FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Humanity had some decency left. Leon hadn't been too optimistic beforehand, but when he'd shown up for the interviews at the LA convention center, lots of people had proven him wrong. It was surprising yet wonderful to see the swarms of people that had shown up to host some of Earth's new inhabitants in their homes. Leon was one of those humans, figuring he had room to house a fair number of the refugees.

Months had passed since the first of their kind started showing up. For lack of any better term, several portals had manifested within Earth's orbit. At first, humans thought it was the start of an invasion. Leon hadn't known what to think at the time.

“We were out of options," explained one of the anthros on the news – a lioness, who was in fact the Empress of the anthros.

News coverage was focused entirely on the anthro migration. They were a very different sort compared to humans. The anthros were comprised of several sentient species, which all remarkably resembled some of the species on Earth. The eerie resemblance to foxes, wolves, big cats, bears, and so on was just as much a surprise to the anthros as it was to humans.

Leon was watching a live stream video from his cell phone. The Empress, dressed in very formal anthro wear, spoke for the first time on a live broadcast from a United States news outlet.

“Our home – our planet – Liira…" the lioness went on. It was unsurprising how quickly they'd learned several human languages based on how advanced the anthros were. “There was nothing we could do to defend her against the alien race that had set out to destroy us. We'd lost the fight and our only choice was to flee. And Earth was one of the few planets we'd known to be inhabited and therefore life-sustaining. There was no time. We had to come without warning."

It was hard to listen to their plight each time Leon heard it. But it was being played repeatedly on the news. And whatever fears he may have at the beginning of this mass immigration from another planet, they were replace with sympathy. An alien race, hell-bent on destruction and erasure of all life deemed unworthy, had driven them from their home. And Earth ended up being their last hope.

The Empress had been correct when she mentioned that they'd showed up without warning. Anthros space colonies and space stations abruptly appeared in Earth's orbit as well as throughout the Sol system. Then, after the last of those colonies and stations arrived, a large-scale portal had manifested in the Pacific Ocean where the anthros had transported an entire continent. Seralis was the name of the continent they'd sent to Earth from their home planet of Liira.

Settling in the vast ocean without much disturbance at all was a feat in and of itself, demonstrating that Anthro technology was well over a century ahead of human tech. But despite their ingenuity and efforts, the newfound anthro continent remained densely populated to the point of overcrowding due to evacuating as many people as they can. Months after their arrival and after talks between anthros and humans had been largely successful, they'd requested aid in the form of immigrating to other countries throughout the world.

The nations and the people of Earth eventually opened their heart. Several of the first world nations agreed to sponsor large immigration policies for the anthros, allowing large numbers of them visas for temporary citizenship. Infrastructure and housing in these nations wasn't quite enough to accommodate the immigrating populations, so a voluntary hosting program was also established.

Convinced and sympathetic to the anthros' struggles, Leon had decided to take part in that hosting program. It was a somewhat extensive process: loads of paperwork, interviews, more paperwork, etc. But in the end, Leon was accepted, and surprisingly, the interviewer from the previous week had been correct. He'd told Leon that he'd be put on a fast track for hosting several anthros. That was after the fact the interviewer found out about his “generous" financial status.

A week after the last interview was when Leon received the phone call telling him he'd been accepted. He also received a large letter in the mail containing details about the anthros he was going to host. He'd spent the following week preparing his place for their arrival, hoping he hadn't bitten off more than he could chew when he suggested he could take in six of them.

And six was, in fact, the number they'd chosen for him. Details of his housing was also something he'd had to submit along with his identification after the interview. His house wasn't really a mansion, but it was quite large. Seven bedrooms, four full bathrooms, three half bathrooms, and much more made up his nearly ten thousand square foot abode.

His place was far from the noise and bustle of Los Angeles. When he'd moved to California, he'd received plenty of recommendations when choosing his place. Most of which were in the greater Los Angeles area, but Leon hardly wanted to be in the city. Instead, he'd chosen a place out a bit in the southern California countryside, about fifty miles out of the suburbs of the metropolis.

The manor, rather than the mansion, was located by a small, private lake, which was part of his property as well. Most of the land he owned was the forest around the lake. Leon took pride in preserving most of area he'd bought as a bit of a wildlife refuge.

Secluded, the only way to his place was by a long but pleasant paved road off of one of the state highways. Trees hung over the road, keeping it shaded most of the ride, until it finally opened up to the yard of Leon's manor. The driveway was a loop around a fountain, surrounded by a circular flowerbed with a brick pathway as the only opening.

Leon waited, somewhat impatiently, on one of the two benches near the fountain. His nerves were growing more tense with each passing second, becoming anxious. The letter he'd received in the mail had given him a short profile of each anthro he was to host. All six of them were female.

Fingers tapped nervously on his legs as he recalled each of them. Alyssa was the mink. Risa was the rabbit. Kaira was the fox. Vera was the pantheress. Nalani was the lioness. And… Serena… she was the snow leopard.

The sound of asphalt crunching under the wheels of a large van alerted him to their arrival. Leon glimpsed it before it was even halfway up his drive. He sprang to his feet and dashed over to the front steps of his big house, dusting himself off, worried that his plain light-blue tee and khaki shorts were too casual.

Standing still felt awkward as the van rolled up in front of him. He was hyper aware of every little thing he was doing wrong. Blinking too much. Fidgeting. Hands in his pockets. It was a hot day, but Leon felt the sweat on his forehead, and it was much more than usual on any other equally humid afternoon.

It felt like it took forever, but the back passenger door to the van slid open. Leon held his breath. He wasn't ready for this. He was expecting to host the maximum number he'd suggested, but he hadn't considered the possibility they'd all be women.

First out was the black rabbit. Risa, he recalled. It wasn't the first time he'd seen an anthro up close, but it always surprised him just how tall they were, usually having a foot or more over his six feet.

The rabbit stepped to the side and put a hand up to block the sun, getting a good look at the big house in front of her. A smile curled along her fuzzy black muzzle the moment her eyes caught a glimpse of her new, opulent abode.

Next was Alyssa, the mink. She was a little shorter and her posture was more timid than the rabbit's, suggesting she was a bit shy. Instead of being distracted by the big house behind him, the gold-furred mustelid passed her host a quick but coy smile.

Kaira was the next out of the van. She was the tallest of the three so far. The vixen was bigger than the other two, with solid green eyes, glistening with excitement, which stood in stark contrast to her splendidly shiny coat of orange, black, and white. She gave a quick nod to Leon, offering him another smile.

Vera and Nalani stepped out of the van together. Both were the same height, standing an inch more than the fox. The pantheress and lioness had two different auras about them, especially when the sun finally hit their fur. Vera's coat was as black as slate, but the sun gleamed off of it like a gemstone. Nalani's coat was delightfully golden in the midday sun with the fur on her upper chest white in the direct sunlight.

It was easy to tell that the pantheress and the lioness were close. There was hardly an inch between them. But their faces showed signs of two different personalities. Vera had been beaming the entire time, showing her bright pearly whites to Leon as she waved enthusiastically to her host. Nalani, instead, had her brow furrowed slightly, eyes narrowed, and arms crossed, studying her surroundings as well as Leon.

All of the anthro women were wearing clothes that Leon considered casual, which came as a bit of relief. They each had either a t-shirt or a tank top on, and some were more revealing than others. Vera's tank top was certainly quite revealing, showing a bit more of her bountiful bust than Leon was initially prepared to see. In fact, all five of the women were decently endowed in that particular area. It didn't help any with Leon's mounting anxiety.

Curiously, too, all of them were barefoot. It was something he'd taken note of long before with all the other anthros now on Earth. But this was his first chance to see it up close. The anthros had legs and feet very similar to humans, resting flat on the ground. But they were large enough to accommodate for their taller stature, extending almost twice as far and wide compared to an average human foot. The most obvious differences, however, were the claws on their toes and the fur on the topside of their feet.

“So this is where we'll be staying?" asked a voice from the front passenger seat of the van.

The door swung halfway open. Leon felt his skin crawl in anticipation as Serena's bare foot glided to the pavement. Grey fur – almost silver in the bright sunlight. The door opened the last few feet, and there she was – a tall, gorgeous snow leopard standing beside her feline friends. She closed the door and a grin curled upward along her white muzzle, blinking her sparkling blue eyes in Leon's direction.

Leon was immediately enamored, which took him by surprise. He'd found several of the anthros attractive, but it had been no more than a passing thought in the past. Yet, as Serena walked toward him with her hips swaying, his heart knocked hard in his chest and throat. Strong physical attraction, unlike anything he'd felt before, took hold of his entire body.

Serena leaned forward. “You must be Leon," she observed, extending a hand.

The apple of Leon's throat bobbed. He had to look up to her, putting her height at around seven feet. He felt more sweat beading on his brow and dripping down his cheeks. Damn it, he cursed in his mind. Get a hold of yourself. His wealth had never really helped him overcome his fear of interacting with tall, beautiful women.

“Is everything alright?" asked the snow leopard. Her brow lifted, curious. “There's no need to be shy."

Yes, there is, he thought. Cursing his reserved nature, Leon struggled to compose himself, managing to clear his throat. “S-sorry, Serena," he apologized, stuttering, finally shaking her hand. “I'm just a bit nervous about this situation. But, yes, I am Leon… Leon Shepherd."

“And I am, Serena… Serena Kulai-Lurena. But there's no need to use our full names," chuckled the snow leopard. Anthros had two surnames, one maternal and one paternal. It helped identify families, since males were rare in their society. “If you wish, you can just say my paternal surname, Lurena. But we're all okay with you addressing us by our first names."

“Okay," Leon replied. “Again, I'm sorry. I'm a little anxious."

“Well, I honestly don't blame you for being nervous," she admitted, joking. “Hosting six people from across the universe is not an everyday occurrence."

Leon laughed, although it came out a bit more as a nervous habit. He would have laughed at any joke coming from a gorgeous woman, even if it wasn't very funny. However, he did appreciate the humor this time. It was enough to put him a bit more at ease.

“I must admit I'm fairly surprised you already knew my name though," she added. “I suppose that was to be expected. They'd spent a fair amount of time vetting all of us and developing extensive profiles. I'm usually against such a large invasion of privacy, but I understand the apprehension."

“Yes. I did receive profiles on each of you," Leon confirmed. “Although I'd say they were the abridged versions. They doubtlessly left out much of the irrelevant information collected."

Serena smiled. Although Leon didn't know why she chose to grin at that particular moment, he appreciated it. Their eyes met for a few seconds in silence. The bright blue ocean of her irises made him warm, melting on the inside. Again, he cleared his throat, growing nervous, breaking eye contact with her.

“And you are Nalani," he said, choosing a distraction. “Vera. Kaira. Alyssa. And, last but not least, Risa."

The black rabbit, Risa, smiled and winked at him. The rest either waved or stood still, with the exception of Vera. The pantheress marched right up to him and grabbed his hand, giving it a decent shake.

“I'm getting used to this handshake thing," Vera remarked, chuckling. “It's nice to meet you Leon." True to the look about her, the pantheress was extremely jovial. She wore the biggest smile out of all of them.

Leon couldn't help but be infected by her cheer. A big grin swept across his face without him even realizing it. “It's nice to meet you, too," he agreed, shaking her hand a bit longer than normal.

“You're such a child," said Nalani, pushing her friend aside and offering her own hand. “I sincerely hope Vera hasn't given you a bad first impression."

