FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Would you like your other present now?" Liiria asked softly, nuzzling her snout against his face. "Or I can show it to you tomorrow."

"Aren't we doing a late Christmas lunch thing with your folks? Should we do presents then?" Mike asked softly, his eyes closed as he enjoyed stroking her lavender fur tenderly. The warmth of her embrace and the fire staving off the cold in their log cabin gave him no reason to want to move.

"My parents may not exactly… approve," she smiled and giggled when Mike opened his eyes. "It's not really something I want them to see. Or anyone, for that matter, except you," she explained cryptically.

Frowning, Mike tried to work out what she meant. "Okay, the suspense is going to keep me up if you don't show me." He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Is it something we can enjoy here, though? I'm kind of comfortable."

Liiria cocked her head before nodding. "Tell you what. You get the wine with those sexy hands of yours, and I'll get you your present."

Tilting his head, he could see the two glasses she had poured earlier on the cabinet and nodded. With a reluctant groan, he rolled to his knees and stood up. The fireplace was the only source of light in the cabin as he made his way towards the wine and he could feel the battle the fireplace was waging with the cold. Every step away from the roaring hearth was a significant drop in temperature, and he longed to have his bare body nestled against his dragoness once more.

With a glass in each hand, he returned to the rug as Liiria approached with a slim, flat rectangular gift in her mouth. She grinned at his confusion and lay back down on the rug, patting the ground next to her for him to snuggle back against her.

Taking a sip of wine, he placed hers in front of her before taking the package from her jaws and laying back down. "You spoil me," he teased.

"You haven't even opened it yet," she retorted with a giggle. His eyes caught that the insides of her ears were burning red with either embarrassment or anticipation.

Holding the package in one hand, he traced her neck with the other and guided her into a kiss. "If it's from you, it's perfect," he smiled.

“Oh, it's more than just 'from' me," she giggled nervously and turned her head to sip from her wine.

Curious, Mike slipped a finger under the purple wrapping paper and unstuck the tape. His eyes went wide as he saw the familiar logo of the magazine where Liiria worked. “You didn't!" Mike exclaimed as he pulled more of the wrapping that covered the large magazine.

"Oh no, I didn't—well, sort of," Liiria hastily explained as she looked at the front cover in disbelief. "Think of it as a one-of-one, limited edition. Just for you."

"But… how?" Mike asked, still trying to take in what it was he was looking at.

"Well, it started as a joke. I was telling Nuut about how you remembered the 'I'm still wet' campaign they did years ago," Liiria said with a claw drawing nervously on the bear skin rug. "And like, I wanted to do something similar, but just for you." She remembered him explaining who Taalli was and wasn't sure if she would bring up painful memories with her gift.

Mike swallowed and looked up from the cover, "So wait, this isn't the official one?"

"Gods no!" Liiria exclaimed. "One of the guys in the print team owed me a favor, so he showed me how to print one out just for you." She watched with bated breath as he looked back at the cover. "You don't like it, I'm sorry, it was silly—"

"No, I love it!" Mike exclaimed. "It's just..." his words drifted off as he looked over the artwork again. "You look so hot." He said with a chuckle.

"Well, that was the point," Liiria smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "The fake snow was really itchy, not going to lie." She added.

Mike nodded, his attention completely focused on the large magazine. While every issue had a dragon posed seductively in one way or another, often with a barcode or promotional callout placed strategically to cover anything too raunchy. This issue, however, left nothing to the imagination; the high-resolution image captured every small snowflake that had landed on her exposed underside as she lay in a bed of fake snow. The tight black lacy harness she wore clung to her body as she looked longingly up at the camera with her mouth slightly agape in a seductive pant. Her front paws tucked close to her chest while her hind legs were spread wide, delicate toe beans on full display. A tagline boldly claiming, "It may be cold, but I'm still hot," was printed next to her exposed tight slit.

"Thank you, Liiria," he said warmly, flicking through the magazine. He checked to see if there were any other images before taking another look at the front cover. Looking up to her, he saw her gazing warmly at him and leaning in for a kiss. "It's amazing, I love it. I love you."

Pressing her lips to Mike's, she rolled further onto her side and shuffled closer. "I'm glad you like it. But you have to promise not to show it to anyone, not even Geevin," she whispered, looking him in the eye.

Mike nodded, placing the magazine aside so he could lay next to her properly. While tracing a hand through her soft fur, he frowned, "So, I take it Keekzee shouldn't see it? I think he would like it-"

“No!" Liiria exclaimed loudly, looking at his serious face in disbelief. “Don't you dare!" she added, her eyes widening until he grinned.

“I would never," Mike chuckled and squeezed her as tight as he could. “My Liiria is my Liiria," he added, his embrace washing away any doubts in her mind.

“I should think so too," she murmured, curling her tail around them. “But feel free to tell him about it if he gives you a hard time," she said with a smirk.

“Liiria! That's cold," Mike exclaimed with a laugh.

“What can I say, I grew up in the snow," Liiria giggled, wiggling in his grip to emphasize her fluffy fur.

