Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Snow crunched under 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?

"Where are you?" he called out inside his mind. "I'm here. I've come for you."

This was not how it was supposed to go. His mate was supposed to be right there at his destination so he wouldn't have to bear this desperation for long.

Something had gone wrong.

Valen was smart enough to realize that much.

But the urge to mate clouded his mind and made it impossible to figure out exactly what had gone wrong.

He spotted something that looked like a habitat, bright and inviting. Was this where his mate was?

It had to be.

Logan's cabin was warm, a stark contrast to the frozen landscape outside. He shuffled into the kitchen, movements mechanical as he filled the copper kettle and set it on the stove. His fingers, still cold from the forest expedition, fumbled with the tea canister.

The strange metallic object from the woods lingered in his mind.

What the hell could it be?

Steam began to rise from the kettle. Logan grabbed a mug, but just as he was about to pour the hot water, a movement outside the kitchen window caught his eye. Something bright was moving toward the cabin.

Logan froze.

The kettle whistled, shrill and sudden. He grabbed it reflexively, turning down the heat. Through the window, the odd shape of light was getting closer.

What was that?

Logan set down the kettle and went toward the door. Should he grab his firearm? No, this might just be kids playing a prank on him.

He looked out the window once more, but couldn't see the thing anymore. Still, he had to investigate. He had to know what that was.

And when he opened the door, he came face to face with it.

Logan had no words to describe what he saw; it seemed as if the northern lights themselves had descended from the heavens and coalesced into a ball of swirling energy to greet him at the door.

Then something extraordinary happened; the mysterious thing began to change, taking on a more definite shape. A torso emerged, followed by a head with striking topaz eyes. Where arms and legs should be, six primary tentacles formed instead, four on the bottom and two on his torso, blue with pink suckers. Smaller tentacles emerged from its shoulders and back.

Logan's breath caught in his throat. His body tensed, caught between the instinct to flee and stunned awe.

Holy shit. There was an actual tentacle monster on his doorstep.

Maybe this was it. Maybe he'd finally cracked.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up in his throat as an odd realization struck him. This thing, whatever it was, looked exactly like the monster he'd read about in an erotic story three weeks ago. And what that monster had done with those tentacles…

Nope. Not thinking about that right now.

"I..." His voice failed him. The being's skin glowed bright, its tentacles reaching out to him.

Logan should run. He should definitely run. But he found himself rooted to the spot.

The first touch against his cheek wasn't gentle. It was hungry, searching, urgent . The moment the tentacle made contact, Logan's mind flooded with foreign sensations as if he could feel exactly what the alien felt: Need. Want. Mine. Mate. The intensity of it made his knees weak.

This was a monster, and by all rights, Logan should be scared shitless.

Instead, he was overwhelmed.

There was so much longing in that touch it was difficult to process anything else.

And his body responded to those alien desires as if they were his own.

More tentacles reached for him. Each new point of contact intensifying the rush of need that suddenly suffused Logan. Mate. Found you. Need you. The being's thoughts weren't words exactly, but raw, unfiltered emotions that bypassed all rational thought.

The creature moved closer. Its topaz eyes had darkened, pupils dilated to black pools as his appendages wrapped around Logan's waist, his arms, sending pulses of desperate yearning through his skin.

Logan swallowed an instinctive moan.

God, how long had it been since anyone had touched him with longing?

He must be losing it.

All those nights alone since Jeff's death, all that isolation, it had finally driven him insane, just like his sister had warned him it would.

Because there was no way this was real. He was hallucinating, and his hallucination was touching him, and God…

He was so fucking horny.

"Wait," Logan gasped, but his hands betrayed him, reaching out to touch the being's azure skin. The monster trilled in response, its tentacles tightening possessively. More waves of emotion flooded through the contact: Mine. Please. Want.

"This is crazy," Logan whispered, even as another tentacle slid up his back, drawing an involuntary shudder from him. "I've completely lost my mind."

The monster's response was immediate—a surge of possessive desire so strong it made Logan's knees buckle. Only the tentacles wrapped around him kept him upright, supporting him as the being drew him closer.

Fuck it, Logan decided. If this was madness, he didn’t want to be sane anymore.