Vera huffed, crossing her arms. Leon got the feeling that the pantheress and the lioness enjoyed teasing one another. He wasn't sure though. Taunting and teasing like that was something he usually refused to take part in as he'd had enough of it from his siblings when he was younger. And not the good kind.

“Not at all," he answered the lioness, choosing to be tactful. He shook her hand diligently, getting the feeling that Nalani was more of a refined intellectual type. “But I hope I'm not doing too bad of a job myself."

“Regardless, it's a pleasure to meet you, Leon," replied the lioness. She spun on her heels to join her friend's side once more. But just before her face was out of sight, Leon caught a grin curl on the corner of her muzzle.

The introductions continued until Leon had shook hands with each lovely lady. It was interesting to get a short glimpse into each of their characters. Serena seemed the calm, cool, collected leader of the bunch. Nalani was the intellectual. Vera was the easy-going joker. Kaira was the strong, creative, reserved one. Alyssa was shy but extremely kind and personable. And Risa was the one a bit rough around the edges, the rebel, in a way.

“Now that you've all properly met," said another coming from the driver's seat of the van. The man left the vehicle and made his way around it. He was writing a few things down on a clipboard full of papers. “I believe it's time we get a tour of your place and make sure everything is in order."

The anthros stepped aside for the man. He was in dark grey dress pants with a dress shirt and tie, the whole getup. Already balding, the middle-aged fellow had a fair comb over, hiding as much of his bare scalp as possible. As he approached the front door, he pushed his horn-rimmed glasses up from the tip of his skinny nose.

Leon nodded. “Very well," he forced a quick smile, opening the door for the man.

He'd never before had to give a tour of his place. Doing so made him re-realize just how big his house was. He'd known that when he chose to buy the place, but it wasn't like he went throughout the entire place very often, frequenting only about six of the rooms.

As they went from bedroom to bedroom, the anthros were choosing which ones would be theirs. Sometimes they argued for varying reasons on why a particular room should have been theirs. Leon chose to leave it all up to them. He wasn't strict or picky about such things, but he'd felt a certain degree of excitement when Serena chose a room right across from his. No one had argued with her.

The man from the U.S. Immigration Service was making marks on his clipboard the whole time. Leon felt the urge to take a glance over the man's shoulder, but refrained from doing so. Though it would have been nice to know what his report card was looking like.

The man scrunched his face after making the last mark. They were all standing in the big foyer, right beside the wide staircase leading up to the second floor. “Well…" he mumbled, glancing at each of them. “Everything seems to be in order." He looked to Serena. “Do you consider this home acceptable for the meantime?"

Serena raised a brow in disbelief. “Absolutely not!" she declared, laughing. Sarcasm, at that moment, seemed a second language for her. “We were fighting over rooms as a joke, just to make you think we love this place."

The man remained silent, not amused. Leon held back a snicker. He'd felt a twinge of anxiety the moment he'd heard her say “absolutely not," but he'd quickly realized she was joking.

“Of course it's acceptable," Serena finally replied in all seriousness, shaking her head. “We'd be fools not to think it's acceptable. I mean… I can't speak for everyone, but I'm pretty sure we'd all love to stay here."

The man looked to the rest of them. Each of their furry heads were nodding in confirmation. “Yes. Absolutely. Definitely," they all chimed in.

“Very well," he nodded. “But if any of you, including you, Leon, have any grievances in the next month, be sure to contact our department right away."

“Thank you, but I can imagine that won't be necessary," added Serena. At this point they were all just wishing the man would catch the drift that they were fine and he was welcome to finally leave.

A part of Leon didn't want the man to leave. The moment he left would be the moment he'd have to figure out what to say to his new guests. He'd have to figure out what to do now that six other people were living under the same roof with him. He wasn't quite prepared for that even though he'd spent the entire past week thinking about it. Leon's nerves got more on edge as the man made his way to the door.

“I'll be back in a month for an evaluation to discuss your futures here in the United States," said the man. He held the door open as he finished. “In the meantime, I respectfully ask that all of you be good ambassadors for your kind."

The large, double door closed behind the man. Leon gulped. He was now alone with them, but he had a sudden idea to buy some time. “How about I let you all get settled in to your rooms first, and then we'll meet back down here and I'll give you a better tour? I didn't get to show you all that's outside. Maybe we can even take a dip in the pool."

“Pool?!" exclaimed Alyssa. The mink's shy demeanor was gone at the mere utterance of the word. “I'd love to take a dip."

“Yeah," Leon added, feeling a little more comfortable. “It really wasn't part of the tour since it out in the backyard. And even though I don't use it a lot, I've got a guy that cleans it every week."

Serena chuckled. “I think that sounds great. A bit of swimming and relaxing at the pool is something we could all use right now." She was the first to grab one of the big suitcases near the door. “I'll go change into something more appropriate and meet you all back here?"

Leon nodded and watched as the rest of them grabbed their individual suitcases. He followed behind Serena, up the stairs and to his room, since he needed to grab his own swimwear from his walk-in closet.

A long tail swished to and fro behind Serena. Leon did his best to keep a fair distance between him and the snow leopard, afraid of making any unwanted but unintentional contact.

“It's inevitable," Serena observed, catching the caution in his gaze.

Leon looked up from her tail, meeting with her eyes. A nervous lump swelled in his throat, which he attempted to swallow. Sweat also started to return to his forehead. “W-what do you mean?" he stuttered.

Her eyes bounced between him and her big, fluffy tail. “You're bound to brush up against it at some point. It happens all the time in public, so we don't see it as any kind of social infraction."

Leon didn't respond but continued to follow her down the hallway. He was going to have a lot to learn about anthros when it came to everyday life. But even her tail looked so soft and comforting, much like the rest of her stunning body. Leon had the passing desire to feel it, but he shut that down as a silly idea.

But Serena must have caught the curiosity in his eyes. She came to a sudden halt near the end of the hall, and Leon ran right into her tail. The fur brushed up against his forearm, soft as satin. The snow leopard stood inches from him, looking down from the foot of height she had on him. A sly grin marked her muzzle.

“See?" the snow leopard said with a short laugh. “Inevitable." And with that she passed him a smile and disappeared into her room.

Leon stood there for a few seconds. He could still feel her fur tickling his skin even though it was no longer there. The sweet scent of lavender lingered in the air, and he wondered if that was her natural scent.

After coming to his senses, Leon strolled into his room and made sure to close the door behind him. He stayed there a while longer, his back flush with the door. His heart was pounding.

He couldn't stop thinking about Serena the whole time he changed into his swimming trunks. Several absurd thought passed through his mind. At least Leon thought they were somewhat absurd. The last thing he'd expected was to feel some kind of physical attraction to one of them, but as his brain worked on overtime, he started to realize that all the anthro women currently in his house were extremely attractive.

Leon shook his head and pulled the strings tight on his swim trunks. A short laugh escaped from his nose, chuckling at the idea he was entertaining. Even though they were staying for a limited time, he imagined them being here forever. But that wasn't the only thought he was entertaining. In his daydreaming, Leon and the anthros had grown intimate, especially with Serena.

Again, an absurd idea, he thought. He couldn't imagine the chances were good that Serena, let alone all of them, would feel the same way about him. Not only that, but Leon didn't know how he felt about the whole being intimate with an anthro thing in the first place. He had no problem when he'd heard rumors of a few humans and anthros forming relationships within those first few months after they'd arrived. They were only rumors though, nothing concrete, and Leon, at the time, just didn't think it was for him.

But, if it were true, the fact that anthro and human relationships had developed in that short amount of time spoke volumes of the anthros. They had to have some similarities with humans if they could get together with each other. However, the naysayers – many of them humans– shortly came out of the woodwork when rumors spread of humans and anthros starting to mingle. Hell, they were out way before that, too, crying and complaining about our so-called “negligent allowance" of aliens to colonize our planet with open arms. Some anthros felt the same.

It was unfortunate, but Leon had the nagging feeling that – although many humans were welcoming of the anthros – they still had negative views of humans and anthros being together. And if he was being reasonable about his newfound attraction for the anthros, he had to consider that stigma. He was uncertain about wanting that kind of negative attention, not that he ever had to leave his place if that was the case.

Leon felt worse for the anthros, though. From everything he'd learned about them in the past couple months, he'd found out that their societies were structured much differently than societies on Earth. They were all highly matriarchal as there was a large gender imbalance among the anthros, seven females to one male.

Gender roles for the anthros partly resembled human life in the 1940s, except it was reversed, where females worked and males stayed home, tending to the household and children. Many females centered their lives around protecting and providing for those few anthro men. That being said, it came as a great surprise to them when they discovered that human men were the majority of active soldiers in the military. Back in the Anthro Empire, that honor belonged almost solely to women. It was unthinkable for many females to put men's lives in danger.

The anthro families Leon had seen featured on the news or even in passing were all polygamous. There were around four to six females married or mated to one male with several children. There was some inter-mated anthro families between species, but it was still an exception rather than the rule. Still, Leon wasn't at all surprised to find his new housemates being differing anthro species.

Life on Earth, however, was much different than what they were used to. In fact, it was completely backward in some ways. Populations of human men and women were about evenly split, and they tended to form in patriarchal groups. Leon imagined that had to have come as a bit of a shock to the anthros. Yet despite the huge cultural difference, the anthros had been highly accommodating. Though some anthros, particularly the more traditional or conservative ones, suggested their way was much better.

Leon, however, as he thought about all of this, wondered if it may have actually been better. It was certainly taboo for a human, but he couldn't help but feel that a polygamous relationship would be wonderful. Or perhaps it was simply more of an idle fancy or fantasy of his. One that would never happen.

The six anthros he was hosting were all gorgeous women – at least by his standards – and they didn't have an anthro man yet. He wondered if that meant something, giving great credence to the limited number of males in their society. And that they might look to humans for intimacy....

He shook his head and let out a short chuckle. That was all just wishful thinking. And one he couldn't believe he was entertaining in the first place.

A soft knock rapped on his door, breaking Leon's long train of thought. His gaze shot over to it. He hadn't realized how long he was sitting on his bed, pondering about such silly things.

“Are you coming?" Serena asked from the other side. “Alyssa's growing a bit impatient. She really loves swimming, like most minks."

Leon cleared his throat. “Y-yes," he replied. “I'll be right down. I'll meet you all in the foyer." Half of him wanted her to wait and walk down together. The other half was too nervous to ask such a thing.

“Very well," she answered. “Don't take too long."

Leon exhaled. He was holding his breath and didn't even realize it. He couldn't even see the snow leopard and his heart was already racing again.

Once his nerves calmed down a little, Leon made his way down the empty hall. His pace was slow. He realized that he was intentionally stalling, but the top of the stairwell came sooner than expected.

All six of them were scattered around the foyer looking at some of the artwork and other pictures he had hanging on the walls. Serena was studying an old grandfather clock against the wall between the doorways that led to the kitchen and the dining room. She wore a faint smile as she ran a finger down the polished wood.

The sight of the snow leopard appreciating the craftsmanship made Leon grin. It also calmed him enough to stroll down the stairwell with confidence. “It belonged to my grandparents," he told Serena as he approached the last step.

“The woodwork is exquisite," she observed, running another finger along the carvings. “You're grandparents had wonderful taste."

“Thank you," he beamed. He stood beside her and explained a bit more about the old but well maintained clock. Everyone else gathered around and behind them. Leon hadn't even realized it, but they'd all joined in to listen him tell a few good memories he'd had of times he spent with his grandparents.

