FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The night passed by silently within the underground lair. Everyone slept peacefully and soundly. Everyone except Alexia, that is. She found it difficult to finally drift off to sleep, and when she did, she didn't sleep for very long. After several attempts to sleep for longer than an hour, she knew that dawn had finally broke and the morning was slowly creeping by. With a silent sigh, she slowly pulled herself out of bed, being careful not to disturb Steven, who was sleeping quite peacefully himself. She couldn't help but look at him while he slept and marvel over how cute he looked.

She got to her feet and began to pace about the bedroom for several minutes. Her mind sifted through so many thoughts as she walked back and forth through the room. So many that it was nearly impossible to focus on any single idea. She stopped herself for a moment, took a deep breath, and went to retrieve her wooden chest from the table.

It was so simple, she thought. All she had to do was essentially propose to him and give him one of the bracelets. Simple, it would seem, but there was some kind of barrier that made her choke and hesitate to finally pop the question.

Time was running out fast. Today is the last day he would be here. The last of his seven days of being her 'pet'. She sat softly onto the side of the bed as the memories from this past week flowed into her mind. What started out as her own version of a one-night stand and a fulfillment of a personal desire had grow into something more serious, more personal, more intimate.

The week had been full to the brim with so many pleasant feelings, amazing sex and some wonderfully kinky situations. Everything from having Steven to herself to sharing him with her siblings and her friend, Char. It was hard to think of her favorite moment since all of them were equally great. The third night was probably the kinkiest between her, Steven and Lynn. Though the threesome with her, Steven and Char was also pretty high on the list.

The reminiscing was starting to make her rather horny, feeling her nethers become quite wet. She giggled a little, looking back to the sleeping human. She had half a mind to just jump him right there and have her way with him yet again, but she couldn't bring herself to. He just looked so sweet and cute sleeping there. She smiled at him and gently laid herself back down on the bed. She wasn't very tired, but maybe if she just went back to relaxing a little bit, she could calm her mind.

Steven stirred a little, partially waking up. He was groggy, still mostly asleep and he unconsciously rolled over towards Alexia, planting his face onto her large breast. Alexia let out a small squeal which woke Steven up. It took a moment to realize where he had just buried his face before lifting up quickly.

"Oh!" he exclaimed sleepily, "Sorry about that."

Alexia just grinned, grabbed his head and pulled his face back into her chest, "If you wanted it that bad," she said while laughing "all you gotta do is ask."

They both chuckle a bit as Steven sits up on the bed next to her. Alexia's smile grew a bit wider as she noticed his morning wood tenting from under the blankets. Wasting no time, she reached and took hold of it, rubbing it softly.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who got up in the mood," she said.

"Hazards of being a guy, I guess," He replied, doing nothing to stop her incessant teasing.

"Guess I'm just gonna have to take care of that for you. But only if you help me with something first..."

Steven needed no further incentive. The two of them quickly embraced, Alexia pulling his head into her breast once again as he started to lick and suck at her stiffening nipple. His mouth worked one of her breasts while his free hand fondled the other, rubbing and lightly pinching at her nipple. Alexia writhed slowly on the bed, filling the bedroom with sensual moans. Her tail swayed back and forth sporadically for a minute before slipping itself under him and coiled up, lightly pulling him downward on the bed.

As her powerful tail slowly dragged him downward, Steven's hands explored every inch of her exposed scaly flesh, caressing and messaging as much as he could along with kissing her belly. Soon enough, his face was mere inches from her pussy. Already wet with her juices and lightly swollen in anticipation, Steven leaned in and gave her pouting nether lips and soft kiss as his hands moved to rub her quivering thighs.

Alexia ached her back lightly. She placed a claw on the back of his head and pulled him harder between her legs. Amidst her intense pleasure, she couldn't help but think back to the first time she got him in bed. She was more than impressed with his stamina, and his ability to eat a girl out was second to none.