He leaned into the being's embrace, letting his own hands explore those strange appendages. They were smooth and warm under his fingertips, almost silky to the touch. As he stroked them, the being made a sound like purring, low and pleased. The tip of the tentacle curled around Logan's wrist, urging his hand higher until it rested against the being's cheek. Logan ran his thumb over the monster's bottom lip, marveling at the softness.

A shiver went down his spine as more emotions poured through the monster's touch. Longing. Hunger. Desire.

Logan swallowed hard. This thing wanted him so badly. "What... who are you?"

The being tilted its head, studying him. Then the image of a word formed in his mind: Valen .

"Valen," Logan repeated. "You... you have a name?"

Another wave of emotion rolled over him—affirmation mixed with amusement. The tentacle around his waist tightened.

Logan laughed breathlessly. Of course the tentacle monster had a name. Why not? "Nice to meet you, then. I'm Logan."

The monster's - no, Valen's - mouth curved into a smile, revealing sharp fangs that sent an unexpected thrill of fear and arousal through Logan's gut.

He was definitely losing his mind.

It felt good, though. Valen's tentacles were still caressing him, sending sparks of pleasure across his skin. And when Valen bent to brush his lips over Logan's, Logan’s thoughts were too clouded with lust to do anything but respond. Valen's tongue was warm and sweet and insistent; it felt almost human as he explored Logan's mouth with increasing fervor.

Logan moaned against the monster's lips as his cock began to strain against his jeans. Fuck. He hadn't been this turned on in years. He'd forgotten what desire felt like, the heat pooling in his belly, the needy pressure building inside him...

Yesss.

Was that Valen's thought or his?

Logan wasn't sure as he felt himself lifted off his feet. Tentacles wrapped around his legs and arms, holding him securely as Valen carried him deeper inside the cabin. His pulse raced in anticipation. What was happening? Was he going to be fucked like the men in the stories he read about?

As if in response to the thought, Valen purred again. Logan felt the vibration of it against his chest as he was lowered onto his own bed. He watched, breathless, as Valen crawled over him.

"Are you... are we going to...?" Logan asked.

Valen's tentacles slid under Logan's shirt, touching bare skin, and a flood of need, raw, intense and unmistakable gave Logan all the answers he needed.

Mine, mine, mine. Need to have, to claim.

Logan groaned as those feelings washed over him. He arched up into the touch, unable to stop himself as Valen's tentacles continued to explore his chest and proceeded to tear the fabric of his shirt apart.

"Hey!" Logan complained. "That was one of my?—"

His words were cut off by another hungry kiss. Valen's tongue invaded his mouth, tasting and exploring, while more tentacles found their way into Logan's pants.

When one of them brushed against his straining erection, Logan gasped, hips jerking instinctively. Above him, Valen rumbled with what felt like satisfaction at finding such a sensitive spot. He stroked Logan's cock again, harder this time, and Logan moaned into his mouth.

Fuck. This was really happening. He was about to be fucked by a tentacle monster.

And he was going to love it.

The rest of Logan's clothes met the same fate as his shirt until he was naked and writhing underneath Valen's touch. The cool air did nothing to quell his arousal; if anything, it heightened everything. Every stroke of Valen's tentacles against his skin sent shivers of sharp lust racing through his body. His own or Valen's, he couldn't tell anymore.

One of Valen's appendages had wrapped around every one of his limbs, keeping him from moving while Valen explored his body, learning every sensitive spot with single-minded intensity. Two smaller tentacles had taken up positions on his nipples, suckers teasing them relentlessly. The sensation went straight to Logan's cock, which twitched and ached between their bodies.

Logan pulled at the tentacles that held his wrists. They didn’t give, didn’t allow him to touch himself, but this only made Logan ache all the more.

Another tentacle was exploring along the crease of his inner thigh, brushing dangerously close to his balls while a fourth explored his rim, pressing lightly against his hole in a way that made Logan squirm.

Through their touch-connection, he felt Valen's delight at his reactions. Yes. Entrance. Here. Claim.

"Wait," Logan gasped. As much as he wanted this, as much as he needed this…"Not... not dry."

The monster paused, tilting its head in puzzlement.