“I always loved visiting with them. I saw them every chance I got," he finished.

Serena placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling. “It's nice to hear you had a good relationship with them."

With the heat of her soft palm on his shoulder, Leon nearly melted. But he held his composure. “H-how about we get to showing you around?" he asked, stuttering.

Leon gave them a much less abbreviated tour of his place. He brought them through the kitchen, showing them where everything was, from the silverware to the cookware and even the cabinet where he kept some of the alcohol.

“However, most of the adult beverages," he explained, “are in the bar down in the entertainment room as well as the mini bar by the pool."

“I certainly wouldn't refuse a cocktail or two," Vera, the pantheress, joked.

“Of course you wouldn't," Nalani teased. “Just don't give her any more than that, otherwise she gets a bit forward if you catch my drift."

Everyone except Leon chuckled at the pantheress's expense. Leon imagined the pantheress getting buzzed and hitting on him. The thought made him feel warm and a bit more excited than he'd wanted, his cheeks turning a faint red. Vera was hardly embarrassed, though. She raised her chin high and laughed with them.

“So what?" Vera argued. “At least I know how to loosen up a little."

“I… I'll keep that in mind then," Leon added his laughter to the mix. He raised an arm toward the dining room. “Shall we?"

After touring the first floor, since they'd already seen the entire second floor, they headed down to the basement. “This is where I spend most of my time," Leon remarked, the moment all of them were at the bottom of the stairs. The large room before them had the bar he'd mentioned, a huge entertainment system, shelves full of movies and video games, bookcases packed with all types of literature, and furniture that would fit all seven of them.

“I can see why you spend most of your day down here," Vera observed, taking a quick glace through his collection of video games. “Because I'll probably be down here most of the day, too." The pantheress looked around the room again, glimpsing something of extreme interest in the next room. “You have a personal arcade!" she cheered, racing into the room.

Everyone followed Vera, and by the time they caught up to her, she already had her eager hands on one of the joysticks. “You have your own arcade? That is awesome!" The pantheress bounced to the 8-bit music and sound effects.

Risa joined Vera's side. “You started a game and you didn't invite me? I get the next one," the rabbit demanded.

“Fine. Fine," grumbled the pantheress.

Nalani, however, utterly disapproved of their behavior. “I know how much you two love this stuff, but don't you think you're being a bit rude?" she growled.

Vera frowned and let go of the joystick, sighing. “I guess you're right. Sorry, Leon. I forgot to even ask permission."

“It's alright," Leon shrugged. “You're welcome to play whenever you want. I just ended up with all of these machines and games because a local arcade went out of business, and having a personal arcade, all to myself, was a bit of a childhood dream." He grinned. “Now it's a reality."

“Don't encourage her," Nalani joked.

“It's all so old compared to the stuff we have. Most of these kind of video games I've only seen in museums," Vera added. “But that's what makes it so cool."

Curious, Leon had to follow up with a question. “What kind of video games do anthros have?" He already knew a bit about their entertainment technology since it was a topic that interested him, but he'd only ever read about it.

“Most of our games are full immersion virtual reality. I actually packed one of my FIVR consoles as well as several games," explained Vera. “All I'll have to do is set it up sometime, and I can show you the ropes." A wide grin swept along her sleek, black muzzle. “You'll love it!"

“The closest thing I have to VR is the Oculus Rift. But definitely sign me up and consider me lucky," Leon beamed. He'd known about their virtual reality technology and had tried to do his best to get his hands on one. However, current trade restrictions and other regulations had barred him from doing so. So Vera's luggage ended up coming with a delightful surprise in that respect.

“Shall we continue?" Nalani huffed, growing impatient.

“Yes," Leon apologized. “Let's continue."

They followed him around the rest of the manor, and by the time he was done showing them all around the inside, they'd all moved closer to him. It seemed they'd all warmed up to him easily and quickly. Serena stood the closest to him, her tail brushing up against him every now and then. Leon didn't know if it was intentional or not, but the sly grin on her face suggested it may have been.

“And now for the outside, where the pool is," he said. The glass doors from the living room swung open into a large deck that stretched all the way to the other end of the house where the kitchen was. Leon led over to the end of the deck, and over the wooden railing was the in-ground pool. It was shaped like fat “L" with the hot tub nestled in the corner next to it. A diving board was stretched over the deep end, which made Alyssa let out a stifled cheer of excitement.

The mink took lead and went straight for the pool in a bit of a jog. Already, she was pulling off her tank top and soon enough she was in nothing but her pink bikini.

“I glad to see her excited," said the rabbit, Risa. “Moving to Earth has been roughest on her." She patted Leon a few times on the back before pulling her shirt up and over her long black ears. Risa was wearing a white bikini underneath, revealing her tone, furry belly. Her bare feet were longer than the other anthros, and she had a bit of a hop to her step as she caught up to her best friend.

Alyssa looked back at Leon from the edge of the pool. “May I?" she requested, eager to jump in.

Leon nodded. “Anytime you want," he said. “You guys are welcome to the pool whenever you want to go for a swim."

Risa laughed and gave her friend a little nudge, forcing the mink to finally dive right in. There was hardly a splash even though it was a bit of a sudden dive. Alyssa surfaced, her sleek golden fur wet, but her smile was big enough that the sun gleamed off of her white teeth. Risa jumped in after her, making a much bigger splash.

“Thank you, Leon," said Serena. “You've been extremely welcoming and kind to us."

“Yes," agreed everyone else. “It's true.

Leon blushed. “I-it's nothing," he replied, looking over to the snow leopard. She, and the rest of the women, were removing their shirts and shorts. Leon's cheeks and ears turned an even darker shade of red as it suddenly grew hotter under the afternoon sun.

Each of them was drop-dead gorgeous. They were each beautiful enough with their clothes on, but the moment they were in nothing more than their bikinis, Leon started to sweat.

Flat and firm bellies, long and toned legs, slender and strong arms, long and fluffy tails, wide hips, slender waists, and – of course – bountiful bosoms on each of them. All six anthros were not only beautiful women. They were gorgeous.

Leon bit his lip. He was staring and not even realizing it.

“Well…" chuckled Serena. “Are you going to be joining us or not?"

“Yeah!" Vera added. “What's a pool party without the host?"

Sweat was all the way down to Leon's palms. He felt himself choking on his words as his gaze bounced between all four ravishing women before him. “Y-your right," he answered. His hands trembled as he grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head, tossing it to one of the lounging chairs lining the pool.

“I'm going for the hot tub," Vera declared.

“I think I'll join you," said Nalani.

Kaira glanced back and forth between the pool and the hot tub, weighing the options. The fox elected to join her friends in the pool for the meantime.

“Where will you be going, Leon?" Serena asked.

Nervous, Leon shrugged. “Well, I don't swim too often, but I do enjoy relaxing in the hot tub." When he signed up to host a few anthros, he never imagined he'd be in his hot tub with three beautiful felines on the very first day.

Nalani and Vera were already up to their furry necks in the water by the time Leon and Serena got there. The lioness and pantheress had their arms stretched out, their heads leaning back, and their eyes closed, purring to the warm jets on their backs.

Serena stepped in first, her tail trailing behind her, following her right into the bubbling water. The only open spot was between Nalani and Vera, across from the snow leopard. Serena took a quick dip into the warm water getting her head wet as well. As she surfaced she pushed her fur and ears back, letting the water drip down the back. Blinking open her sparkling blue eyes, she looked to Leon, who was still standing outside the hot tub.

“There's still enough room for you, Leon," she told him. “No need to be coy."

Leon wouldn't admit to being so shy, but it must have been obvious. He was still caught up in their beauty. What he saw in them was much more than he'd ever seen in humans, especially when it came to physical attraction.

He wasn't sure what all of it may have meant on a deeper level, but his body was certainly telling him what it meant on the surface. Embarrassed for the slight arousal swelling in him, he hurried into the water and took his place between the lioness and the pantheress.

The tight smirk on Serena's muzzle suggested she was chuckling in her mind. Leon though he must have looked a bit odd or awkward to them. He certainly felt that way, but none of them had shunned him like plenty of other girls had in the past.

“I must admit…" Nalani started the moment Leon was in the water. “You've got quite the place, Leon. Is it safe to assume that you're wealthy?"

“I'd say!" Vera added. “You must be loaded!"

Nalani shot her friend a glare, unamused by her comment. “Seems you still need to learn a bit of tact, Vera."

“Oh, please," the pantheress disagreed. “I just say things as I see them."

“Yes. That's exactly the problem," the lioness laughed. “Tact means you think about something before you say it, rather than just blurt it out."

“It… it's alright…" Leon interrupted them. He cleared his throat before continuing. Wealth and finances was always an unnerving topic for him, simply because it often made people think differently about him when they discovered the reason why he struck it rich in the first place.

“So how did you acquire your wealth?" Serena asked.

Anxiously, Leon raked his wet fingers through his hair. “Well, it's a bit of a story altogether, but the short version is that I'd won the Powerball lottery in my home state."

“Home state?" asked Serena.

Leon was a bit stunned by the fact that the snow leopard had responded so differently than everyone else he'd told in the past. Most people simply replied with joyful shock, usually along the lines of, “You won the lottery! Awesome! How much did you win?"

But Serena hadn't seemed to pay any mind to how much money he'd won. She been curious, instead, of the fact he'd inferred that he grew up elsewhere. Leon was glad she did. It was a welcome curiosity.

“Yes," Leon nodded. “I grew up in Virginia."

“What made you want to move to California?" asked Nalani.

Leon felt his body tense up to the question. The answer was something a bit painful, and he didn't really want to get into it. At least not yet. “I'd often dreamed of moving here, so the moment I had the opportunity, I did," he answered. It wasn't a lie.

“I can certainly see why. From all I've seen, California is a great place. The weather is definitely great," Vera added, beaming.

Serena was still curious about her host and his previous answer. “Is your family still in Virginia?"

Leon swallowed hard. He didn't doubt that the snow leopard had caught his hesitation when answering the question. “Yes…" he uttered, lacking emotion, “…yes they are. My parents as well as my two siblings still live there."

“I see," she nodded. Not another word came after, suggesting she'd caught the bit of tension in his voice.

“Do they visit often?" continued Vera. The pantheress wasn't quite as astute as the snow leopard or lioness.

“No. They don't," he answered, hoping it would be the last of the subject.

“Why not?" exclaimed the pantheress. “If you were my brother, I'd be visiting you often."

“Vera!" Serena and Nalani scolded her.

“What? Did I do something wrong?" She looked over her Leon, who was nervously biting his bottom lip. “Oh… do you not have a good relationship with them?"

The snow leopard and lioness shook their heads. Vera wasn't one for picking up on a person's subtle emotional cues.

Leon nodded, though, affirming the pantheress's – and the other two's – suspicions. “Yes, but I'd prefer not to talk about it if that's alright. I'd rather we just relax today and get you all acquainted with your new home."

“Okay…" Vera muttered. “I'm sorry for bringing it up." The pantheress fidgeted in the hot tub for a while before growing uncomfortable. “It's a bit hot in here. I think I'm going to switch over to the pool."

They each watched as Vera rose out of the hot tub. Water dripped and steamed from her dark fur all the way down to her bare feet, making a small puddle.

Leon's eyes lingered on the pantheress's feet, which stood flush with the white stone tiles around the pool. And despite being in a hot tub, he felt his body grow warmer from the sight. He felt a few unknown urges course through his veins, inadvertently licking his lips. When his gaze finally left Vera's feet, he caught Serena studying him. His throat tightened and he shot his eyes elsewhere, hoping she didn't catch him staring for too long.