Mike shook his head and kissed her nose. “That just means you are warm inside, or should I say, hot?" he added before pressing his head under her jaw, enjoying her silky soft fur against his bare skin. “Hot, fluffy, and beautiful."

Liiria murmured a thanks before lifting her head and taking a sip from her glass of wine. "Want some?" she asked, bringing his glass closer.

"Log cabin, fireplace, and wine…" Mike chuckled, adjusting his position to lift his glass and clink it against hers. "To sexy times!" he said, laughing along with her.

"To sexy times!" Liiria giggled and took a sip. "Although, I still have some surprises in store for you tomorrow."

"Before or after Christmas lunch?" Mike asked, taking another sip when she cocked her head.

"Before, after... Probably not during," she said with a mischievous grin. "I've gotta show you off to my folks in person."

"And Keekzee," Mike added before placing his half-full glass down on the rug. "He said he would be there," he explained and resumed stroking her neck.

Liiria nodded. "I assumed he would be there. So yeah, that will be awkward," she mused, turning to take another heavy sip from her glass.

"Oh, he didn't seem too bad," Mike said, hoping to reassure her. "I'm sure it will be fine. Besides, it's Christmas. It's a tradition to bring people together, even if they hate each other," he grinned.

"Oh, I don't hate him," Liiria said softly and kissed Mike's forehead gently. "He is just a bit..." she muttered, trying to find the right words.

“Big?" Mike suggested, smirking as he burst into laughter.

“No, it wasn't that. Well, not entirely," she said, rocking her head from side to side. “His ideal date was sleeping by the fire or watching cartoons."

“That doesn't sound too bad."

Liiria looked down at Mike and shook her head. “No, like, every date was like that," she explained. “Don't get me wrong, I like a good snuggle by the fireplace. But I wanted to see the world, go to university, and try to do something memorable. He just kind of stayed here, didn't want to travel or leave the resort. He knows my folks have money, and I don't know. I don't think he only saw me for the money, but we weren't on the same page… does that make sense?"

Mike nodded, reaching for his glass again. “You wanted more, and he was content where he was."

“Exactly!" Liiria said loudly. “But wait, not in a greedy way. I just wanted to do something with my life, like make things better for dragons and humans, or—or anything really," she added, becoming quite animated in her expression.

“Including being a cover model?" Mike teased, laughing when she glared bacm at him with a smirk. “Hey, I'm not complaining."

“Oh, I bet you're not," she retorted, pressing her lips to his again. “So when I found my Mike, a handsome young man who was building his own business…"

“You said to yourself: now that's someone I could bring home to the folks," Mike chuckled and stroked her cheek.

“Exactly," she whispered, enjoying his touch again before pulling back softly. She looked at him with a warm smile, waiting for him to take another sip of his wine before playfully adding, “And someone who won't make me feel like I'm laying an egg every time I ride him."

Mike had to cover his mouth to stop himself from spitting out his red wine, snorting loudly and choking as he tried to swallow, laugh, and breathe at the same time.

“Oh, come on! I know you were wondering." Liiria giggled as Mike managed to swallow and began laughing, his face now almost as red as the wine.

“I-I wasn't going to say anything, though!" Mike laughed, taking another sip to clear his throat. “But damn, he is probably the largest drake I've ever met."

Liiria grinned and waited until he had swallowed before kissing his forehead. “Trust me, the novelty wore off pretty quickly. Another reason why I like my Mike," she whispered before nuzzling his cheek. “I prefer fun-sized, rather than not being able to walk the next day-"

“Liiria!" Mike exclaimed and playfully swatted her neck. “That's enough talk of Keekzee's privates." Guiding her snout to his lips, he kissed her nose. “And please don't call my junk fun-sized."

“But it is fun!" Liiria giggled and mashed her lips against his, letting him place his glass down before rolling them over until she was on top of him. With his legs spread, her weight was mostly on the ground, but she wrapped her paws under his head and held him close. Finally pulling back from their kiss, she looked him in the eyes, “Trust me, it's more than adequate." She smiled, “I wouldn't have you any other way."

Mike smiled and saw the genuine sincerity in her eyes. Giving a small nod of understanding, he relaxed against the bearskin rug. With her weight over him and her soft fur keeping him warm, he felt safe and secure. Running his hands through her lavender fur, he marveled at how soft she was. “I wouldn't change anything about you either," he said warmly. “But as sexy as this is, could we move to the bed? This rug isn't very supportive."

“Oh, we could stay a bit longer." Liiria smirked, “It would be fun seeing you limp into the dining hall tomorrow." she said with a wink. “It might make someone a bit jealous."

Mike chuckled, “Oh, you would like that, would you? Getting under Keekzee's fur?" he asked and saw her smile broaden.

“Maaaybe."

“Even after all these years?" Mike chuckled and laughed when she nodded enthusiastically. “Well, maybe I have a certain Christmas present for you that might help. Would you like it now?" Mike asked and grinned when her eyes went wide. “But I'll need you to hop up."

Liiria wiggled with excitement as she stood up and helped Mike to his feet. Her eyes roamed his naked body as he made his way over to his suitcase and began rummaging around inside.