Alexia wasn't the only one reminiscing. Steven was slightly lost in thought over the first time she had his face buried in her pussy. Her scent was pleasantly strong and her taste was incredible. It was so intoxicating and addicting at the same time. He could probably eat her out for hours on end if she ever allowed him.

Alexia was suddenly snapped out of her trip down memory lane when she felt Steven's finger begin to rub and prod at her tailhole. Her back arched even more, allowing him more access to her sensitive flesh. He worked her pussy with his tongue harder and continued to rub and press against her sensitive pucker. Alexia was suddenly struck with an idea. Something she was certain Steven would be more than happy to go along with.

She pulled him away with her tail, eliciting a small whimper of protest. She smiled and leaned forward, giving him a kiss and getting a nice strong taste of her own juices on his lips. She locked her eyes onto his and ran a claw down the side of his face to the tip of his chin.

"Feeling adventurous, sweety?" she teased. Steven thought for a moment of her meaning, which was given away as he glanced downward, seeing her idly rubbing her tailhole. He responded with only a smile.

Alexia wasted no time flipping onto all fours. She looked back at Steven with a very sultry smile, flapping her eyelashes at him as well as swaying her butt from side to side. She spread her legs out just a bit more and lifted her tail high, exposing her nearly drooling pussy and her semi slick tailhole. Steven caught himself staring at her amazing ass. He couldn't help but admire its perfect shape. He moved in closer, letting his hands rub and caress her rump and the underside of her lifted tail. He thought back to the night at the club, where he found himself giving Alexia's friend Char a rimjob. He never thought he'd ever find himself doing such a thing, let alone enjoying it. Yet here he was, face to face with Alexia's perfect rump, and he was more than eager to do it again.

Alexia let out a sharp gasping moan when Steven's tongue reached her pucker. Her hips continued to sway as she purred deeply. Steven was just as vigorous with her ass as he was with her pussy, and she was loving every moment of it. His tongue flicked across her sensitive hole, occasionally prodding lightly at it. His hands continued to rub and squeeze her ample butt, soon switching up to teasing her pussy with a single finger.

Alexia gripped at one of her pillows tightly, finding herself unconsciously biting into it. With his tongue in her ass and his fingers working her pussy, she was finding it hard to control her mounting pleasure. She could feel her peak quickly build, despite her best efforts to hold it at bay. She wanted this feeling to last as long as she could, but she knew she would climax soon. In response, her lifted tail lowed over the top of Steven's head, pulling his face deeper into her rump, and forcing him to work his tongue even deeper than before. His fingers worked harder and faster at her nether lips, making her breath heavy and fast.

With one final push, Steven reached his tongue as deep as he could into her tailhole, which pushed her over the edge. Her orgasm hit hard, making her pussy clench against his intruding fingers and her body to go stiff. Her toes curled and her teeth dug into the pillow, tearing it nearly apart.

After what seemed like an eternity, her climax began to subside. She panted heavily as her tail finally released Steven from between her cheeks and her body slumped forward. She looked back lazily to him, having fallen back and catching his breath. She laid her head down on the frayed pillow and smiled.

Best rim-job ever, she thought to herself with a light chuckle.

Alexia wasn't about to give Steven too much of a break, however. She reached back and dragged him upwards on the bed and pinned him down once again. She grinned and gave him a slow lustful lick up the side of his cheek.

"Mmmmm," she purred, licking her lips, "all that work just made me hungry."

"Well in that case," Steven replied with a smile, discreetly slipping his boxers down to free his raging hardon, "I think I have something for you wrap your lips around."

Alexia shifted herself down, bringing her snout to Steven's throbbing erection. It was painfully hard enough, but the feeling of her breath on it made him squirm in anticipation. She moved closer and gave the tip a very soft, suckling kiss followed by a few long lick from his balls to the tip. Steven's eyes were clenched, his body and shaft silently begging for more. Of which, Alexia was more than happy to oblige.