“I think I'll join her," Nalani said. “I'm starting to overheat as well."

The lioness hopped up out of the water, bringing her knees to rest on the edge of the hot tub, hanging her feet over the hot tub. The bottom of her bare feet were on full view for a few seconds, dripping hot water.

Leon itched all over with the desire to take one glance. Just one. But Serena was still watching him. He felt the snow leopard's eyes all over him, studying him closer. The temptation was just too much, though. His gaze shot to the lioness's big feet. Steam was rolling up from her heel and toes, the thick dark flesh already starting to dry in the sun.

With a hard gulp, Leon bit his lip and made sure to turn away and find something else to look at right away. He kept the wonderful view in memory though, thinking about it as he stared out across the yard and lake. Serena was in his periphery, still watching him, regarding him with intense curiosity. Leon hoped to god she didn't think he was weird, because he hadn't a clue just how much anthro feet would have ever been a thing for him.

“You seem uncomfortable," Serena observed. “Is everything alright?"

“Yep. I'm doing alright." he answered quickly. Too quickly.

The snow leopard grinned. “That's good to hear. So you won't mind if I stretch my legs?" Serena bent her knees, leaned back, and pushed her feet across the hot tub, resting them on the open space right next to Leon.

“N-no problem," he stammered, scooting over to give her feet some more room. “Stretch as much as you want."

“Great," she beamed. Her large toes wiggled for a few seconds before she curled them, bending her feet forward, stretching them. “You know what?"

Leon gulped, raising a nervous brow. “W-what?" he asked.

“I'm really happy you're doing this for us. I want you to know that…" she sighed, leaning farther back. Her feet glided upward out of the water, curling even more in the middle, stretching those thick muscles and flesh. “I understand how difficult it has to be for you to bring in so many unfamiliar people into your home. You really are a generous person, Leon."

With the snow leopard's luscious feet dangling not too far from him, Leon couldn't help but sneak a peek. His hands clutched his thighs at the sight, sending an eager jolt up his spine. He wanted so much to reach up and grab them. Just to feel them, was his excuse.

But he understood it was so much more than that. He'd fancied feet for a long time, but these anthro's feet – all of them – were beyond any normal craving. And he didn't know just how strong of a desire it was until they were dangling right in front of him.

“Yeah…" she added, purring. “Thank you so much for everything. Things were a bit rough before the United States and other countries decided to create the voluntary hosting program."

Leon didn't even respond. He simply nodded his head in sympathy, eyeing up her steaming bare feet a few seconds longer. “I can imagine," he replied at last as she let her feet fall back down into the water.

“We may not outright say it, but I hope you understand just how appreciative we are," Serena said, smirking. She was observing him the entire time, watching how many times his eyes strayed to glance at her feet.

Leon nodded anxiously, knowing she was still studying him. He couldn't even peel his eyes away from her gorgeous face and dazzling blue eyes. “I understand. And I'll do my best," he smiled back, mesmerized by her beauty and charm. “I think it's the least I can do for six wonderful women."

“It makes me happy to hear you say that, Leon. Thank you," she winked.

Still, Leon felt the snow leopard examining him. She was observing every move, every subtle facial expression, attempting to read him like some sort of half-open book, peering into the shadowed text of his darkest desires.

They spent several more minutes relaxing in the hot tub. All the others had a good time wading in the cool waters of the pool. Alyssa enjoyed using the diving board, hardly ever making a splash from her expert dives. Leon figured the mink would be limber, but she was much more flexible than he'd first expected.

One by one, they'd all the left the pool, choosing to relax on the lounge chairs for the meantime. Serena and Leon soon joined them. However, Leon was distracted the whole time. His feelings were revolving between anxiety, disbelief, and excitement. He couldn't believe he'd stared so long at their delightful feet, afraid his eyes and his body had given away too many clues.

Leon's thoughts kept him quiet for the most part as he imagined what the rest of the night was going to be like. He didn't even realize when they were trying to get his attention the first time around.

“Hey, Leon?" Vera had stood up from her chair and waved her hand in front of him. “Any suggestions on what to do next?"

Snapping out of it, Leon looked to the pantheress. “Well…" he thought about it aloud. “I suppose we could all watch a movie together. How does that sound?"

“That sounds great. I'm up for it," they all concurred.

Leon escorted them all back to the house, handing them each a towel from a caddy on the deck. He told all six to meet him down in the entertainment room after they'd dried off and changed. Thinking it would take them a while, he took his time changing into some dry clothes, but by the time he made it down to the basement, they were already there, eager to watch what may have been their first human movie.

Alyssa, Risa, and Kaira took a seat next to each other. The love seat they were on was wide enough for all three of them, but it was still cramped. Leon noticed, however, that they didn't seem to mind being snuggled up so close with one another.

Nalani and Vera took the next couch. Nalani sat straight but Vera lied right down on it, placing her head on the lioness's lap and resting her feet on the other end, hanging over the edge, toes wiggling. Leon did his best not to stare, remembering the current trouble it got him in. But as much as he fought against it, he still felt eager to find out what Serena would do with the information. Still, a longer movie might delay the inevitable confrontation, he thought for a second.

“So which movie do you suggest?" Serena asked him, in awe of the wide wall stuffed full of DVDs and Blu-rays. “It looks like you've got quite the extensive selection."

“Hmm…" Leon mumbled, scrunching up his face in contemplation. “Would you prefer to watch something rather new? Or would you like to watch an older movie?"

“How about something new," Nalani answered, pushing her friend up from her lap, demanding that she sit up straight.

“I agree," Serena said. “Something new might help us appreciate some human culture as it is today."

Leon scanned through several of the shelves that were built right into the wall. It was nice and cool down in the basement, which help ease him a bit as he searched for a good pick. A movie would be a nice enough distraction for all of them, especially him. Plus, he was doing his best to find a flick that would help him bond with his new housemates.

“What about this one?" Serena was behind him and he hadn't even realized it. “Is this one relatively new?" The movie she pulled from the shelf happened to be none other than Zootopia.

Leon raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. “It is. But are you sure?"

“Why? Is it bad?" she asked.

“Not at all. It actually really good. I just meant that… well…" he paused, not knowing how to phrase his response or why he'd really hesitated. “I didn't think you'd go for an animated film. But I guess, in an odd way, it's kind of relevant."

“That's partly why it piqued my interest," she added. “We've all heard about this movie and found it extremely interesting that humans already had depictions of anthros before we'd even arrived on this planet. Not to mention, it's very curious how similar we are to some of the creatures on Earth. I think it'd be a great movie for all of us to watch."

They were all valid points. “Alright," he smiled, grabbing it from her hand. “Take a seat and I'll pop it in."

After putting in the disc, Leon turned to find two spots available. There was a spot next to Serena on the long couch with the other felines. The other spot was in a single reclining chair. That wasn't all. Some of them had their legs stretched out and toes pointed upward, airing the bottom of their feet. Risa was one of them. The black rabbit's long feet stood the tallest of the six anthros.

Leon heart skipped a beat in that moment as he tried to keep from staring. No doubt Serena was still watching him, taking note of every little mannerism. “I'm going to go get some… uh… popcorn and drinks," he blurted, trying to avoid looking uncomfortable.

Previews played for a while as he made a large batch of popcorn for everyone. He also grabbed them each a drink from the bar, listening in on their conversations.

“They certainly depict a lot of men as the heroes in these movies, don't they?" Nalani noted. “I know why that is, but it kind of catches me off guard each time."

“Yeah," Risa agreed. “That'll definitely take some getting used to. But I wonder who the hero is in this movie."

Leon smiled as he grabbed the next drink. He thought that the rabbit would be in for a bit of a treat with this particular film. One thing he was very grateful for, however, was the fact that they were all speaking in English rather than their native tongue. He understood they had to have been doing it mostly for his sake, but he really appreciated it, even when they weren't speaking directly to him.

“Oh!" Risa exclaimed the moment the menu came on the large television. “There's a rabbit in this movie!"

The rest of her friends smiled. “And a fox," Kaira added, beaming. “Although it's a male fox, it's neat to see."

“Aw…" Vera sighed in disappointment. “No panthers?"

Leon chuckled behind the bar. He knew better since he'd already watched the movie a few times. It was definitely memorable enough to remember most of the species that made an appearance in the film, and a panther was definitely one. He was excited to see her reaction when the panther was going to make his appearance.

“Do you mind if we start it, Leon?" Serena called for him.

“Not at all," Leon answered her. “I won't be much longer." After coming out from behind the bar, he went to place the last few drink on the long coffee table between the furniture. Vera had her feet up on it, which put Leon dangerously close, getting a good look at her big toes with the sleek black fur on top. They made him involuntarily lick his lips, imagining what they may taste like.

“Ahem…" Nalani cleared her throat.

The sudden noise startled Leon, thinking he was caught in the act.

Nalani, however, nudged her friend. “Don't you think it's rude to have your feet up on the table like that?"

“Oh. Right. Sorry," Vera mumbled. She pulled them off right away, letting Leon put the drinks down.

Phew. That was close. Leon really thought they noticed him eyeing up the pantheress's feet. And when his gaze glided upward to the snow leopard, he found a devilish grin along her silver and white muzzle. A keen gleam flickered in her eyes as well. It made Leon feel warm all of a sudden as he took his seat in the single recliner.

“Despite being predators," Serena joked, “we don't bite, Leon. You could have joined us on the couch if you'd wanted." The snow leopard's eyes still glistened with a ravenous curiosity and study of the human.

How oddly relevant, Leon thought in regards to the movie that was just getting started. It also made him wonder if predator and prey relations had ever been a problem in anthro history. He thought he could ask them when the movie was over, thinking it'd be a very interesting topic as well as an opportunity to get to know them better.

“I… I'm alright," Leon replied. “Thank you, though, Serena." However, his body cursed him for not taking the opportunity. A big part of him longed to get close to her as well as the rest of them, but the first chance he got, he shot it down. It would have been too awkward, he argued with himself, justifying his fear and his actions.

“Alright," added Serena. “I just figured I'd offer in case you wanted."

I do, he thought. But what would you think of me if I did? That just seems too quick to sit so close to someone right away, or is that only because of the human customs I'm used to?

“Thanks," Leon smiled and nodded. He held down the button to recline the chair, resting a small bowl of popcorn on his lap.

“What is this stuff exactly?" Kaira asked, chowing down on the popcorn. “It's delicious in a very odd sort of way. The texture is different than any kind of snack I'm used to."

Leon was a bit bewildered. “You haven't had popcorn yet?"

“No. Not yet. This is the first time," they all answered.

“Well, I'm glad I was the first to introduce you to our mainstay, movie-watching munchies," Leon chuckled. “It's pretty much customary to have popcorn when watching a movie."

“I'm up for watching more movies just for the popcorn, then!" the fox exclaimed. “These are great. Oh – look – another fox!" Kaira's eyes shot back to the television. “He's a mean one, isn't he? Real male foxes never act that way."

“Get up and defend yourself," Risa cheered for the main character, Judy, a rabbit. “Don't take that crap from a measly fox!"

Leon grinned wide. It was wonderful seeing them get so into the movie. And so quickly, too. Alyssa, however, had returned to being mostly quiet and coy. What was occurring in the movie seemed to bother her a little, and Leon was able to sympathize with her. He'd had his share of bullying in the past, and he figured it might have been the same for her, based on her facial expressions.