“Ah-ha! Okay, now close your eyes." Mike smiled, holding a wooden box just inside the suitcase so she couldn't see.

Sitting down on the rug, Liiria grinned and closed her eyes, opening one to peek before closing it again as Mike wiggled a finger at her. She heard him withdraw something from his case and walk back over to her, her ears twitched at the sound of a small metallic click and the squeak of a hinge opening.

"Okay, open your eyes," Mike said warmly, holding the wooden box out to her. He smiled as her eyes went wide, looking down at the contents of the box and then back to him. Her mouth opened to speak, but her words escaped her. "You like?" He asked rhetorically. Turning the box, he pulled out the larger of the two shiny metal bands. "I know we can't officially get married, but I don't care about a piece of paper. I wanted to do something special," Mike said warmly. "There is this jeweler back home, and he uses magic to engrave them," he explained, withdrawing the thinner band and slipping it around his wrist as a bracelet before showing the matching horn band to her.

Tears of happiness overcame Liiria as she looked at the incredibly fine engravings of the silver loop. Small snowflakes were etched into the metal, being carried by swirls of wind that transitioned to become steam from coffee cups. A perfect combination of their two pasts etched forever in the precious metal.

"Want to try it on?" Mike asked, lifting a hand to her cheek. The speechless dragoness nodded and lowered her head down to his chest, pressing into him lovingly as he slipped the band over her horn and gently pulled it down. "Oh good, it fits," Mike said happily and laughed along with Liiria.

Lifting her head back up, she looked him in the eyes. "Thank you, Mike. I love it," she said warmly. "And I love you." She added before turning her head and kissing him deeply.

Mike stood in the cold snow outside their cabin, his thick ski jacket and pants covering his smart outfit underneath. While he wasn't sure what to expect with the upcoming family lunch, he had tried to wear something that he could dress down if needed. "Ha-ha-no," he said flatly, with a look of concern, rubbing his gloved hands together as he observed the lavender dragoness in disbelief.

"Oh, don't be such a hatchling," Liiria giggled. "It's perfectly safe." She added, dragging the large polished silver disk across the snow towards him with a paw. Its size was more akin to a large dining table than any saucer sled Mike was used to. "Do you trust me?"

"Oh, I trust you with my life, but that—that is just reckless—"

"It's fiiiine," Liiria chuckled. "I used to ride these as a fledgling all the time," she said, noticing he was still unconvinced. "I promise, the slope is steep, way too steep for snow shoes, so unless you are secretly some sort of expert skier…" She said with a grin, tapping a claw against the thin metal disk. "You're gonna need to trust me on this."

"Too steep, eh? So that makes it better, does it?" Mike asked nervously, looking down the ski slope their cabin was built on. True to her word, after a hundred feet, the ground pitched heavily downwards. Looking up the hill, he could make out the ski lifts ferrying people to the top of the mountain. "And climbing isn't an option because—"

"Because you will be all hot and sweaty for lunch. Come on!" Liiria said, pushing the disk closer to him. "I'll do all the driving; you just need to hold on and look pretty." With a kiss on his cheek, she tilted her head down to look at him with her big green eyes. Despite the bright snow reflecting the midday sun, her pupils seemed to become bigger. "Pretty please? It's fun, I promise, and I want to share this with you."

Taking a deep breath, Mike felt his rebuttal fading as he saw her pleading eyes. "Just sit and hold on, is that it? Are you sure the gifts will survive, okay?" Mike asked, looking at the bulging pouches on her harness.

"They will be fine!" She said happily, seeing his reluctance being eroded by her infectious enthusiasm. "You can sit here, hold onto me, and I'll guide us down. Trust me, I know this slope like the back of my paws."

Looking into her eyes, he finally nodded and was rewarded with a quick lick on his nose. "YAY!" Liiria cheered. "Okay, sit here, I'll get us going." She instructed and patted a paw in the center of the metal plate.

Placing a hand on her shoulder for support, he gingerly stepped onto the sled and sat down. All around the lip of the sled, he could see large handholds but wasn't able to reach them and instead had to place his gloved hands on the cold metal sled. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" He mused as Liiria placed her front paws on the rear of the disk. Lowering her head down to his shoulder, she nuzzled his cheek before beginning to walk with just her hind legs. Her powerful rear paws dug in momentarily until the sled broke what little friction it had with the fresh snow. "Once I get us started, you can hold onto me better." She explained as he went to hold onto her neck.

With every step, the sled picked up speed until they were sliding at a brisk walking pace and the gentle rocking of the sled began to lull Mike into a false sense of security. "Okay, this isn't too bad," he chuckled. With the exception of the occasional jostle, he started to relax until he looked ahead and saw the ground ending and the sky beginning. "Um… how do we slow down?" he asked nervously.

Liiria giggled, "That's the best bit! We don't!" she roared and quickly broke into a run, her large furry paws spreading their toes to gain more traction on the powdery snow.