In a single motion, she engulfed his entire cock into her mouth and started to firmly suck on it. Steven threw his head back, savoring the sudden warmth of her slick snout and tongue washing over his member. He started breathing heavily, his hands gripping at her horns and his hips pushing as much of himself into her mouth.

Alexia gripped Steven's sides firmly and started to work her lips up and down his hard flesh. Inside her mouth, her tongue had coiled around his length and squeezed, shifting up and down along with her lips. Steven was in absolute ecstasy, lost in a vast world of pleasure. He never got tired of how amazing Alexia, or anyone else here for that matter, was with their mouths. His moans got louder and louder as the pressure in his loins quickly grew. She said she was hungry, and she was soon going to get a mouthful.

His breathing got heavier and heavier as Alexia worked his cock harder and faster. His hips quickened in pace followed by a sharp intake of breath before he erupted. With a final thrust of his hips and a hard pull on her horns, thick seed jetted from his cock and coated the inside of her maw. She suckled and nursed on his shaft eagerly, milking every drop of cum from him. She pooled as much of the sweet salty fluid in her maw, savoring the taste, and happily swallowed it all before withdrawing her mouth from his spend cock.

Alexia slowly crawled upward on the bed, slumping on her side and pulling the exhausted human into her. Both were quite spent and worked to catch their breath, cuddling close in the process. Alexia held him close and tight while Steven took the opportunity to nuzzle against her breasts.

While both of them hid it well, their minds were swimming with thoughts of each other. Alexia wanted so bad to just tell Steven she wanted him to be hers forever. To profess her deepest love for him. Likewise, Steven was thinking something similar. He wanted so bad to tell her he loved her and that he wanted to stay. But both of them were hung up on the same thought; What if he says no? What if she doesn't feel the same way?

"You are, without a doubt, the best pet I could have ever asked for," Alexia said, breaking the silence.

"You are the sexiest and most wonderful mistress I could have ever been enslaved by." Steven replied with a smile. Both of them giggled loudly, snuggling a bit tighter.

Before the two of them could say anything more, the bedroom door swung open. The noise startled Alexia and Steven, but neither made an attempt to cover themselves up. In the doorway was Mykell, Lynn and Kyleen, all of them standing there with their arms folded. A sort of blatantly sarcastic disappointment on their faces.

"Morning fun and you didn't invite us?" Lynn said, trying to hide her obvious smile behind a pout.

"At the very least," Mykell continued for her, also trying to hide a grin, "we demand breakfast as compensation!"

Alexia and Steven looked at each other and just laughed. They gave each other one more quick kiss and pulled themselves from bed, tossing some clothes on and making their way to the kitchen. The other three quickly led the way, the growling of their stomachs reverberating in the halls.

It didn't take long for everyone to settle down at the kitchen table. Steven and Alexia both decided to prepare all the food. It gave them an excuse to still be close together, along with the occasional grope while things were cooking. Despite the playful nature of the two of them, it was hard to ignore the underlying somber mood that filled the room. Everyone knew today was the last day of Steven staying with them. It was eating at the back of Steven and Alexia's mind, and it was blatantly obvious to the rest of them.

There was an eerie silence that fell upon the group as they ate breakfast. There were quick glances from one to another, but no words were exchanged. Between Mykell, Lynn and Kyleen, no words were needed. They silently knew something had to be done, and identical plans had formed in their minds. Breakfast was coming to an end, and it was time to act.

"I think the girls can handle the cleanup," Mykell said, placing a claw on Steven's shoulder, "Want to help me with something downstairs?"

"You sure?" Steven asked.

"Don't worry cutie," Kyleen piped in, giving his backside a lighthearted smack, "We'll take care of things up here. You do what needs to be done downstairs, but don't have too much fun. At least, not without the rest of us."

Steven and Mykell laughed and made their way for the stairs to the lake. The ladies got started on the cleaning. Alexia remained silent through most of the task, lost in her own thoughts. She spaced out for a moment, blankly looking down into the sink. Suddenly, Lynn took what dishes she was holding and placed them aside, taking her arm and bringing her to the table.