The movie went on with a few comments here and there about things they found odd or surprising about different species depicted in the film. Nalani made a remark about a male lion being mayor, saying it was next to impossible for such a thing in their world. Vera cheered when the panther made his appearance, but subsequently felt sorry for him as the plot thickened.

Serena grinned when she saw the snow leopard reporting the news, making that comment that she was actually very cute. Her comment made Leon smile. He'd actually thought the same the first time he saw the movie. Although he'd thought that for many of the characters, he really liked felines in particular.

When the movie finished, they all expressed their positive opinions of it. Leon was glad they enjoyed it, realizing Serena had picked a great movie with which to start.

“It was good to see a well-developed heroine in this movie," Nalani commented after stretching her legs and arms.

“And a badtail rabbit, too!" Risa added, chuckling. “She may have been small, but she could kick some tail when necessary."

“Yeah…" Nalani continued. “I must admit it was odd to see so many male characters on the police force, though. But that's how human society is."

“And why are some of the characters so much smaller than others?" Alyssa asked.

Leon thought about it for a second before he explained to the mink that the animators were simply illustrating the size differences of those animals on Earth.

“And what's with this whole 'sly fox' thing, Leon?" Kaira asked. “How did humans come up with such a stereotype? Not that I'm objecting to being known as crafty and cunning," she added, laughing.

Leon cleared his throat to buy some time. He didn't know how to answer the question, but all the eyes in the room were on him, waiting for an explanation.

Leon cleared his throat to buy some time. He didn't know how to answer the question, but all the eyes in the room were on him, waiting for an explanation. “Um… well… those depictions have been around for a long time. Foxes were known for being cunning hunters and were often depicted as such in a lot of old fables. It's a trope we've all come to know and love, but I think Zootopia did a good job showing that Nick was much more than his stereotype. That was a big part of the movie in regards to all the characters."

“Very well put," Serena said. “I agree. It was also a bit of a reminder of our history in certain respects. Relations between predator and prey hadn't always been good back on our world."

They each nodded, especially Risa and Alyssa, who were the only “prey" in the group. Minks still blurred the line between predator and prey because they were stronger and faster than the other prey species along with being omnivores. Other species of prey, although not considered as such in anthro societies, were the unicorns. Leon had heard little about them since they were they odd ones out of the anthro races, but he'd heard that they were far from oppressed like the other prey, having psionic powers that set them apart from all the other anthros.

Leon was glad he didn't even have to bring up the subject of oppression though. He imagined the strife the anthros had face between predator and prey as having been similar to race relations between humans. And he'd easily surmised which group was the oppressor.

“It's true," Risa added. “I'm sure glad I didn't live back then. But I'm also sure I would have been fighting against the slavery and oppression of prey." The black rabbit was a boastful one, but Leon had no doubt that she had skill to back up her confidence.

Nalani was the one to explain that predators dominated prey species for millennia. The races of felines, wolves, bears, and foxes were the stronger, faster, and more durable. The stark difference in power allowed them to capture and enslave the rabbits, minks, deer, and raccoons, which were smaller and weaker.

Prey had tried to fight back several times in the past, but they'd always lost. That was until a white-furred mink, named Akira, took up arms against the predators.

“Akira was a tenacious and cunning leader," Nalani explained further but allowed Alyssa to continue the story.

“It was the first time guerilla warfare was used on a wide scale," said the mink. “Akira understood that prey were never going to win the battle in open confrontation. She also understood that, since the predators had never before encountered such tactics, they would have difficulty countering it

“The constant guerilla attacks began to take a real toll on the predators and prey army under Akira often helped enslaved prey escape. They then began to run out of money with the prey often escaping," Risa explained. “And once the resources ran out, the predators could no longer run the institutional slavery of prey. It was too much effort, especially with the enslaved prey emboldened and escaping on a regular basis. The cost to recapture them was too high, and most of them made it to safe zones, where they joined the Akira's ranks. The war to end slavery had eventually ended in a victory for prey."

Nalani frowned. “But the end of slavery didn't end discrimination and segregation of prey," the lioness continued. “From what I've read about American history, it was very similar to racial discrimination in this country before civil rights. Life for prey was very difficult, and they faced harsh and sometimes violent, brutal oppression on a daily basis."

“Just like your history," Serena concluded. “It took centuries and decades for us to learn that the rights of one race were universal. They were the rights of each race, of each individual. So that's why this movie had us a bit taken aback. It was a good reminder of the progress we'd made in our history, but also a reminder of the prejudice we'd once held against one another."

The end of the discussion came with a cold silence. The air in the basement was cool, but it wasn't until they'd all hung their heads in contemplation that Leon had noticed the chill on his fingers and cheeks. It reminded him just how much they'd all been through in such a short time.

“It must have been really difficult…" Leon spoke up, “…leaving your home planet. Especially after all the progress you'd made to achieve relative peace and unity." He'd spent some time learning about the anthros and their culture. He known that they'd once had separate nations like Earth, but they'd unified under a single representative empire called the Anthro Empire, with an Empress as the head of state. He was reminded of the gorgeous lioness he'd seen that morning on the news.

“It was hard to watch our home disappear when we went through the portal," said Kaira. “But there wasn't much of a choice. We would have been exterminated otherwise. The alien race attacking us wasn't going to stop until all of us were dead. They sought our extinction. And escape was our only option to ensure our survival."

Leon had heard a lot about it in the news. For three months straight, there was nonstop coverage about the anthro immigration and their escape from a hostile alien race. It was incredulous at the time, considering the level of technology the anthros had, which was why several humans believed it was all a ruse at first. But as time went on the anthros had only been peaceful and appreciative, proving that their intentions were only to find a safe planet to call home.

“And several of us feel terrible for being such an unexpected and immediate burden on humans," added Nalani. “We did our best to find ways to sustain our populations on Seralis, but that proved to be too much. It was extremely overcrowded. So when the immigration and hosting programs started being enacted, Serena suggested we give it a try. The United States was at the top of our list. We were very grateful to be accepted. And eventually very grateful to be hosted by you, Leon."

All of them nodded with enthusiastic agreement.

“It'll take some time," Serena said, “but I believe anthros and humans will start to settle in to our new lives together on this planet. And I'm confident our contribution, in terms of more advanced technology, will help bridge some of the current gap and improve our relations."

“I do believe it will be a win-win in the end," Leon added his own thoughts. “You're correct when you say that anthros have a lot to contribute. And I think that's true beyond just your technology."

They each smiled, happy to hear that their host had a positive outlook. “It's good to hear such optimism," Serena replied. “And it makes me that much more glad that it was you who ended up being our temporary host as we try to get settled here in California. I don't think we could have had anyone better."

Leon's cheeks reddened and he felt his fingers warm. It no longer felt as cold down in the basement. “Thank you," he said, feeling somewhat embarrassed from the compliment. “It's starting to get a bit late, but would you guys like some dinner?"

Deciding what to eat was a bit of a task with seven people, all with different preferences. They settled on something quick and simple. Vera also made a promise that she was going to cook for him sometime as she loved to grill.

The pantheress mentioned that her folks used to own a restaurant and she work there as a cook, learning very early on how to make several different meals. Leon liked the idea and couldn't turn her down. He did have an expensive grill that wasn't used as often as he would have liked.

Dinner was very enjoyable. Leon was surprised just how quickly he was getting to know the six anthros. It was odd how comfortable he felt around them despite being nervous. They all had their own way of making him feel at ease, and all of them were so personable even though they had such differing personalities.

“I hope you all enjoyed dinner," Leon said, cleaning up the table. They all joined in to help him.

“I certainly did," Serena answered. She was right next to Leon grabbing the dinnerware he'd missed when his hands were full. Each of them echoed the snow leopard's opinion. Their very first dinner had been a simple success, which made Leon happy.

“That's good to hear," Leon replied to all of them. “I know it was a modest dinner, but I'm looking forward to giving you guys the opportunity to taste many more types of cuisine." He looked to Vera. “As well as trying some of yours."

“As do we all," Vera beamed.

“Well, if we all retire for the night then the next day will come sooner," Nalani suggested. “I know I'm tired, and I'm thinking of heading right to bed. I may go for a short walk first, though."

Leon felt the same. It had, after all, been a long, nerve-racking, but very pleasant day. He was ready for some rest as he was sure most of them were, too. “I know I'm ready for bed as well," he echoed the lioness. “But you're all welcome to stay up as late as you want. Feel free to watch more movies or play some games down in the entertainment room or arcade."

“Thanks, but I'm ready for bed, too," Serena said. “I'll probably be heading upstairs with you. Risa and Vera are both late night kind of people, though. I'm sure they'll be staying up."

“True…" both the rabbit and pantheress chuckled.

“Plus, I think I saw some video games I want to try out. Not to mention the arcade room you have down there," Vera added. “I've been fascinated with human video games a month after we arrived on Earth and got a hold of my first console. They're all so retro compared to our virtual reality games. Plus, you've got tons of old and new stuff! And maybe if I get good…" the pantheress smirked at Leon, winking, “…I'll be able to beat you in some of them."

“And don't count me out," Risa chimed in.

Leon chuckled. “I'll tell you both right now," he warned them jokingly, “I'm actually pretty good at all the games you'll find down there. But I'll take you up on that challenge any day."

“You're on, then!" they beamed.

Leon wore a smile all the way up the stairs, down the hall, and into his room. Serena, Nalani, Kaira, and Alyssa had all gone to their rooms, too.

The moment Leon was at the foot of his bed, he spun on his heels and let his body fall. He landed on the king-size mattress and thick blanket with a soft thud, his grin still stretched ear to ear.

Elation filled him, which was a wonderful surprise as well as a delightful change from how his day started with anxiety. All six women were not only gorgeous. They were thoughtful, respectful, intelligent, honest, and so many other things. Leagues ahead of most human women he'd met or, heaven forbid, tried to date.

The euphoria kept him up as he tossed and turned on top of his bed, thinking about the events of the day. He hadn't even bothered to take off his clothes. Just thinking about each of the anthros kept him occupied, especially when his mind wandered to their feet.

Three felines, a fox, a mink, and a rabbit, all walking barefoot around his house. It felt like fantastical paradise: something only possible in his dreams. But it was now his life for the next month or so, and the longer Leon thought about it, the more he realized just how complicated it might make things for him.

Feet were his weakness. And that was doubly true for anthro feet. He'd realized that today, particularly when Serena had hers dangling just a foot away, steaming and dripping hot water. If they ever found out about his fascination, he was worried they'd see him differently or see him as odd. And not in a good way.

“That's right," he whispered to himself, remembering the way Serena had been studying him. “I hope she didn't notice just how much I was staring."

And right at the end of his sentence, a quiet knock rapped on his bedroom door. His heart skipped as adrenaline shot through him. Who could it be? Leon bolted upward in his bed, sitting on the edge, staring at the door.

“Y-yes?" he stuttered. “Who is it?"

“Serena…" was the reply.

Crap, Leon cursed in his mind. “J-just a second."

Slowly, he got to his feet and walked to the door at a snail's pace, stalling, afraid of every possible outcome of this situation. Cold metal met his fingers as they wrapped around the doorknob. He gulped, his heart beating faster with each second he delayed.

“You there?" she said on the other side, her muzzle right up next to the door.

Leon bit his lip and drew in a deep breath through his nose. Twisted the doorknob. Opened.