"LIIRIA!" Mike screamed as she propelled them off the edge. At the last moment, she lunged forward to plant her hind legs on the sled and moved her forepaws just ahead of Mike. With her sitting down his hands latched onto her forelegs as his stomach rolled, and they pitched down the slope. His eyes squinted as their pace rapidly picked up to an eye-watering speed, all while Liiria's joyful laughter drowned out the sound of metal on snow.

Holding her tight, he tried to move with her as she leaned left and right, her tail twisting in the snow behind them to apply drag on each side to steer them. "Oh! This section is new!" She lied and giggled when she felt him hold her legs tighter. "You have insurance, right?" She added and roared laughing when Mike swore.

Being so close to the ground, the sense of speed was incredible. Mike's jaw clenched tight as a wall of trees shot past them. He could make out large ski jumps and other skiers in their path that Liiria thankfully steered them around. "Here comes the fun bit!" she exclaimed, guiding them to a section where the slope began to climb back up into a gradual hill. As their speed washed off, she curled her head down and kissed him upside down. "It's your turn now!" she giggled, pulling herself away from him and jumping back into the soft snow once their sled slowed to a running pace.

"Liiria? LIIRIA!" Mike exclaimed, the safety of her embrace suddenly gone. Looking back behind him, he saw her bounding off to the treeline on the right as he continued to climb the hill and slow down. Looking ahead, he could see the apex of the hill approaching and swallowed, the unknown of what was on the other side eating away at any confidence he had left. He contemplated diving off the sled, but the curvature of the disk caused it to pitch in an unsettling manner when he leaned to the side.

Trapped on the disk, he continued to slide to the top of the hill and felt the blood rush from his face when he crested the top. Far below, he could see the ski lodge in the distance and knew his ride was almost over. There was just a long steep slope to cover, littered with skiers and snowboarders of varying skill levels.

He felt his stomach turn as the sled tipped over the edge and began to rapidly speed up again. Shifting his body, he tried to steer the sled, but was shocked to find it did nothing more than spin his sled around until he was facing backward. "Liiria! Help!" he called out and tried to rotate the sled around to little avail.

"I've got you!" came a familiar voice from the treeline as she bounded towards him with a wide grin on her face. While she didn't always carry herself with grace and poise, Mike could tell that her body was completely at home in the snow. Her large paws distributed her weight on the surface with ease as she ran across the white snow. Holding his arms out, he was relieved when she leapt at him, landing back on the sled as if she had never left, this time with his face pressed against her white chest.

"Miss me?" she panted with a giggle and used her tail to turn them away from the busier areas of the slope.

"Please don't do that again!" Mike exclaimed and looked over his shoulder to see where they were going.

"Oh, you did fine!" Liiria said nonchalantly. "If I stayed on, we wouldn't have made it up the hill," she added casually, "and I hate pushing these things up hills." Sweeping her tail left and right in the soft snow behind them, she slowed them down to a more relaxed pace while using a front paw to help Mike rotate to face ahead.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw her using her tail and squeezed her front leg. “So, there are brakes!" he called out and shook his head when she giggled playfully.

“Maybe." she chuckled and continued to slow them down to a walking pace. Looking down at Mike, she saw him begin to compose himself and smile up at her as the adrenaline rush wore off. With a small adjustment to her center of mass, she put the disk into a lazy spin for the last hundred feet of the slope. Lifting her tail, she wrapped it around them, letting gravity and the friction of the sled counteract each other to maintain their relaxed speed. Curling her neck, she pressed her lips against his and smiled when his hands moved to her cheeks. His smaller tongue ran against hers as they closed their eyes and slowly made their way towards the resort.

Mike chuckled as they slid to a halt but didn't stop kissing, content to continue their tender moment while other skiers carved past them.

“Finally, there you two are," chuckled a friendly male voice along with the swish sound of a pair of skis stopping alongside them.

Snapping his eyes open, Mike looked up at the hooded figure. Wearing a lavender-colored jacket with reflective stripes along with bold letters that read 'STAFF.' His face was obscured by the scarf and goggles he wore to protect himself from the cold.

Pulling away quickly, Liiria turned her head to look at the man. “Hi, Dad," she smiled weakly.

“Ah, Jeremy. Sorry, didn't recognize you under the goggles." Mike flustered and tried to stand up, wobbling horribly as the disk shifted under them. “Pleased to finally… meet you in person," Mike said while Liiria helped him off the large disk.

Holding out his hand, Jeremy shook Mike's and lifted his goggles to reveal his face. “Likewise, good to see you in the flesh. I heard over the radio of an out-of-control, high-speed dragon going down the slope. You wouldn't have happened to have seen them on your travels?" He chuckled.

“No, we didn't see anything," chuckled Liiria, her voice not convincing her father at all.

“Uh-huh," he chuckled and looked at Mike. “You gotta watch this one; she can get a bit adventurous sometimes."

“Oh, don't I know it," Mike smiled and rubbed her shoulder with a gloved hand. “Is it usually this busy?" He asked, looking at the many skiers using the slope.

Jeremy nodded and followed his gaze. “Yeah, we are at capacity in the cabins, and we have a few buses of people coming just to ski tomorrow. So it's going to be pretty packed," Jeremy explained before using his poles to detach his boots from his skis. “But, enough shop. It's lunchtime, and I think Keekzee is going to quit if we make him wait any longer."