"We need to have a chat," Lynn said to her, setting her sister and herself onto a chair with Kyleen joining.

"What's all this about?" Alexia protested.

"We know how you feel about Steven leaving," Kyleen added, "If you're trying to keep it to yourself, you're doing a terrible job."

"You know, sis, it might do you good to talk about it."

Alexia hung her head, staring at the floor. She realized Kyleen and Lynn wouldn't let up until she said something. "What's there to talk about?" she sighed.

"You love him," Lynn said, taking her sister's claw into hers, "don't you?"

"...Yes."

"Then why are you afraid to tell him? Are you scared that he'll say no?"

"I am. Asking someone to be with you for life is no small thing. He has his whole life ahead of him. What if he doesn't want to commit to something like that? How would he feel about it to know that I'll outlive him by ages? I don't know why exactly. I just am. I want him to stay. I want him to be more to me than just a friend or an occasional tryst. I just don't know how he feels."

"How are you going to know unless you ask him? He has feelings for you, too. Surely you've noticed? He's not any more happy about leaving than you are. Hell, the two of you live an hours walk away, yet you both think you're never going to see each other again. That kind of connection is more than being 'just friends'."

"What should I do, then?"

"You'll do this," Kyleen piped in, "When the time comes, walk home with him. Talk to each other. Let the knowledge that he probably feels the same way as you sink in. Once it does, any kind of excuse or objection you might have or are afraid of will wash away."

"What if he says 'no'?" Alexia asked, the sound of her fear coating her voice thickly.

"He won't," Lynn assured her, taking her into her arms in a tight hug, "But you won't know that unless you ask."

"So what do you need help with anyway?" Steven asked as him and Mykell reached the lakeside cabin.

"Just some help running a few wires and such," Mykell responded, "Nothing drastic, but it's a two-man job."

Mykell led Steven into the various rooms needing the work. The job was fairly simple. While the sunstones he installed would provide power, they needed to be recharged every so often, and dragging them outside would be a pain. So he crafted a conduit that ran up out of the cabin and into the wall outside, which in turn led above ground. Outside, he had already set up some modified solar panels, which would provide a constant recharge to the stones.

"Wait here," he said, "And pull the cables through when you see them."

"Alright."

Mykell bolted off and dove into the water to get outside. It took a few minutes, but soon the wires were starting to poke through, which Steven took hold of and pulled the slack out of. A few minutes later, he was back, towel in hand and drying off from the quick swim.

"That's all?" Steven asked.

"Just help me hook these up to the stones, and that should do it."

The two of them continued for several minutes, running wires and hooking up the sunstones in the various rooms. Steven was finishing up in Lynn and Kyleen's bedroom when he heard Mykell at the doorway.

"So you gonna tell Alexia you love her?" He asked.

Steven was caught off guard by the question, "What?"

"You do love her, don't you?"

"Well," Steven started, not really knowing how to answer, "I...I do."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"She's kept me as her pet for the past week. I mean, what am I going to do? Just walk up and say 'I love you' to her? Hell, she'd probably balk at the idea if not outright eat me on the spot."

"Alexia wouldn't eat you for saying you love her. No one is gonna eat you. Well, Kyleen might just for fun, but that's beside the point."

"I just don't know how to go about it."

"You're afraid she'll say no, aren't you?"

"Kinda. I mean, I don't want to rush into something like that. I've been here for a week, but what if that's not enough time for her? I mean, I live around here, it's not like I can't visit every so often. Probably be the only worthwhile place to go in this part of the state."

"That's a mistake."

"What?"

"Thinking you have all the time in the world to get something done. Thinking that you'll always have another chance."

"What's wrong with that? You make it sound like I'm never coming back."

"How sure are you of that? Are you positive that you'll get another chance? Maybe you will. Maybe you'll get a hundred of other chances. But what happens when your chances run out? How would you feel if you were forced to live knowing that the the last time you said 'next time' was indeed the last?"

"Never really thought of it that way..."

