Page 74 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
When they’re done, Cosmo snuggles contentedly in my arms and makes a happy sighing noise.
That produces a resounding “Awww!” from Khephren and Luna.
“Can you believe some asshole abandoned this sweet angel on that space station?” I say, unable to keep the lingering outrage I feel from my voice.
Khephren frowns. “It’s a common problem, unfortunately.”
I scowl. “I guess there are plenty of heartless folks among other species as well. Humans don’t own the market for that.”
Luna shakes her head. “It’s a terrible thing. Happens a lot at different space stations and most of them aren’t well equipped to deal with rehoming the poor animals.”
I rub Cosmo’s big ears. “Don’t worry, boy. You’re safe now.”
Sasha arches an eyebrow, studying me and then Najar. “How exactly did you two end up with this little fluffball?”
I enthusiastically launch into the tale, and when I get to the climax, I can’t help but beam at Najar. “Like a knight in shining armor, he swooped in and offered to adopt Cosmo. Isn’t he just the absolute best?”
Luna’s eyes go wide in disbelief as she stares at her friend. “Shut the ship door.Youadopted Cosmo?”
Two of Khephren’s tentacles clasp together in front of him in a weird prayer-type pose. “I’m so proud of you, Najar! Look at how you’ve grown. I feel like I’m witnessing a true miracle right now.”
The big, sexy, golden alien I’ve fallen hard for looks distinctly uncomfortable under all the attention. Underneath it all, he’s a big softy but doesn’t like for others to know. Even I almost missed it at the start.
I selfishly want to keep this side of him—well, and just him really—all to myself.
By adopting sweet little Cosmo, Najar won the final piece of my heart—and my eternal gratitude.
But the thought of leaving Najar and Cosmo behind all too soon makes my heart ache so much it’s hard to breathe. I clutch the sweet little foxhound to my chest, my entire being rebelling against the idea of abandoning him yet again.
I don’t want to leave Najar behind, either.
The very notion feels wrong.
It’s almost like all of this—me ending up getting abducted and traveling with the crew of the Sleigh Belle—was meant to happen. And I fear that letting it all go could be the biggest mistake of my life.
But I don’t know how to reconcile my growing desire to stay with my lifelong need to be there for my sister.
Could we somehow make a long-distance sibling relationship work—especially when it might take me days to be able to travel back if she has an emergency?
That doesn’t seem realistic.
I rack my brain, trying to come up with a plan that could work, but all I end up with is a headache.
Once we reach our cruising speed, I give Cosmo some time to explore the ship, but he sticks close to my side and remains my shadow the entire time.
Jonesy and a couple of her kittens come out at one point to investigate, but they seem disinterested and rather unimpressed with the foxhound—pretty standard for cats in my experience. Cosmo also doesn’t show much interest in them and instead continues to stick to me like glue.
Again, my heart aches. The little foxhound is becoming attached to me.
Stray animals often develop strong, and sometimes fast, bonds with the people who rescue them. Cosmo is already showing clear signs of that. While I am confident that Najarwill take excellent care of him when I’m gone, I find myself not wanting to hurt the precious little guy. I don’t know what to do.
Throughout our communal evening meal together, I wrestle with the conflicting desires weighing on me only to find no clearer solutions than when I began.
After eating, we all head off to do our own thing. As if in silent agreement, Najar and I head to his room, and Cosmo trots along at my heels, a goofy grin on his furry blue face.
When we get back to the room, I look up and realize I’m not the only one with something on his mind.
Paying closer attention, I can tell that Najar is an odd mixture of serious and nervous, the latter of which brings me up short. It’s not something I’ve witnessed with him before, but the way his tentacles are coiling and uncoiling tells me something’s wrong—especially since his tend to be far more controlled than Luna’s or Khephren’s.
