Page 28 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

"No," Valen whispered. "Not now."

Logan followed his gaze upward. Through the bare branches of the trees, he could make out two shapes moving across the sky: sleek, crystalline pods similar to Valen's but larger.

"Your family?" Logan asked, though he already knew the answer. His heart began to race, and he felt Valen's grip on him tighten protectively.

"Yes." Valen's voice was strained. "My parents. They're earlier than I expected."

The pods touched down in perfect unison, sending up a spray of snow, their crystalline hulls humming with energy. As the panels slid open, what emerged wasn't the tentacled form Logan had grown accustomed to with Valen. Instead, two swirling masses of pure energy—one a deep royal purple, the other an intense azure—floated from the pods.

Their snowman stood witness, its stone smile suddenly seeming mockingly cheerful as the peaceful winter morning dissolved into chaos. One of Valen's tentacles brushed against Logan's cheek, turning his face away from the sight and toward him instead.

"Whatever happens," Valen said, "remember that I choose you."

The energy beings circled around Valen, their lights pulsing in what Logan assumed was some form of communication. Valen himself let his physical form fall away and for a few seconds, they all seemed to merge into one bright, multicolored light.

Logan could only assume that this was their way of communicating.

Then, after another minute, the energy beings began to coalesce and transform. Unlike Valen's choice of tentacled form, the King and Queen of Nexa took on human appearances. Before Logan stood a distinguished older man with silver-streaked hair and a tall, elegant woman with features that somehow managed to look both beautiful and severe.

The King stepped forward first, his newly formed mouth turning down in displeasure as he regarded Logan. When he spoke, his voice carried the same alien quality as Valen's, but it seemed he had already learned English.

"So," he said, "this is what has become of our son's diplomatic mission."

The Queen's gaze swept over Logan, her expression unreadable. Unlike her husband, she hadn't spoken yet, but her presence felt no less intimidating.

Valen's tentacles wrapped around Logan as if wanting to protect him. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion inside," he said. "The cold affects humans differently than us."

The King's human features arranged themselves into a scowl. "You concern yourself with this primitive creature's comfort?"

"I concern myself with my mate's comfort," Valen replied, his tone firm but respectful. "As any proper Nexan would."

Something flickered across the Queen's face at that. Recognition, perhaps, or approval. She placed a delicate hand onher husband's arm. "The boy speaks wisely. We should observe their customs if we are to understand this... situation."

Logan felt a surge of gratitude through his bond with Valen. His alien prince's tentacles guided him toward the cabin, maintaining their protective embrace. The King and Queen followed, their movements unnaturally smooth, as if they were still more energy than matter.

"Please," Logan managed to say as they entered the cabin, gesturing to the couch and chairs. He wasn't prepared to host alien royalty. "Make yourselves comfortable."

The King and Queen exchanged a look before settling onto the couch with perfect posture. Their human forms seemed to shimmer slightly, glowing with the same light that Logan saw shine through under Valen's skin as well.

Valen, meanwhile, positioned himself between Logan and his parents. Logan sensed his determination, but also his anxiety. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

CHAPTER 9

The silence stretched uncomfortablyuntil the Queen spoke, her voice more melodious than the King's. "Valen, you understand why we're here."

"I do, Mother." Valen's tentacles tightened around Logan. "And I'm glad you came for me, but circumstances have changed."

"Changed?" The King's human features twisted into something between disappointment and anger. "You had an unfortunate accident. That doesn't change anything. The alliance with Prince Seren's family has been in preparation for three cycles. Their child was meant to be your mate."

The Queen tried a more understanding tactic. "No one can blame you for what happened, son. The heat inducers in your system would have overwhelmed anyone's reasoning. That’s their purpose."

Logan felt Valen tense against him. "Heat inducers?"

"A standard procedure," the King said dismissively. "Back in the old days, people let nature decide who to mate. These days we have the science to manufacture a mating bond. We use it to ensure compatibility between diplomatic matches."

Logan blinked. What did that mean?

The Queen looked at him. "Did Valen not tell you? He was injected before he was put into stasis for the journey. He was always meant to bond with the first person he saw upon waking up. That simply wasn't supposed to be you."

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