"The point is that you never know how many chances at something you'll get. Sometimes you'll get plenty, but every now and then, you'll only get one. Always treat a chance at something as your last, otherwise you'll go through life with a lot of missed chances. And some things aren't worth the risk of missing."

"I guess you're right, but what should I do?"

"You go home today, but don't wait till tonight. Go home sooner rather than later and bring Alexia along with you. It will give the two of you a chance to be together and talk. Talk about anything. Any stories you have, your favorite things from the previous week, anything you want. It will bring the two of you closer, and it will bring the wall that's blocking you from expressing yourself down far enough to get over it. And when the time is right, ask her."

"But what if she says 'no'?"

Mykell placed his claw on Steven's shoulder and led him towards the stairs with a reassuring look in his eyes, "She won't."

Alexia was in her room, sorting through some of her things. She had no real reason for it. It just gave her a chance to collect her thoughts and let what Lynn and Kyleen said to sink in. There was little doubt in her mind that Mykell had a similar conversation with Steven downstairs, though what they talked about specifically was a mystery to her. She thought about going to Steven's home with him, and she played out various scenarios in her head. What would they talk about? How would she propose to him? Would he propose to her first? Will he accept if she does?

The door to her room slowly opened. Alexia turned to see Steven standing in the doorway, "Can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied warmly. He approached her slowly, his eyes locked onto hers. Without a word, he threw himself into her arms in a tight embrace, which she more than happily returned.

"I was thinking," he said, "that I wanted to head back home early. And I wanted to ask if you wanted to come with me?"

"I'd love to. Hope you don't mind me taking human form for the trip."

"Of course I don't mind. I just, well, wanted to walk back with you."

"I do too, sweety. I'll meet you by the front door. I just need to prepare."

Steven nodded and exited. Alexia took the time to assume her human form. She also retrieved the wooden chest from her desk. She opened it and looked over the bracelets, taking the moment to pause and ponder. She closed it and put it into a shoulder bag she had laying around, slung it over her shoulder, and went to meet Steven at the door.

Everyone was there to meet them at the front door. Hugs were exchanged with all of them and Steven, which included a sudden, though not unwanted, grope from Lynn and a somewhat worrying hungry look and grin from Kyleen. Alexia couldn't help but laugh, taking Steven's hand into hers and leading him out.

"Do you get to choose how you look in human form?" Steven asked about ten minutes into their trek.

"Not really," She replied, unable to help but quickly glance down at herself, "Why?"

"Just curious. I mean, you look good as a human, so I was wondering if you had some kind of control over it."

"No, no control. There's a lot of ideas floating around as to how it works, but no one has a real answer. Some say that it's a variation of ones real self in human form, some think it's a reflection of who you are on the inside."

"I think it's the second one."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"Well, I think it has to be that way. You're equally beautiful on the inside as you are in looks, and as a human, you still look great."

"Flatterer," she said, unable to keep herself from blushing a bit.

The two of them kept walking for another half hour. Their conversations ranged from reminiscing over the past week to Steven talking about some of his favorite things about the city he came from. Alexia could hear in his voice the tone of longing. It was obvious he missed it, which concerned her.

"You really didn't want to come out here," she asked, "didn't you?"

"At first," he started, thinking of his response, "I hated it. Going from the activity and commotion of the city to the silence and loneliness of this place. It was a shock, I won't lie. But..."

"But what?"

"After what I've been through for the past week, I don't think I want to leave it."

"Because of us?"

"Kinda, but mostly because of you. I mean, I kinda wish the week went on longer."

"You say that like we won't see you again."

"I dunno. I'm sorry if I'm not making sense."

"I think I know what you mean, sweety. I understand."

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. They continued to talk about various subjects. None of which were overly important, but it made it easier for the two of them to just talk, even it it was about nothing in particular. Soon enough, Steven's home was in view and they approached the front door.