“There you are." The snow leopard's bright smile was the first thing to greet him. But Leon quickly met with her dazzling eyes, still as blue as glacial ice, even in the faint indoor light. “Do you happen to have a minute?" she asked, waiting for permission to enter.

“I…" Leon hesitated. He hoped to the high heavens that she didn't want to talk about that which he feared she was going to ask. “I do," he finally let her in. “What's on your mind?"

Serena walked toward his bed, taking a seat on the foot of it. She stared at the floor and tapped her slender fingers on her thighs. “First, I want to say that I'm a smidgen nervous about asking this. So I hope you won't think of me any differently when I do."

Oh no, Leon swallowed hard. He felt his palms growing sweaty again. “It's okay. I won't," he promised her.

“I couldn't help but notice… earlier today…" Serena started. She paused often and spoke slowly and quietly, drawing it out longer than Leon wished to bear. “That you're eyes tended to stray toward my feet as well as the feet of my friends. Does that mean anything in particular to you?" The snow leopard paused again, batting her beautiful eyes at him. “Do you like feet?"

There is was. Intense heat course through every limb on Leon's body. His mouth opened, hanging loose for a moment without a single word.

Serena noticed his nervous hesitation. “Know that I won't think differently of you no matter your answer," she added in hopes of assuaging his anxiety.

Sweat was now dripping from Leon's forehead and back. It felt cold as it drizzled down his spine, making him shiver. “I…" he stopped. Already, he was choking on his words, swallowing down lump after nervous lump.

“What is it you're afraid of?" she asked, rising to her feet and wandering over to Leon. One of her soft fingers ran along his cheek, trying to comfort him, urging him to speak. “You can express yourself honestly around all of us, especially me, Leon."

Leon hung his head, but that hardly helped. The snow leopard's feet were right below, toes wiggling. More sweat dripped down his back.

“How about this?" Serena offered. “You don't have to say anything right now, but would you be alright giving me a quick foot rub before bed? And if you feel more comfortable as we go along, then you can tell me. Deal?"

Leon felt divided. In a way, he knew it was a trap. The moment he put his hands on her feet, the answer would be obvious. But he had the option to back out now. All he had to do was tell her that she was only imagining things, and that whatever she'd seen up to this point was simply due to his anxiety.

But the temptation was too much. Leon nodded. “Sure," he agreed. “We can do that."

“Very well," said the snow leopard. A sly grin curled upward on her muzzle. “Meet me on your bed?"

She strolled over to the foot of the bed, her hips swaying to and fro, her tail swishing behind her. After lying down, she looked to him, urging him to join her with the eager glimmer in her eyes.

He hesitated at first, staring at the bottom of her large feet. Her toes were already curled and wiggling in anticipation. The smell of sweet lavender lingered in the air where Serena had been, reminding Leon of earlier in the day. All of it beckoned him, calling him forward, persuading him to walk to the foot of the bed and sit down next to her long, sliver-furred legs.

Serena smiled and relaxed the moment he was at the end the bed right next to her feet. They were already itching to feel his palms and fingers. “It's been a while since I've had a foot rub," she said. “So don't be shy about it. Use as much pressure as you'd like."

The snow leopard's scent was even stronger so close to her. And her feet had their own distinct scent, smelling earthier with a hint of copper. It drew Leon closer as he scooted forward, his right hand reaching for her left for, shaking eagerly and anxiously. The temptation had a wicked, unyielding grip on him to the point of which there was no return.

Inches turned to millimeters. The gap closed. Leon's fingertips made contact with the thick flesh on the bottom of her left foot, sinking into the ball of her foot.

Serena purred the instant she felt his fingers sink into the bottom of her foot. The padded skin and muscle rolled under the light pressure. She craved more, but she waited for Leon, watching him closely.

Leon leaned in and let his fingers run along her sole until all of it was in his palm. He'd expected the flesh to be rough and maybe even calloused from walking around barefoot. But it wasn't. The bottom of the snow leopard's foot was somewhat soft and smooth to the touch, warming and tickling the sensitive skin on his fingertips and palm. It was a delightful feeling.

“Be sure to use both hands," she coaxed him, purring even more.

Leon did as she asked. His left hand joined his right, fingers wrapping around the furry upper portion of her foot, leaving his thumbs on the middle of her arch. He squeezed, pushing both thumbs deep into the flesh and kneading the muscles underneath.

Serena leaned back and relaxed her shoulders. A stifled sigh of pleasure escaped her. Her toes curled for a moment, and Leon responded by running his thumbs downward to her heel. He used more pressure there, drawing both big and little circles with his thumbs, making her purr even louder.

Her foot was big compared to his hands. A single palm wasn't even enough to cup her heel, but Leon used that to his advantage. He situated his left hand atop her foot as leverage, holding it in place. With his other hand, he used the meaty part of his palm to push hard into her heel and work the tense muscle underneath.

Leon continued to do that all the way up to her large toes, where his slid his fingers between them, bending them forward, cracking a few of them. He glanced upward to measure her reaction. Serena had her head bent backward, totally relaxed, and pushing up her breasts. And with the heat of her foot on his palms, as well as the wonderful sight before him, his body grew warm and excited.

Already, he felt himself being turned on by the situation. His shorts were growing tight with each passing second. He was glad she wasn't currently looking, shifting into a new position to hide his erection. However, it put his face much closer to the bottom of the snow leopard's foot where her scent was much stronger.

All the rubbing he'd done had produced more of her alluring odor. But Leon didn't mind. It did, however, get him more aroused. Thoughts of getting even closer to her foot and getting taste crossed his mind. He wanted to feel that soft, smooth flesh on his tongue as he ran it all over the bottom of her foot as well as her toes.

It was tempting, but Leon refrained from doing so, electing instead to focus on massaging each of the toes on her left foot. He started with her littlest toe, rolling it between his fingers and thumbs. Eventually, he made it to her big toe, doing the same thing but adding more pressure, feeling the thick flesh yield to his pushing.

Serena purred again, louder. “Time for the other foot," she suggested, wiggling the big toe in his hands. The moment he let go, she brought her other foot to him, handing it just inches from his face.

Leon inadvertently took in a deep breath, relishing her warm scent. Thankfully, his face was hidden behind her wide sole, concealing the delight on his face. But he had to shift more to his belly, uncomfortably pushing his still growing erection into the mattress. He winced in mixed pain and pleasure, doing his best to keep his arousal secret.

“What's the hold up?" Serena asked, peering around her foot. She found Leon biting his lip and fidgeting.

“N-nothing," he replied. “Just trying to get into a comfortable position."

The ghost of a sly grin flitted across her muzzle. His current position certainly didn't look like a comfortable one. “I see…" she uttered. “Well, once you're ready, my foot is waiting."

Toes wiggled right in front of Leon. Not wanting to delay much more, he swallowed hard and reached for them. He started with her toes this time, working on the little one all the way up to the big once, just like the first foot. Then his wiggled his fingers between them, rolling them, and cracking them.

Serena leaned her head back again, relaxing. She returned to purring as his palm and then his thumbs went all over the bottom of her foot, kneading every tender inch of it, loosening every tense muscle.

And even though Leon thought she wasn't watching, she was. She was studying each little thing: the way he touched her, the amount of pressure he used, how close he got to her foot, every breath he took, and much more.

She loved it though. And that meant something. It told her that he was truly getting into the foot rub, as if he enjoyed it, at least more than most other men would.

Leon had lost track of the time. His focus remained entirely on the foot in front of him. The snow leopard's flesh felt so wonderful in his hands, tickling his fingers and palms, warming them. And the smell was far from unbearable. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Serena's scent was alluring and inviting, making him wish he could stay in that moment forever.

His heart beat hard in his chest, pumping warm blood throughout each limb in his body, but especially to one area in particular. He hadn't even noticed just how close he'd pulled himself to the bottom of Serena's foot. He was within licking distance and the temptation was real.

Leon stopped rubbing. He fought against his cravings, but the more he resisted them the more his erection pushed against the mattress. It was painful now.

“Thank you, Leon," said the snow leopard, noticing him stop. “That was very enjoyable." She pulled her foot away to find that he'd only been an inch away from the bottom of it.

His face was flush with blood, embarrassed and sweating. He looked to her with his bottom lip between his teeth as if he'd been preparing for a painful shot.

“So how about you?" she asked, grinning. “Did you enjoy it?"

Leon gulped as he nodded. “Y-yes, I did," he answered her, stuttering as he fought the pain in his crotch.

“I'm glad," Serena smiled. She stayed seated on the bed, waiting for him to move.

He didn't. Instead, he remained in the exact position she'd found him, restless as a kid waiting to go to the bathroom.

“Is something the matter?" she asked him.

“N-not at all? Why do you ask?"

“You look like you're in pain. Why don't you just sit up?"

Leon's brow dug over his eyes in shame. He knew he couldn't hide it any longer. Serena was too smart to not have figured it all out. After rolling to his back, he sat up in the bed, revealing the tall tent he was pitching in his shorts.

Serena's eyes immediately fell down to it. But instead of any kind of teasing, mocking, disgust, or any other negative reaction, she offered him the same bright smile she'd always shown him.

“It's like I'd told you, Leon," she started. “There's no need to be ashamed about it, especially around me. A foot fetish is a perfectly innocent thing after all, I have one as well. Everyone has a sexual kink, and I've never met anyone who was just into straight vanilla sex. Vera and Risa both have a foot fetish, too."

Leon didn't know what to say. He still felt weird being exposed in such a way, right in front of a gorgeous woman. But her reaction helped ease him somewhat, and the fact that his arousal was no longer a secret from her came as a large relief.

More surprising, however, was the fact she'd mentioned at the end. Vera and Risa had foot fetishes, too. And hearing that made Leon's blood pump a little harder, keeping his confined erection stiff.

Serena grinned and scooted closer to him, running a hand up his thigh. The sensation made Leon shudder as a jolt of pleasure shot straight up his spine. He sighed in pleasure as the snow leopard muzzle drew close to his face.

“We should do this again sometime soon," she whispered in his right ear. “Good night, Leon."

After a quick kiss on his cheek, Serena crawled off of the bed and wandered over to the door, inching it open so it wouldn't make a sound. “I look forward to seeing you in the morning."

The last thing Leon glimpsed before she disappeared behind the door was her beautiful smile. He finally exhaled and fell to the bed, melting into the blankets and mattress. He, too, looked forward to seeing her, and everyone else, in the morning.

It was a short night. Leon didn't get much sleep. But despite not getting much rest, he still felt like he had a great deal energy.

Serena had not only reinvigorated him. She'd made him feel more comfortable with himself around her. However, he didn't know what he was going to do about the five other anthros. They didn't know his secret, and he was afraid that they would eventually be finding out. And even though Serena had told them that none of them would care, but that didn't stop him from worrying about it.

And even in light of feeling confident when he walked out of the room in the morning, Leon grew more nervous with each step down into the foyer. Voices were echoing from the kitchen. Hearing Serena's voice should have calmed him, but it didn't. His self doubt had returned, forcing to wonder about every possible scenario.

Did she tell everyone? What if she'd lied to make me feel better? His thoughts kept him at the bottom of the stairs, his heart racing. Leon wanted to believe that Serena was being very genuine last night, but he'd been manipulated many times in the past. It truly was difficult for him to trust someone, especially so quickly.

“What's the hold up?" someone behind him asked.

