Page 1 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

CHAPTER 1

Snow crunchedunder Logan's boots as he trudged through the darkened forest. His breath formed clouds in the frigid December air. The cabin's warm lights beckoned through the trees, but he wasn't ready to head back. Not yet. Out here, surrounded by old pines and pristine snow drifts, he could almost forget himself.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Another text from his sister. He didn't need to look to know what it said. The same concerned messages had flooded in since he'd announced his plans for a solitary Christmas.

He was fine, though. Completely fine.

Except, of course, that he wasn't.

Five years had passed since Jeff's accident, yet December still felt like an open wound. The cheerful decorations, the carols, the well-meaning invitations to family gatherings… it all scraped against raw edges he couldn't seem to heal.

A flash of light caught his attention. Logan tilted his head back, watching a bright streak arc across the star-filled sky. A shooting star. He hadn't made a wish since... since before. But something about the silence and the solitude loosened the tight band around his chest.

"I wish..." His voice cracked. "I wish it would stop hurting."

The light grew larger, brighter. Logan's eyes widened as he realized it wasn't fading like a normal shooting star. Instead, it seemed to be heading directly toward the forest. The streak turned into a fireball, casting an eerie blue glow across the snow. A high-pitched whine filled the air, making his teeth ache.

"What the hell?"

The object crashed through the treetops with a thunderous crack, sending a shower of broken branches and snow in all directions. Logan stumbled backward as the ground shook. The impact echoed through the valley, followed by an unnatural silence.

Where there should have been a smoking crater, a metallic shape gleamed in the moonlight.

What was that?

Logan went to investigate.

His pulse raced as he approached the object. It wasn't a meteor or an asteroid. No, it was definitely too smooth for that. It looked more like an egg or a teardrop, with a shiny, chrome exterior. It was about the size of a sedan and nestled between two trees, half buried in the snow.

He reached out a gloved hand and touched it. Cold, but not freezing. The metal vibrated softly, like a purring cat. Logan frowned. What was this thing?

He circled the object. There didn't seem to be any way to open it. Maybe it was some kind of experimental aircraft? But who would test something like that in the middle of the forest? And where was the pilot?

He stepped back, trying to get a better look at the strange thing.

Still, he had no clue what it could be.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped several photos, but the flash only created a blinding reflection off the smooth surface.

"Damn." He tried again without flash, but the darkness made the photos too grainy to make out any details.

Fuck this.

His toes had gone numb inside his boots, and he needed better light for this.

He tucked his phone away and took one last walk around the object. Still no seams, no markings, nothing to indicate its origin or purpose. Just smooth, perfect metal nestled in disturbed snow.

Nothing he could do about it for now. He'd return when the sun was up and get a better look. Maybe by then his mind would make sense of what he'd witnessed.

Logan marked the location on his phone and started the trek back, leaving deep footprints in the snow. The object's soft humming faded behind him, replaced by the familiar sounds of the winter forest at night.

Valen's consciousness stirred, awareness spreading through his nebulous form like ripples in water. His being, a swirling mass of azure energy, pulsed with growing urgency. The pod had stopped moving. His mate was near. He needed to find him. It was all he could focus on.

Heat. Need. Mate.

With a soft hiss, the pod's seal broke. Cool air rushed in, carrying unfamiliar scents and, more importantly, the sense of someone nearby. His formless body rippled with anticipation.

He emerged from the pod, his energy coalescing and shifting as he moved, trying to find the right shape. The world outside was white and cold, so different from anything he'd known before. But none of that mattered. Where was his mate?

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