The house was just as he left it about five days earlier. The day he initially ran off while Alexia was out only to be found by her sister, Lynn. It was certainly unexpected, but she convinced him to go back in return of her silence about his escape attempt. It also seemed his mother hasn't been home during the week, thankfully. She would probably be back during the night.

"Not bad," Alexia said, glancing around the area inside the front door.

"I thought it was horrible when we first arrived," Steven responded, "Think your brother could help me spruce it up a bit?"

"Perhaps. It does seem like it needs a bit of work. Do you at least have a place comfortable to sleep?"

Steven nodded and led her upstairs. His room was mostly barren save for several boxes of personal belongings, books, some small electronics and the like. In the corner was a rather large king sized bed resting on the floor. The box spring and frame were seemingly missing.

"Large bed for just one person," She said with a smile, "Must get rather lonely."

"Kinda," He said, "I like the extra room to roll around now and then. Plus I figured I'd think ahead. Fresh out of high school, I figured I'd find someone to share the extra space with. Then we moved here, and I thought at first it was a waste."

"Do you think it's still a waste?"

Steven fell somewhat silent after that question. He was trying to work up the courage to finally tell her how he felt. Alexia wasn't far behind, trying to break down her own mental barrier. Part of her sensed he was on the verge of coming out with it. She reached into her shoulder bag and took hold of the wooden chest. No more waiting, she said to herself, it was now or never.

"Steven," she said slowly, "There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Y...Yes?" he said, freezing in place. In the back of his mind, he almost knew what she was going to say.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a sound reverberated through the house. They both froze for a moment before Steven realized it was the front door opening and closing. Then it was followed by footsteps. Steven's eyes went wide as the realization hit him. His mother was home.

"Stay here," he said in a partial panic as he rushed out of his room and down the stairs. Alexia slowly followed, descending the stairs quietly and remaining on the last step, out of sight.

"Mom?" Steven called to her as she was setting her jacket and briefcase on the table. She looked at him with a rather somber expression, "You're home early. What's up?"

"Looks like you got your wish," she replied with a blatant tone of disappointment in her voice.

"What do you mean? What wish?"

"It didn't work out. We're going back home to the city."

Her words hit him and Alexia, who was eavesdropping in on the conversation, like razor sharp daggers. They felt their hearts immediately sink in their chests. They could feel their hands shake and the tears start to well up in their eyes.

"What do you mean 'didn't work out'?" Steven asked, trying with all his power to contain the explosive emotions he was feeling, "What went wrong?"

"Didn't think you'd care. This is what you wanted, isn't it? We're going back home."

"Just tell me what happened?"

"Well, like any kind of large scale project, it needs money from investors. And most of them decided that it wasn't profitable enough to try to build a community from scratch. There's just not enough money to get it off the ground."

Alexia, at that moment, was hit by a moment of inspiration. She stepped off the stairs and into the main room with Steven and his mother, Susan. Steven noticed that his mothers gaze had shifted from him to the hallway. He turned around to see Alexia standing there. He could see in her face that the news had hit her just as hard, if not harder. Things were falling apart around the two of them. But Steven wasn't about to give up and go. There had to be something that could be done to prevent him and Susan from leaving.

"Who're you?" Susan asked in surprise.

"This is Alexia," Steven said. He paused for a moment, looking back to her. He could see the emotion in her eyes. He could feel the broken heart from miles away. Without thinking, he spoke again, "My girlfriend," he stated.

Susans eyes went wide this time. She wasn't sure what to say. She felt partly happy that her son had managed to find someone to connect with out here, partly upset for bringing a girl into their home while she was out, but mostly sad because their situation meant having to pull them apart.

"Oh!" Susan exclaimed, "Um...Well hello, Alexia. Steven, I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do."

"Maybe there's something I can do," Alexia said.

"I appreciate you wanting to help," Susan responded, "but I don't see how it's possible. Like I said, we lost most of our investors. Without the money they put in, we can't even begin the project."

"Maybe this will help get the ball rolling again," Alexia said while reaching into her shoulder bag. She removed a piece of piece of paper, some time of bank statement, and handed it to Susan, "My family is independently wealthy and I personally know several other groups who might take interest in what you're trying to do."