"Well, we wouldn't want that, would we." Liiria sighed with a roll of her green eyes.

"You play nice, Mishka. He is still a valued member of the team," Jeremy said warmly. "So please don't start anything."

"Yes, father," Liiria said flatly with a smirk. Placing her paws on the rim of the sled, she walked alongside Mike and her father, pushing the large metal disk until they reached the side of the lodge and lifted it to lean against the wall.

Mike slipped off his purple beanie as he stepped into the warmth of the lodge reception area. Turning, he held the door open for Liiria and her father to enter. As he let the door close, Mike looked around the expansive foyer of the building and hung his jacket on the wall. The supporting structure was a mix of stone and thick logs, with a network of crisscrossing beams supporting the vaulted ceiling above. The walls were adorned with a collection of vintage skis, harnesses, and antique saws, creating a rustic, warm atmosphere. One side of the foyer featured a large bar with high-backed leather lounges, plush cushions and an expensive looking espresso machine that drew Mike's attention. The bar hosted dozens of patrons—dragons and humans alike—relaxing after a tiring morning of skiing, sledding, or exploring.

On the opposite side of the large room crackled a large fireplace and more places for guests to relax in a quieter environment than the bar. Mounted on the wall, a television displayed the news, its volume muted but captions turned on. Sitting rigidly next to the fireplace was Keekzee, the imposing-looking black dragon who turned his head and smiled broadly at the trio.

“Ah, Liiria. You are here! I was starting to think you were avoiding me," Keekzee said politely. His inky black fur had been carefully brushed since Mike had seen him the day before, his sleek coat making him look even more handsome. His smile faltered when he saw the silver band around her horn and matching bracelet on Mike's wrist.

“Avoiding you? No," Liiria lied. “We've just been…" She paused to smile at Mike. Stepping forwards with her front paws, she stretched her hind legs out before groaning with mock tension being released. “Busy," she said finally, looking back at the large drake.

Keekzee tried to act casual and nodded in understanding before gesturing to the television. “Have you been following the news? The financial report should be on soon," he said, trying to sound sophisticated but secretly hoping she didn't question him on it.

Mike smirked as he took off his gloves and glanced at the screen. With the resort having guests from all over the globe, it didn't surprise him to discover the resort was playing a channel from his own country. The popular Kougar news station was reporting on the disappearance of a dragon soldier during a freak storm in the Middle East.

"Since when did you watch the news?" Liiria chuckled in disbelief.

Mike didn't hear Liiria's retort as he continued to read the captions of the report. Footage captured from a fellow dragon in the unit showed the yellow dragoness flying only a wingspan away from her wingman, and after a flash of bright green light, she was suddenly gone.

Mike watched on as the Kougar news anchor went on to explain that so far the military had refused to comment, and the dragon who captured the footage had also gone missing.

"Mike?" Liiria asked, seeing him frozen in place, watching the television show a portrait of the missing dragoness with her medals pinned to her harness. "Mike, are you okay?"

Mike shivered and turned to look at his mate, the purple dragoness looking intently at him with concerned eyes. "Yeah. Sorry, I'm good," he said and looked back at the TV briefly. "For a second, I thought it was her. But… it's okay, I'm fine," he said and stroked her cheek. "That's all behind me now."

"Are you sure?" Liiria asked softly, stepping closer so only Mike could hear her. "You kind of zoned out there."

Before Mike could answer, a loud feminine voice called out. "Michael! Finally, you are here!"

Mike gave a weak smile and nod to Liiria to let her know he was okay before looking past her. "Riilary! It's good to finally see you, for real I mean," Mike said cheerfully and began to walk towards the approaching dragoness.

He had been warned by Liiria that her mother was a hugger but was still caught off guard when the older 'ness wrapped a paw around his lower waist and pulled him against her front. "Oh, you are even more handsome in person!" she said warmly.

Seeing Mike awkwardly moving his hands in the air made Liiria chuckle. Clearly, he wasn't used to the friendly affection and didn't know whether to place his hands on Riilary's shoulders, neck, or anywhere at all. "Come on, Mom, let the man breathe."

Looking at her daughter, Riilary's jaw dropped at the sight of the horn band. “Is that what I think that is?" She exclaimed and gave him a final squeeze before taking a step back and looking him up and down, her paw snatching his wrist to see the shiny matching bracelet. “Oh my! I am so happy for you two!" She grinned and pulled Mike in for another quick hug.

After finally letting him go she grinned from horn to horn. "Well, that is something to celebrate; come! Lunch is served in the dining hall," she announced before turning around. "Can you put the sign up and tell the others, honey?" she added while looking over to her husband, who was already behind the reception. Reaching under the counter, Jeremy retrieved a small sign that explained the desk would be unattended for an hour and spoke into a radio to gather the staff that could make it.

Mike strolled with arm around Liiria's shoulders as they entered through the large double doors to the dining hall. Stepping onto the polished timber floors, he couldn't help but feel underdressed. A massive dining table stretched the full length of the hall, adorned with an amethyst silk table runner down its center. Dozens of silver platters were scattered along its length, each boasting an assortment of roast meats and vegetables.

