lay down some ground rules. First," Logan held up a finger, "no more reading my thoughts without permission. My mind isn't yours to explore whenever you want."

Valen's tentacles coiled in what might have been discomfort. "But we are bonded. Sharing thoughts is... natural."

"Not for humans." Logan's voice was firm. "We keep our thoughts private. It's important to us."

"Your rule goes against the very nature of bonding."

"Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you bonded with someone from a different species without their permission."

The words hung heavy in the air between them. Valen's light dimmed considerably, his tentacles drooping. "I..." Valen shook his head. "I did not intend... The mating heat..."

Logan's anger softened slightly at the genuine distress in Valen's voice. "Look, I get that you weren't exactly thinking clearly. But now we have to deal with the consequences. And that means respecting each other's boundaries."

"How..." Valen seemed to struggle with the words. "How will I know what you need if I cannot feel it?"

"You could try asking."

Valen absorbed this for a moment. "May I... share something? Through our bond?"

Logan hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."

A tentacle reached out, touching his arm gently. Through their connection, Logan felt a complex mix of emotions: remorse, confusion, fear of isolation. He saw glimpses of Nexanculture, where the sharing of thoughts and emotions was as natural as breathing.

"Oh," Logan said softly as Valen withdrew. "It's really that important to you, isn't it?"

"Yes." Valen's voice was quiet. "But I will... try. To respect your human ways."

The wind howled outside, rattling the windows again. Logan looked at the alien prince hovering in his living room, trying to bridge a gap between their species that seemed impossibly wide.

"Maybe," Logan said carefully, "we can find a middle ground. You can ask before sharing thoughts or touching. And I'll... I'll try to be less offended by it."

Valen's skin brightened slightly. "This is... acceptable."

"Okay. Second rule. You don't try to seduce me anymore. We're not going to have sex again."

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