Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

When Valen awoke, Logan was sleeping next to him, his expression peaceful. Valen reached out and traced Logan's features gently. He'd enjoyed seeing Logan so blissed out, but the sight of his mate asleep in his arms filled Valen with an equally strong emotion. One that only mates could feel for one another.

He wished this moment could last forever.

His tentacles had wrapped protectively around Logan during the night, responding to his unconscious desire to keep his mate close and safe.

Logan wasn't who he had expected to be bound to, but he wasn't disappointed by this outcome, even if he did feel slightly guilty for eschewing his duty to his people. He'd been sent into space to form an alliance with the Crystalline Empire.

He was helping no one by sleeping with a human from an underdeveloped civilization.

No one aside from himself.

Logan stirred slightly, and a certain tenderness for the human welled up inside Valen. No, he could not regret how this journey had turned out.

Logan's eyes fluttered open, still heavy with sleep. He blinked a few times, focusing on Valen's face. A small smile tugged at his lips, and Valen felt the warmth of that expression echo through their bond.

"Morning," Logan murmured, his voice rough with sleep. He didn't pull away from Valen's tentacles, which felt like another small victory.

"Good morning, mate," Valen replied softly, letting one tentacle stroke Logan's cheek. The human leaned into the touch. He hadn't put his guard back up after their recent coupling. Valen hoped he never would.

"I should make breakfast," Logan said, though he made no move to get up.

"I could help," Valen offered, though the memory of the meal he allegedly ruined still made him wince.

Logan seemed over it, however. He chuckled. "As long as you promise not to touch the microwave."

"I promise." Valen loosened his hold, allowing Logan to sit up. He watched as his mate pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, admiring the fluid way humans moved on just two legs.

In the kitchen, Logan handled the cooking while Valen used his tentacles to set the table and pour drinks. The smell of coffee and eggs filled the cabin, and Valen found himself appreciating this simple Earth custom. Humanity might be primitive still, but there was something pleasant about Logan's quiet way of life.

Valen could get used to this.

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?"

The alien sounded enthusiastic. "Yes, please teach me."

Setting down his coffee, Logan pulled on his winter boots and coat. He hadn't planned on playing in the snow today, but sharing these simple Earth pleasures with Valen had become one of his favorite things.

"You don't need winter gear, do you?" Logan asked, looking at Valen.

"No. My body regulates temperature differently than yours. Even in this form I should be good for a while."

"If you're sure." Logan opened the door, and the crisp winter air rushed in as Logan stepped onto the porch, his boots crunching in the fresh powder. "First, we need to make three snowballs of different sizes. The biggest one forms the base." He demonstrated by scooping up a handful of snow and starting to pack it together.

Valen watched intently, then used his tentacles to gather snow. The perfectly spherical ball he created made Logan laugh.

"It doesn't need to be so... precise," Logan said. "Part of the charm is that it's a bit rough around the edges."

"Ah." Valen's topaz eyes sparkled. "Like humans."

Logan threw a handful of loose snow at him which passed right by Valen's head. "Very funny. Come on, help me roll this one bigger."

Valen took over the task eagerly, using his tentacles to push and roll the ball. The snow stuck perfectly, and soon they had a base that came up to Logan's waist.

"Now the middle section," Logan instructed, already starting the second ball. "This one needs to be smaller, but not too small."

He stopped as Valen's tentacles wrapped around his waist, pulling him back slightly. The unexpected touch sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.

"Your body temperature is dropping," Valen said, concern evident in his voice. "Perhaps we should continue this another time?"

"I'm fine," Logan assured him, placing his gloved hands over Valen's tentacles. "This is the most fun I've had in the snow in... well, in a long time."

Valen's tentacles squeezed gently before releasing him. "Then let's continue. Though I insist on providing warmth when needed."

They worked on the middle section together, Logan guiding while Valen's tentacles did most of the heavy lifting. The alien's precision made for an almost perfectly round snowball, though Logan noticed him deliberately adding a few imperfections, clearly trying to capture that human charm he'd mentioned.

"Now we lift this onto the base," Logan said, but before he could even think about how to do it, Valen's tentacles had already hoisted the section and placed it perfectly centered on top.

The head came together quickly, and soon they had three white spheres stacked in descending size. Logan gathered some stones from near the porch steps where the snow hadn't completely covered them.

"These are for the face," he explained, pressing them into the top sphere to form eyes and a smile. "Traditionally, we'd use a carrot for the nose, but I think we can improvise."

Valen's tentacles reached out, adjusting one of the stones slightly. "Why do humans make these temporary sculptures? They will melt."

Logan paused, considering. "I guess that's part of what makes them special. They're just for now, just for fun. Just because it's temporary doesn't mean it's not meaningful." He broke a few twigs from a nearby branch. "Here, help me give him arms."

As they worked on positioning the branches, Logan felt Valen's tentacles wrap around him again, this time radiating a gentle warmth that seeped through his coat. He leaned back into the touch, watching as their snowman took final shape.

"It's missing something," Valen observed.

"A hat," Logan agreed. "Wait here."

He hurried inside and returned with an old knit cap he'd found in the back of the closet. The dark blue wool was slightly faded, but it would do. He reached up and placed it on top of the snowman.

"Thank you," he said to Valen as they admired their work, "for doing this with me."

"I enjoy learning your customs," Valen replied. "Though I must admit, I'm more fascinated by the way they make you smile than the customs themselves."

Logan turned to face him, snow crunching under his boots. Valen's expression was so open, so full of genuine affection, that for a moment Logan forgot about everything else, like the strangeness of their situation… or their uncertain future. He reached up to touch Valen's face, not caring that his gloves were still covered in snow.

That was when the first shadow passed overhead.

At first, Logan thought it was just clouds returning, but Valen's reaction told him otherwise. His mate's tentacles went rigid.

"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 on her 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.