Leon nearly leapt out of his skin. He spun around to find Risa standing three steps up. “S-sorry," he stuttered, oddly worried that the rabbit had heard his thoughts. “Just thinking about stuff."

“How vague…" Risa laughed. “What kind of stuff?"

His throat swelled and his heart knocked up in his throat. Everything that happened with Serena replayed in his mind, distracting him.

“Hello?" Risa waved a hand in front of him. “Anybody home?"

Finally, Leon fought through his fear and mustered a response. “I just had a difficult time sleeping last night. I probably only got about five hours."

“Tell me about it," the rabbit nodded in sympathy. “That pantheress doesn't know when to call it quits. We were down in that arcade playing every single game until our fingers were bleeding from button mashing."

The thought of them playing late into the night made Leon smile. It also relieved some of his nervousness. He'd spent plenty of late nights doing the same thing. “Well, I'm still up for that offer. Once you guys feel good enough, let me know and we can have a little tournament or something."

“I can't wait," beamed the rabbit. “I've wanted to kick some tail for a while now, even if it's in a video game. Might as well be my friends." Risa stepped around him and started for the kitchen.

Friend? Leon echoed in his mind. It surprised him to hear her refer to him as a friend so quickly.

“Shall we join everyone else?" she asked, waving a hand for him catch up.

Leon grinned and nodded. He completely forgot about everything that kept him at the bottom of the stairs in the first place. But the moment he stepped into the kitchen and saw the silver fur of that stunning snow leopard, he was swiftly reminded.

Their eyes met the second he was in the room. Leon glanced elsewhere right away. He still couldn't look at her for too long, feeling ashamed, even though she'd told him not to.

“Did the two of you sleep well," Serena asked them.

“Not really," Risa replied.

“Y-yes," Leon lied.

His blatant contradiction caused the black rabbit to raise an eyebrow. “But you said—"

“I know," he cut her off, growing extremely nervous. His cheeks were already turning red before all six, gorgeous anthros, some of which were still in their pajamas. “I meant I didn't get a lot of sleep, but it was restful enough for me."

Risa scrunched her face up more in confusion, but in the end she simply shrugged in response. Serena, however, gave Leon a worried look, realizing he hadn't let her advice sink in quite yet. She didn't press the issue, though, which Leon was thankful for.

“I hope you guys are ready from some awesome breakfast," said Vera. She was finishing up at the stove, apparently preparing some of her famous food.

The potent and smoky odor of sizzling bacon permeated the room. Saliva had already been building up in Leon's mouth and he hadn't even realized it. He drew in another breath, this time through his nose. Eggs, a few vegetables, some kind of cream or cheese: all of it tickled and delighted his sense of smell.

“Did you make scrambled eggs?" he asked, but Vera shook her head, hiding what was behind her.

The pantheress grinned. “Take another guess."

“Hmm…" Leon though out loud. “Could it happen to be quiche?"

“You got it!" Vera beamed. “I've wanted to try this recipe for a while now. After my first month on Earth, I really got into trying your guy's cuisine. I then started buying a few cookbooks and looking things up on the internet. And I must admit that humans have come up with some awesome recipes. I hope this one turned out alright."

The pantheress's quiche was amazing, especially for being her first time making it. It was just the right consistency, nearly melting in the mouth but firm enough to stick together. The crust was expertly made, which made the texture and the flavor near perfect. After finishing, Leon even felt a smidgen of jealousy. His cooking ability paled in comparison to hers.

“What's on the agenda today?" Nalani asked at the dining table the moment she noticed everyone was done. She looked to Leon for the answer.

Leon, however, hadn't given it any thought. He was thinking instead about just how grateful he was that Serena hadn't yet mentioned anything about their night together. Or at least he was under the impression she hadn't, because no one had said anything nor looked at him differently.

“To be honest," he answered. “I don't really know. But I've got to do a few things before I can join all of you. It's just a bit of work."

“That's right. We never even asked you what kind of work you do," Kaira noted. “Vera told Risa, Alyssa, and me that you made a lot of money winning a lottery, but they didn't mention anything about your occupation."

“Well, I don't really have a job," he answered her. “But I have several investments that I track and maintain. The last thing I was going to do was spend all of the money I'd won. I was smart enough to figure out which investments would allow me to live off of quarterly gains as well as interest."

“That certainly was very wise and intelligent of you," Nalani remarked. Slight admiration lined her words, letting him know that she appreciated intelligence. “Is that what you were up doing last night?"

Leon's smile dropped in an instant. His heart also fell down into his stomach. He looked to Serena, not knowing how he should answer the question.

The snow leopard lips were tight and she was shaking her head just enough for him to notice. It certainly answered his question from before. No way had she told them about it.

“I saw that your light was on when I came back from my walk around the lake, so I wondered what you may have been doing," added the lioness.

“Y-yes," Leon replied, nodding nervously. “I was just checking up on everything before bed."

Nalani eyed him suspiciously. It seemed she was just as observant as Serena, if not even more so. Leon's fidgeting in his seat definitely didn't help alleviate the lioness's suspicions either.

“I'm sure it keeps you busy every now and then, Leon," Serena cut the silence. “Just join us when you get the chance."

Leon let out the air he was holding, relieved. He was quite anxious to get out of that situation, and Serena provided the opportunity. “Definitely," he said. “I'll just be over in my office if any of you need anything."

His office was on the first floor. It was connected to the living room by a door he shut behind him. The moment he was in the room, he sighed. A thin layer of sweat was on his palms and his fingers felt cold.

He stared at his computer for some time before he finally sat down in front of it. He checked his investments like any normal morning, but he was more than distracted while doing so. It was difficult to concentrate when he had something much more personal to worry about. Already, he was trying to convince himself that Nalani wouldn't figure out what happened last night, just as long as Serena didn't tell her.

“Keeping busy?" asked a soft, familiar voice.

Leon spun on his chair to find Serena right behind him. He hadn't even heard the door swing open. It was about the only time he'd cursed having such quiet hinges.

“I am," he replied. “But I think I'm done. I just can't think clearly right now."

Serena nodded with a sympathetic smile. “I'm sorry for putting you in such a situation. I should have figured that Nalani would have taken note of our being up late. She's definitely a smart one. That's for sure."

“I see. About last night…" Leon started.

“Don't worry, Leon," she interrupted, offering him a smile. “It's our little secret. I'll let you tell them when you're comfortable."

“That's the thing. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable enough to tell them. I've never told anyone about my fetish, and you're the first person to figure it out. I have no idea how to go about such a thing."

“Then you don't have to," she suggested. “It'll remain our secret. Even though I'm near certain that Nalani will eventually figure it out. However, I hope that doesn't mean that the foot rubs have to stop."

Leon instinctually glanced at her feet, driven by desire. Already, with the mere mention of her feet, he wanted to feel them in his hands again. “I don't think I'd be able to resist for long," he joked.

Serena grinned. “Good," she said. “I'm glad to hear you at least be honest about your desires with me." A few seconds of silence filled the room before she continued. “Would you like to join us now? Kaira loves being outside and wanted to take a short hike through the forest. Are you up for that?"

Leon nodded and rose from his chair. Together, they walked to the back of the manor near the pool. That's where everyone was gathered, waiting.

“How do the investments look?" Nalani asked.

Leon figured the lioness was still studying him based on the way she was looking at him. “They're doing well," he answered confidently. “I'm still in the green at least."

Nalani was still keeping a close watch on him, thinking Serena and him were already up to something. And they were, but Leon was on board with keeping it a secret from everyone. They were just going to have to be extra careful around the lioness.

Leon couldn't figure out why it would have mattered so much to the lioness anyway. That curious question kept him thinking for most of the hike_. Serena and her were only friends, right? What if that wasn't the case? What if Nalani was worried that Serena was fooling around with someone else? Were they all in some kind of relationship? Or what if Nalani already had her sights on me, and Serena got to me first? Is she just jealous?_

Too many questions. Leon hated how much his mind wandered from one thing to the next without taking any sort of break. It had certainly never helped with his anxiety. It had only ever made it worse.

“So what other hobbies do you have?" asked the anthro right next to him.

Leon turned to find the mink, Alyssa, only a few feet to his right. Her timid voice didn't carry far, but it was enough to stop his racing thoughts. “Well, this is one of them," he answered her. “I like taking short hikes like this. I'd even made these trails around the lake myself."

“That's nice," she smiled. “It's good to see forested areas like this preserved."

“What about you?" he asked. “I've already figured you're a great swimmer. What other things do you like to do?"

“I'm an excellent martial artist. But so are all my other friends," she said modestly. Her voice faded, and it was clear she was struggling with her next thought. “I… I was bullied a lot when I was young," she admitted. “It's never been easy being one of the smaller species of anthros, but my parents enrolled me in self-defense classes the moment I was old enough to join."

Leon recalled the mink's face when she witnessed the main character of Zootopia being bullied at the beginning. He had nothing but sympathy for both the rabbit in the movie as well as Alyssa. Being constantly bullied as a kid was a terrible thing, and it had nearly driven him crazy, since he'd faced it nearly every day with his siblings.

His brother had been very physically abusive, and his sister was much more of a verbal bully, emotionally manipulating him and mocking him about their parents always like her and his brother more than Leon. He imagined that Alyssa had faced very similar things.

“I'm sorry about all you had to go through as a kid," he told her. “I can definitely relate to it. But I'm also glad to hear that your parents were much more supportive than mine were." Leon stopped after he finished his sentence. He'd never openly admitted that to someone before, but he felt so at ease around the mink.

“That sounds terrible. I'm sorry, Leon," she echoed his sympathy. “I really don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for my parents as well as my friends. I don't know how I would have turned out."

Her words made Leon wonder what his life would have been like if his parents had been more supportive. His mother had been a very emotional woman. She had a very short fuse and would often explode at Leon's father as well as Leon whenever either of them did something wrong.

Emotions had always clouded his mother's judgment, making her an unstable person and parent, and that was the last thing Leon had ever wanted to happen to him. Because of that, he'd learned to remove himself from a lot of his emotions, opting to be more stoic. The way Leon saw things was a lot like how Nick, the fox, in Zootopia had put it: “Don't let them see they got to you."

Memories of his mother brought back some negative emotions in Leon. He did his best to breathe deep and let the anger and disappointment settle. “It's in the past…" Leon uttered, starting to feel uncomfortable with the conversation.

“You're right," nodded the mink, smiling. “But it seems like we both made it out relatively alright, huh?"

“I guess I can't completely complain now that I'm here and have six wonderful women to host," he answered, returning her smile. “Do you like it here so far?"

“I think we all do," someone else answered. Kaira was catching up to them. “You've got everything a fox or any other anthro could ask for." The vixen was marching along the trail, completely in her element, wearing a beautiful smile. “Doesn't morning in the forest smell absolutely delightful?"

Leon agreed. There was nothing quite like a morning constitutional out on the trails next to the lake. Dew was still heaving on the trees and other vegetation, giving off a faint scent of evergreens and flowering flora.

The entire hike took around a full hour, but it was decent exercise. It certainly made them all hungry for more of Vera's cooking. And Leon felt the same. It was nice to have someone in the house who knew how to cook really well, and the pantheress already proved that she was a much better chef than him. It must have been due to all that cooking she'd done at her parents' restaurant when she was young.

Lunch passed by very quickly, and Vera had been more than happy to make the meal for them, telling them all she already had dinner planned, too. By the end of lunch, Leon was stuffed. The toasted deli-style subs the pantheress had made were more than enough to fill him, and they were just as delicious as her quiche.