Seeing his posture stiffen, Liiria gave him a friendly nudge. “Relax! They already like you," she chuckled in a hushed whisper and led him toward the seats they had been assigned near the head of the table.

“The last time I was at a dinner this fancy, it didn't go well," Mike whispered with a polite smile as he discovered their seats were opposite Keekzee, who looked at the pair with a stern expression.

Following his gaze, Liiria smirked at Keekzee and gave Mike a peck on the cheek, whispering in his ear. “So, you don't want me to give him a show?" she added, making Mike's eyes widen.

“Let's not make it more awkward."

“Boring," Liiria chuckled and began undoing the buckles on her harness, catching the heavy pouches with a swift paw before they fell to the ground. As the purple dragoness settled down on her cushion, Riilary tapped an ivory talon against a glass of red wine to get everyone's attention.

“Everyone, thank you for joining us," she said, her voice effortlessly carrying across the hall. “I know we delayed our usual Christmas tradition. But I think we can all agree, it is also about bringing family together, so I wanted to officially welcome Liiria's Mike to the family," she said warmly, raising a glass in her paw toward Mike.

“Thank you," Mike said nervously, suddenly finding all eyes on him. “I'm glad to be here, and sorry everyone for delaying this amazing meal. I may have made a mistake with time zones when I booked our flights," he said, quickly finding his confidence.

Riilary chuckled and gave him a warm smile, “Not too worry, it always gets me confused too-"

“Can we eat, Mom? Keekzee looks like he is going to pass out," Liiria chuckled, much to the amusement of the rest of the table.

“Of course, enjoy," her mother said, with a twinkle in her eye.

Conversation broke out merrily across the table as platters were passed from one to another. The delightful scent of roasted deer, poultry, and vegetables wafted across the room, causing everyone's mouths to water. Looking down the length of the large table, Mike took note of a very even mix of dragon and human staff and leaned closer to Liiria. “So, is this everyone who works at the resort?"

Liiria followed his gaze and shook her head. “This will be everyone who either has the day off or has their lunch break," she said, sliding a heavy platter of roast potatoes and walnuts to Mike. “Mom usually goes a bit overboard and makes lunch packs for everyone who can't make it to lunch."

“That's nice of her. She must have been busy," Mike remarked, scooping some food onto his plate before passing the platter along.

“Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year, so it's all hands on deck. But that means many can't always be home for their own family gatherings." Liiria explained, “We pay everyone extra and try to give everyone a half day off on Christmas day so they can still do something."

“That's really sweet." Mike replied, knowing not many bosses would be as considerate.

As the meal progressed, he could help himself from taking another few slices of what he assumed was venison, he cleared his throat and turned to Liiria but spoke loud enough for the others to hear. “Ah, Liiria, your mother's steak looks amazing, and um… Nie mog? si? doczeka? aby j? wyliza?" He said, his heart stopping as a silence fell over the room.

Looking around at the stunned guests he saw a smirk pull at Riilary's snout as she slowly chewed until she finally swallowed. Glancing briefly at Keekzee who was horribly trying to stifle a laugh, Mike blushed when Riilary cleared her throat and said, “Perhaps you have been reading too many of my daughter's books," causing the room to erupt in laughter. “While I appreciate the offer, Mike, I think you may find Liiria unwilling to share your talents," she added with a growing smile, causing a renewed laugh to come from many of the staff members.

Mike blushed and looked at Liiria, his purple dragoness' eyes watering with amusement. “I don't get it, I said I can't wait to try this venison."

Liiria tilted her head back and broke out in laughter. “No! No you didn't!" she exclaimed, her sides vibrating with her laughter, and her tail thumping against the ground. “Oh Mike, it's okay. It's cute you are trying," she added, lowering her head down to kiss him on the forehead.

“What did I say?" Mike asked, his face burning red.

Liiria shuffled around so she could rest her chin on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. “You used the wrong pronoun. Steak in Polish is masculine, but "j?" is for feminine nouns, such as Rilliary. So you said that you can't wait to eat my mother out."

The clatter of Mike's fork against the table made him jump in his seat. Glancing over to Riilary, the older dragoness was still grinning at him while taking a sip of her wine. “I'm so sorry, that's not what I meant!"

“Oh, I didn't think so. But thank you for trying. A bit more practice and you will get there," she said encouragingly, raising her glass to Mike.

Blushing, Mike picked up his fork and tried not to make eye contact with the rest of the guests as he started to eat.

After savoring a few bites, he glanced around the table and felt relieved to discover that the others were happily engaged in conversation among themselves, and his faux pas was no longer the center of attention.

Surveying the room, he found it intriguing that a collection of old war relics adorned the high ceiling. Alongside what he presumed to be a family crest, he spotted sections of tank tracks. The more he studied the room, the more hidden artifacts revealed themselves.

Completing his meal, he leaned back in his chair, continuing to look for the old war relics, furrowing his brow as he tried to identify the origins of some pieces.