Susan looked at the paper and almost fell over, "How did you come across so much?"

"I'm something of a collector of rare antiquities. That's what I personally have on hand. There's plenty more set aside. Do you have a business card of sorts?"

Susan blindly fumbled through her pockets to procure a contact card for her group and handed it to Alexia. Steven was locked in a state of confusion as to exactly what was going on in front of him. He had so many questions running through his mind. His mother immediately hopped on her phone and placed a call. Steven wasn't paying too much attention to it, but it sounded like one of her many business calls. He couldn't stop looking at Alexia, who only returned a smile towards him.

"Maybe there's hope for it yet," Susan said to herself. She pulled Steven into a tight hug and gave Alexia's hand an excited shake, "I have to get back and get things going again. I'm probably going to be gone for a few days. Just...Don't do anything totally outlandish while I'm gone, OK? I'll see you when I get back. And Alexia? Thank you so much."

With that, Susan bolted out the door, got into her car and headed back to talk to her people. Steven and Alexia watched her go from the front porch. He couldn't help but look over to her, silently wondering exactly what had just happened.

"Independently wealthy, huh?" He said in surprise.

"Girlfriend, huh?" she responded in kind. Steven looked a bit embarrassed.

"I...Wanted to ask you for some time now. I just never got around to it. After what my mom said, I thought I'd never get another chance."

"I wanted to ask you the same thing, too. I was just afraid of bringing it up. I figured I'd have time, but..."

Alexia pulled out the wooden chest from her bag. Her hands were trembling, but not because of fear or hesitation, but out of anticipation. Steven approached her and looked down as she opened it, revealing the pair of golden bracelets. She set the chest on the porch rail and removed the bracelets. They seemed to glimmer in the falling sunlight, the light reflecting brilliantly off of the metal and small jewels.

"What are these?" Steven asked, unable to break his gaze from their beauty.

"I made these some time ago," She replied, "As a promise to myself. That I would keep them until I found the person who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Someone whom I could be with and love more than anything else in the world. One for myself, and one for that someone, so we would always be connected."

She turned to him, reached out her hand, and presented one to him, "And I can't think of anyone who I'd want to share that connection with more than you."

Steven slowly took the bracelet from her hand and admired it for a moment. He never thought that this previous week, full of strange creatures and kinky encounters would lead to something like this. It was almost too much for his mind to process, but in that moment, things settled into a picture of clarity. This was something both of them wanted more than anything.

"So my question is," she continued, "Would you accept me as you lover?"

He looked up at her, locking his eyes with hers. Without another thought, he slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist. It started to glow brilliantly and began to shrink, conforming to his size and fitting snugly onto his arm.

"Nothing would make me happier," he said, taking the moment to discreetly wipe a tear away from his eye. The two slowly moved closer together, inch by inch, they came together into a soft, yet passionate kiss that seemed to last for a glorious eternity. After seemingly forever, they separated.

"That was different," Steven stated, never breaking his gaze from her eyes.

"What?" Alexia asked.

"Never kissed you in your human form before."

"You don't like it?"

"I said 'different', not 'bad'. Though admittedly I prefer kissing the real you. Even if it feels like you're going to swallow me whole each time."

"Wise ass," she said jokingly as both of them started to laugh. They turned and looked out onto the horizon, watching as the sun slowly descended.

"Well," Steven said, "Guess we have a few more days. Think we should head back and let everyone know the good news?"

"We have time," Alexia replied, "Somehow I think they knew that this would happen."

"So what should we do for tonight?"

"Maybe we should head up to your room and fill that empty space by your bedside. Think it's big enough for a dragon-girl and her human lover?"

"Guess there's only one way to find out."

With that, the two looked at each other once more and smiled. Steven took her hand into his. It filled him with a warmness and fulfillment that he had never felt before. Their bracelets glowed warmly as they entered the house once more and shut the door.