Page 26 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

When they finally sat down to eat, though, Logan seemed lost in thought, pushing his eggs around the plate, and Valen could sense something weighing on his mind.

"Can I ask you something?" Logan said at last, setting down his fork.

"Anything," Valen replied.

Logan fixed his gaze on Valen. "What happens when your family comes for you?"

Honestly? Valen wasn't sure. His parents would not be pleased by the turn events had taken, but there would be little they could do. "They will have to understand that I've chosen you."

Logan searched Valen's face, not entirely convinced. "You mentioned before... about them maybe knowing a way to break the bond."

"I only said that because I thought it was what you wanted," Valen admitted. "When they arrive, they'll see it's too late for me to bond with anyone else. The connection between us is too strong now."

Logan's brow furrowed. "So what will you do? Stay on Earth? Take me into space?"

Valen reached across the table with one tentacle, gently brushing Logan's wrist. "I will do whatever my mate desires. That is my nature."

The words were meant to be reassuring, but he felt a flicker of uncertainty from Logan. His mate raised his cup of coffee to his lips, sipping slowly as if buying time to process this.

"Would you like me to take you into space?" Valen asked softly.

"I don't know," Logan said. "What is it like? Your homeworld."

Valen thought for a moment. "It's... beautiful, but very different from Earth. The atmosphere is thicker, giving everything a purple hue. Our cities float in the air, held up by crystal formations that channel energy."

He paused, watching Logan's reaction. His mate's eyes had widened slightly, clearly trying to picture it.

"The buildings are alive," Valen continued, "growing and changing with the needs of the population. And at night, the three moons cast rainbow shadows through the crystal spires."

"It sounds incredible," Logan said, but Valen could sense his underlying concern. "Would I even be able to breathe there?"

"There are ways to adapt visitors," Valen assured him. "But..." He hesitated, not wanting to pressure Logan. "That's assuming you'd want to see it. We could stay here, on Earth. I find I'm growing quite fond of your forests and snow."

The corners of Logan's mouth twitched upward, but his expression remained thoughtful. "You'd really give up your floating cities to live in my cabin?"

"I would," Valen said, and meant it. One of his tentacles curled around Logan's free hand. "My home is wherever you are now."

Logan seemed to feel both warmth and guilt at that sentiment. "But you're a prince," he said. "Don't you have responsibilities?"

The question made Valen's tentacles twitch. Yes, he had responsibilities—ones he liked to avoid thinking about. For years, he'd known exactly who he was promised to.

But looking at Logan now, looking into those bright green eyes, Valen couldn't imagine bonding with anyone else.

"My only responsibility now is to you," he said firmly. "The rest will sort itself out."

Logan didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't pull his hand away either.

Outside, snow had begun to fall again, adding to the sense of isolation that had become less a burden and more a blessing. Here, in this moment, no one and nothing would disturb them.

If only it could always be so.

The snow had finally stopped falling, leaving the world outside pristine and untouched. Logan stood at the window, the mug with his second coffee warming his hands, while Valen's tentacles curled loosely around his waist. They'd been cleaning up after breakfast when the clouds had parted, revealing a beautiful day, with the sun high in the sky in spite of the cold.

"Have you ever built a snowman?" Logan asked, surprising himself with the question. He couldn't remember the last time he'd built one himself. Probably that winter with Jeff, before... He pushed the thought away.

Valen's tentacles tightened slightly in response to Logan's emotional shift. "A man made of snow? Is this another Earth tradition?"

Logan found himself smiling at his mate's earnest curiosity. "Something like that. Want to learn?"

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