Following his gaze, the older dragoness leaned towards Mike, “My Grandsire was quite the collector," Riilary said warmly. “These were some of his trophies," she explained with a nod.

“He purchased them?" Mike inquired. While aware of people collecting memorabilia from the world wars, he found it peculiar that certain items on the wall were nothing more than scrap metal, additionally he spotted many insignias of what he would have considered from an enemy of the country.

“No, he fought in the war," Riilary clarified. “Coorah Böjnsyard was his name, at least until he gained freedom. Then it was just Coorah." She explained, “How much do you know about our country's history and the war?"

Mike shook his head. “Unfortunately, very little. I know dragons fought for their own freedom in the wars, and you guys had it rough, but other than that, I'm pretty ignorant. I'm sorry."

Riilary nodded understandingly. “Like many others, he was purchased from his previous owner by the government and promised freedom once we emerged victorious. Unfortunately, our country fell faster than anyone expected. But my Grandsire and his rider evaded capture; we still have her uniform in the vault for safekeeping."

“Her?" Mike inquired. “His rider was a woman? Sorry, that sounded bad. I just didn't know that women were allowed to fight back then."

“It's okay. Some say we were progressive; others say we were desperate. But yes, the pair of them joined the resistance and continued to harass our invaders to free fellow soldiers from the camps," Riilary explained. “The tracks up there?" She gestured with a paw. “Those were part of a convoy they ambushed. It was a group of armed guards who supposedly liberated gold and other precious metals from a bank they bombed on the front line."

“Supposedly carried gold?" Mike asked and cocked his head when Liiria chuckled.

Liiria leaned against Mike and smiled warmly, finishing the story she had been told so many times before “According to all of the rebel journals, there was no gold onboard," she added with a wink.

“Well, isn't that a shame," Mike chuckled, starting to understand the source of Liiria's family wealth. “So after the war, he was free?"

Riilary shook her head as she savored the last sip of her wine. “Once the war finally ended, the new government made it clear that they were not going to be burdened by commitments that the old government had made."

“What? That's bull shit!" Mike exclaimed before covering his mouth. “Sorry, I think that wine is kicking in."

“Don't apologize, you are absolutely right." Riilary chuckled. “There were a lot of heated protests after the war. Some began to riot and refused to help with rebuilding a country that they felt they were not a part of. Other countries were honoring their commitments, and there was talk of a mass exodus. Finally, after a few months, the ones that fought were given their freedom and a plot of land as a way of saying thanks."

“And the ones that didn't fight?" Mike asked, the grim look on the older dragoness' face told him the answer.

“They were still property of the government," Riilary said and passed her glass to Jeremy to refill. “My Grandsire was given this mountain. At the time, it was almost inaccessible and worthless. But he and his rider set about creating something that would help liberate our new 'leaders' of their coin," she said with a sly smirk. “Once they had the resort business started, they began buying dragons. As many as they could afford. See, while the dragons were the property of the government, a good discount could be had if you paid the officials directly."

“Like a bribe?"

“No, of course not. That would be illegal." Riilary chuckled and gave him a wink. “But he quickly made a reputation for himself as the one who would buy dragons in exchange for time at the resort. He, of course, could never afford to buy every dragon that was owned by the government, but as there were more and more free dragons, the political climate slowly changed, and eventually, he didn't have to buy anymore."

“That's very impressive," Mike said, leaning back into his chair.

“He sure was," Riilary said warmly.

“What happened to his rider?"

“She was with him all the way till the end. I have vague memories of her face, but it was so very long ago," Riilary said, her gaze losing focus.

“Were they a… couple?" Mike asked.

The older dragoness snorted a laugh. “Oh, honey, not everyone who is together is... together. Besides, things were not like they are now; back then, you could get arrested for 'mixing blood,' so to speak." She chuckled. “He met my grandmother and had an egg together."

“So, him, your mother, and then you have managed the resort ever since?"

Riilary nodded, “Third generation now. Maybe one day Liiria will take up the reins, but it really runs itself these days," she said and nudged her husband when he shook his head. “Okay, it helps when someone runs it for you." She added warmly and kissed Jeremy on the cheek.

“Don't worry, Mike, I'm not leaving you to look after the place any time soon." Liiria chuckled and leaned against his high-backed chair, looking into his eyes with her bright green ones. “I'll outsource it, if I have to."

Mike, Liiria, Riilary and Jeremy had all retired to the bar area after the large lunch, each of them having eaten too much and were eager to relax on the cushions and continue their festivities. Both Mike and Jeremy sat next to their mates and leaned against the dragoness' shoulders while exchanging gifts.

“-And I have a present for you too." Mike announced and reached into Liiria's pouch to retrieve two poorly wrapped cylinders. Passing them to Liiria's parents he leant back against Liiria and watched them open their gifts.

“Oh! Isn't this sweet!" Riilary said warmly as she extracted the purple flask from the wrapping paper, “and there is more!" She added as she unscrewed the cap to look inside. Probing with a digit she pulled out a long brown scarf with dark coffee beans embroidered onto it.

“Mike makes the best coffees!" Liiria added with a smile.