"We need... we need something to ease the way..." Logan explained, trying to ignore the screaming emptiness inside him, the way the tentacle against his rim made his whole body throb with need.

Suddenly, though, that tentacle became slick. Logan blinked. How had it done that? But Valen allowed him no room for thought, rubbing slow circles over Logan's entrance before pushing inside.

Logan cried out as the tip of Valen's appendage breached him, stretching him open inch by inch. It wasn't one of the bigger ones, but it was thick enough to make Logan moan and arch up off the bed—as much as Valen's hold on him allowed.

Logan's eyes closed as he rode that first wave of sensation, and the next thing he knew, something pressed against his lips. He opened his mouth without thinking, sucking at the tentacle. Thick fluid spilled across his tongue. It tasted sweet. Almost like honey. He swallowed instinctively, and immediately felt warmth flood his system. It radiated out from his belly, relaxing him while heightening every sensation. The feeling only intensified as the slick tentacle began thrusting slowly in and out of Logan's ass, suckers rubbing deliciously against his inner walls.

It was fucking perfect.

Logan's eyelids fluttered as he sucked harder on Valen's tentacle, swallowing more of his sweet fluid and relishing the feeling of being fucked open by another appendage. Valen purred in satisfaction, pumping his tentacle into Logan's mouth with a slow rhythm that mimicked the movement of the tentacle in his ass.

The combination of stimulation was almost too much. Logan writhed helplessly under Valen, his moans muffled by the appendage in his mouth. He could feel himself leaking precome against his stomach. Every nerve sang. Every thrust pushed him closer to the edge.

He wanted to say something, to ask Valen to stop or keep going, but all he could do was suck desperately at the tentacle between his lips and hope Valen knew what he needed.

Valen responded with a rush of reassurance. Yes. Soon. Mine.

The tentacle in Logan's ass withdrew suddenly and Logan groaned at its loss - until two larger appendages spread him wider, lining themselves up at his entrance.

Oh fuck . They were both thicker than the first one, and they were pressing into Logan together, stretching him wide. Logan's eyes rolled back in his head as he struggled against Valen's restraints, trying and failing to push himself onto the twin tentacles invading him. The pressure was incredible. The stretch bordered on pain, but the honeyed liquid still flowing into his mouth kept his muscles relaxed enough for Valen to continue opening him up.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the two appendages sank deeper until Logan felt their tapered tips nudge against his prostate.

He nearly screamed at the sensation, bucking his hips and clenching down hard around Valen's tentacles as they pressed into his most sensitive spots. His own cock jumped, leaking more precome into the hollow of his stomach. Logan was distantly aware that he was whimpering and moaning like some sort of wild animal, drooling around the tentacle in his mouth, but the sensations flooding through him were unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Valen's pleasure mingled with his, amplifying each touch until all he could do was ride the overwhelming sensations and let Valen take him apart.

He'd never been so perfectly owned in his life.

Valen's tentacles began to pulse, massaging his inner walls as they worked deeper inside him. Logan shuddered as he realized they were growing even thicker. He moaned helplessly, feeling his body stretch impossibly further. He was so fucking full. He couldn't think anymore. He could barely breathe.

More honeyed liquid dulled his pain until only pleasure remained, a deep pulsing need as those thick tentacles filled him again and again.

Logan's vision blurred. He was close, so close...

Another firm tentacle wrapped itself around his cock as Valen continued to fuck him. It stroked once from base to tip, and Logan lost it completely. His orgasm ripped through him like a storm, sending shockwaves of pleasure crashing through him. His body convulsed, clenching around Valen's tentacles, milking them as he rode out his release.

Valen shot his own sweet load deep inside, coating Logan's insides in hot fluid. Logan groaned as the tentacle monster's seed flooded his body, triggering another smaller wave of bliss. His limbs trembled uncontrollably. His mind reeled. Everything seemed fuzzy and distant except for the feeling of Valen claiming him, owning him utterly as they both shuddered together.

Mine, mate, yes, perfect.

Logan's eyes fluttered shut. Exhaustion swept over him in a warm tide, pulling him under until he slipped into unconsciousness surrounded by Valen's embrace.