“So you have said! I'm still impressed that he managed to convince you to like it. Oh, you should have seen when she was a fledgling, remember, hon? She was trying to convince us all that she was a big independent 'ness who didn't need no parents-"

“Oh please, can we not?" Liiria begged, dipping her head down in shame.

“Oh, no, You can't stop now, do tell!" Mike chuckled, stroking Liiria's forearm.

“Well, it would be rude to leave our guests in the dark." Jeremy chimed in with a grin.

“Little Mishka here, my little bear, was such a strong independent 'ness, she didn't need to be told the difference between instant coffee and roasted beans. Did she Liiria?" Riilary giggled, “we tried to tell her, but no! One scoop of beans into a flask of hot water. oh you should have seen the face she made. Poor thing didn't want to admit she was wrong as she crunched away at her first coffee."

Mike stifled a laugh as he looked at his mate with a grin. “How did that taste?"

“Absolutely awful!" Liiria exclaimed. “Put me off coffee completely! I was picking chunks of bean out off my teeth all day. Not to mention my heart was racing and my paws were shaking until I crashed that night."

“Oh yes! That's right, she was talking at a hundred miles an hour the whole day!" Jeremy added with a smile.

“So, needless to say. I didn't drink coffee again after that day. Well, until I met you." Liiria said warmly, turning to Mike to nuzzle his cheek. “Speaking of… is there any chance of one of your magic coffees?"

“Liiria! He is our guest, you can't ask him to make you a coffee-"

“No, it's fine. I saw your machine behind the bar and was going to ask if it was okay to try it out. The stuff they had on the plane was rough and I've been craving a decent one all day." Mike said and stood up when Riilary nodded, “Pass me your flasks and I'll make a round for everyone, how do you like it?"

“Make us what Liiria has, but be warned. We will judge you on it." Jeremy chuckled and passed his and his mates flask to Mike.

“Oh, well that makes it easy for me then. I've got hers down to an art." Mike retorted and made his way over to the bar.

“Honey, how about you give Mike a hand." Riilary stated, her eyes widening slightly to convey it wasn't a question. “I need to have a 'ness to 'ness with our daughter." She added and kissed him on the cheek.

Standing up, Jeremy patted his mates shoulder and made his way over to Mike, aware that Riilary was watching him until he was out of earshot.

“So, I have a present for you and Mike. But I know how funny those men can be about this sort of thing." Riilary said and reached into the side pouch of her harness. “Mike seems really nice, and I know you two have been together for a while now." She said and extracted a long cardboard box six inches wide and over a foot long. “And I know he can't ever give you hatchlings. Oh, don't roll your eyes. I want you two to be happy and I know one day, you might think that you need a drake or an egg to be complete. So, I just want you to have options." She added cryptically.

Liiria's expression turned into a look of disbelief as she was passed the weighty package. “Is this what I think it is?"

“Oh, it's not 'the' one, gods, sweetie that would be weird."

“And this isn't?" Liiria asked, tilting her head in disbelief. Glancing over her shoulder she made sure Mike was still busy and slipped a claw through the packing tape. Pulling back the cardboard flap she lowered her head to peer inside, her eyes going wide as she saw the familiar repeating metallic logos of a famous brand of naughty silicon toys. Nestled deep in the paper packaging was a large empty syringe connected to a clear tube that made its way to the base of the dragon sized silicone toy. Looking up at her mother with her ears flat against her neck she gave a weak smile. “Don't expect me to try it on here." She said nervously, her smile broadening until she laughed along with her mother.

Lowering her head, Riilary whispered to her daughter. “I don't want you to feel like you have to, heaven knows your Gran basically begged me to have eggs. But, you know… sometimes men can be lacking in the… ooof department-"

“Mom!" Liiria exclaimed loudly and glanced at Mike who frowned at her from across the bar. She smiled and turned back to her mother before she tucked the box into her harness. “Mike is perfectly well equipped in the… ooof department." She giggled. “And even if he was any shortcomings, he makes up for it in other ways."

“So he claimed at the dinner table." Riilary retorted with a polite smile as Jeremey and Mike approached the pair with flasks in hand. “I'm genuinely happy for you two." She added loud enough for Mike to hear. “So what is the plan for the rest of your stay?"

Mike looked too Liiria and passed her flask to her. “There was mention of ice caves? I think that would be interesting to check out."

Liiria grinned, “Oh, they can be beautiful and I want to show Mike the stars. If it doesn't get too cold."

“You don't have stars where you live?" Jeremey joked, unscrewing his flask and taking a sip. “Yeah, okay. This is good."

“Thanks, I'm glad you like it." Mike said with a hint of pride. “Stars though, no. Unfortunately, back in the city the light pollution makes it impossible to see the stars properly. You have to go miles out of town to see even the brightest ones." He explained.

“Well, you are in for a treat. The lights on the ski slope get turned off at 1am. So after that, the only lights will be the lodge itself." Jeremy said and draped an arm over his mates shoulders.

Liiria lowered her head to Mike's shoulder and waited until her parents were both taking a sip before whispering. “and, I'm sure we can do something to stay awake until then."