When they were all finished, Leon told them that he'd clean up all the dishes. They each offered to help, but he refused them, allowing them only to carry the dishes to the kitchen and rinse them. He started to load the dishwasher as they all left. Serena stayed.

“You're so kind, Leon," she said, watching him do the simple chore.

When he took a quick glance, he noticed a longing gleam in her eyes. Leon didn't know what to think of it. He distracted himself by continuing to load the dishes. “Thank you," he replied, not knowing what else to say.

“You're welcome," she answered. “But do you know what?"

Leon already had an idea in his mind. “What?"

“That walk made my feet a bit sore," she answered, inching toward him. “Would you be up for another foot massage?"

Leon couldn't refuse her. Temptation was driving his actions more than rational thought. He knew he'd eventually be caught by one of the other anthros, and Serena had to have known that, too. But she didn't seem to care. And in that moment, neither did he. All he wanted was to feel closer to her, and pleasing her seemed like a good way to do that.

Days passed with the two stealing themselves away to some empty room. Leon always said yes, and he always loved it each time he gave the snow leopard a foot rub. Sometimes they were short and simple. Sometimes he spent close to an hour squeezing, rubbing, and kneading her feet, reveling in the feeling of her flesh on his.

Nalani, of course, had become increasingly suspect of them with each passing day. The lioness took note of every time they were alone, following them at times. The whole thing made Leon more and more tense, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Serena's feet were like a sweet addiction now. He'd even found himself awake at night just thinking about the next time he'd be able to massage them.

Everyone else hadn't yet caught on, which Leon and Serena were both thankful for. Keeping the secret would have been much more difficult if it wasn't only Nalani trying to uncover their furtive rendezvous. They each knew, however, that it was only a matter of time before the lid was blown clear off, and they were right.

“So when were you going to tell us about you and Leon, Serena?" Nalani asked clear out of the blue during dinner one night.

They were all outside, finishing up with the meat Vera had grilled. But the question made each of them stop what they were doing. Leon had some food in his mouth, but he swallowed it down in a nervous gulp, looking to Serena. His chest felt heavy all of a sudden, as if the food got caught right next to his racing heart.

The snow leopard frowned. “What do you mean, Nalani?"

Fur stood on end on the lioness's neck. “You know what I mean," she growled. “I've been keeping an eye on the two of you, and you've been spending an awful lot of time together… alone."

All eyes were on Serena, waiting anxiously for her answer. “Yeah. That is true," a few of the others added. “What's been going on?"

Serena drew in a deep breath and let it go in a long sigh. “Very well…" she muttered as her apologetic gaze moved to Leon. “Looks like it's time to let them know."

Leon sunk in his seat. There were too many emotions and too many feeling in his body to keep track of. He wanted to be anywhere but there. He wanted to be in any time but that time. But they were all waiting, eyes on him.

No need to be ashamed… he reminded himself, recalling what Serena had told him that first night.

“I…I…" he stammered. The words choked him at first. “I've been giving Serena foot massages," he admitted. “I have a foot fetish."

Hearing his own voice in that moment was like a thousand needles poking into his back. He winced in preparation, awaiting their reactions.

“Oh…" Vera was the first to speak up. “That's all?"

“Well, I'll be damned," Risa added. The black rabbit's voice was cheery, sounding delighted to hear the news. “I wish you would have just told us all the very first day!"

Everyone else nodded in agreement. All except for Nalani. The lioness had her furry arms crossed over her chest and her brow was deep over her golden eyes. “You still shouldn't have kept a secret like that from us, Serena. I can forgive Leon, but you should have known better," she scolded her friend.

“Oh, lighten up, Nalani!" Vera argued. “It's not like they were doing anything else…" she looked to them, “…were you?"

Leon and Serena each shook their heads.

Vera beamed. “See? It was just a few, innocent foot rubs. I mean… it does make me a bit jealous… but as long as I can get in on that action then I'm happy."

“And don't forget about me," Risa piped in, agreeing with her panther friend. “Vera and I also have a foot fetish, so I think we deserve a bit of your attention, too, Leon."

“I may not have a foot fetish, but I like a good foot massage. You might as well count me in, too," Kaira added herself to the mix.

“Same for me. I wouldn't mind a foot massage," Alyssa said.

Eventually, Nalani relaxed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Her muzzle was scrunched up in irritation, but she wore a tiny grin on her lips. “Serena, Vera, and Risa may be the ones with a foot fetish, but you might as well count me in for a foot massage, too," she said, looking to Leon and chuckling. “Just as long as you promise not to keep any more secrets like this."

All six gorgeous women were vying for his attention. Flabbergasted, he didn't have the words to respond. He simply nodded in the lioness's direction and uttered a few syllables faintly similar to “I promise."

That night, Leon was in heaven. One by one, with exception to Serena, he got to give each anthro woman a foot massage. After cleaning up from dinner, they all made their way to the entertainment room and lined up on the furniture. Leon sat on the floor and moved down the line, taking a single foot into his hands each time and running his palms and fingers all along the bottom.

Every pair of feet had their own delightfully individual differences. The thick flesh on Vera's feet was dark as slate, but it was nearly just as soft as Serena's. Nalani, too, had very similar skin on the bottom of her foot. The lioness, however, had very tense muscles that required much more kneading than the rest. Alyssa had the smallest yet softest feet. Kaira's were a little larger than the mink's. And Risa had the largest feet of all six, which made sense for a rabbit anthro.

Each of them had Leon massage their feet in different ways, too. Risa was the one who liked to have Leon push hard, directing him about her long feet, requesting that he use most of his strength. Alyssa didn't require too much pressure as she had the least tension in her feet. Vera loved to tell him which part of her foot he should rub next and how she wanted him to knead the muscle and flesh. The pantheress also loved it when he cracked her toes.

Nalani and Kaira weren't too particular. Leon was left to his own devices when giving them a foot massage, allowing him to rub and knead them as he saw fit. He thought it was fun to watch the lioness fight an urge to purr whenever he hit a tense spot, rubbing out any of her small knots. Leon noted just how stoic she tended to be as well, since it was easy to recognize in others.

Once he was in bed for the night, Leon thought about how things were going to be different now that all of them knew his secret. It was truly a foreign feeling for him. He'd never before opened up to someone like that, let alone six beautiful women.

And yet, they'd all accepted him in an instant. But it was more than that. They'd all taken interest in it, asking that they even partake in something he'd long kept hidden from the world. There was no better feeling than that.

Still, he lied in bed, wide awake, wondering how their newfound knowledge was going to change his relationship with all of them. Leon couldn't shake the feeling that each of them was interested in him. Serena wasn't the only one who looked at him with longing. He saw that in all of them, even Nalani, who did her best to restrain her emotions, just like him.

And he liked all of them right back. He'd be lying if he hadn't at least been able to admit to himself that he was attracted to every single one of them. Forming something more with each of them, however, seemed wrong. It went against everything he'd learned… as a human… he told himself. But they weren't human, and their culture was vastly different than his own.

Leon already knew that polygamy was a norm for them. That didn't stop him from feeling odd with the mere idea of it though. He shook he head on the pillow and rolled to his side, shutting his eyes. I've only been giving them foot massages, he reminded himself as he drifted off to sleep. That doesn't mean they want anything more than that.

“Hey, Leon!" someone called for him. Based on how bright and chipper the voice was, Leon surmised that it was Vera. She was also knocking hard on his bedroom door. “How long are you going to sleep in? The rest of us are thinking of taking a trip to the city. Would you like to join us?"

Leon blinked to the light coming in through the windows. He rubbed his eyes hard and looked hard at the clock, waiting for his vision to focus. It was already ten in the morning, which he hardly believed. Years had passed since he slept in that late, but he had the excuse of having wonderful dreams about anthro feet that night.

“Sure…" he answered, still in his stupor. “I'll be right down after I take a quick shower."

“Don't take too long," replied the pantheress. “We're hoping to make a whole day out of it."

The shower was quick like he promised, taking only seven or so minutes. It helped shake him out of his morning sluggishness. And since he was very well rested, he was excited to spend another day with all of them.

Honestly, he was surprised he didn't think of a trip to the city much sooner. He'd been distracted enough though. Serena had been keeping him busy enough with their secretive foot massages, but that was no longer the case.

Leon knew, however, he was going to be even busier than before, since all six of them were going to be asking for his time. Oddly enough, he didn't mind that one bit. His life had been dull before they'd arrived, so it was a long overdue change.

There was going to be a lot to show them in the city. Los Angeles was a huge metropolis, the second largest city in the U.S. after New York City. A day was hardly long enough to scratch the surface, let alone give the anthros a good feel of the area. Leon didn't like more than a few days at a time in the city though. Too many people. Too much noise. He didn't care for the constant distractions nor the horrible traffic.

They'd left at a decent enough time. Traffic was light. They avoided the morning rush hour and just dodged the lunchtime bustle.

Leon had a few vehicles. He was thankful now that one of those vehicles was a large SUV, which usually did nothing more than collect a layer of dust in his garage. The purchase seemed unnecessary at the time, but he'd bought it for towing boats, kayaks, and other outdoor recreational items. Transporting six women from a different planet didn't quite make it to the list of reasons to buy such a gas guzzler. But he was glad he did.

“That's another thing that's going to take some getting used to," Nalani commented. She was wedged between Vera and Risa in the back. Serena was up front with Leon, and Alyssa and Kaira were lucky enough to get the two middle seats. “This form of transportation is very old to us, and it's odd to see everyone handling each vehicle. A number of anthros still chose to drive their vehicles, but most elect to use the automated computerized driving."

He chuckled. “Well, hopefully my driving hasn't made any of you nervous at all. I'm a pretty safe driver. I'm certainly not as aggressive as some of the other drivers on the road."

“I'm not too worried," added the lioness. “I think I know you enough now to trust you and your driving. But what about some of these other people? It's not like these human vehicles are built of the same sturdy materials like carbon nanotubes as in our vehicles."

“I suppose not…" Leon had to think about it for a second. “But accidents are still very rare. And I drive pretty defensively, so I've never been in one."

Just as he mentioned that, a car next to them swerved their way, but Leon noticed. He was able to avoid them quickly and easily enough. But a few of the anthros in the back gasped, grabbing onto something.

“See!" Nalani exclaimed. “That's exactly what I was talking about. But good job dodging them, Leon." Compliments were a bit rare from the lioness, so it made Leon smile. “I must say that I can't wait until you guys start implementing some of our advanced AI networking technology though. It's nice to have vehicles that can drive themselves. It makes travel so much faster than the rate we're going right now. Not to mention, it's a whole lot cleaner, too. It's hard to believe humans still use crude."

Leon grinned and nodded. “I'm with you on that one," he agreed. “On each account. I certainly wouldn't mind having a computer do the driving for me as well as using something other than fossil fuels."

As they drove further into town, several more topics surfaced. Serena took note of just how dirty and cluttered many areas of the city were. Leon was used to it, so he'd never taken much note of it. The snow leopard explained that their cities had removed things like telephone poles, lampposts, billboards, signs and other unsightly distractions. The rest of the anthros added more explanation as they went along.

Leon learned that anthro cites were kept clean by use of refuse collecting robots as well as surface materials on roads and sidewalks that cleaned and repaired themselves. Building surfaces, windows, and roofs were also constructed with materials completely resistant to dirt, bacteria, weather, and all forms of vandalism, including graffiti. It all seemed unbelievable to Leon, but he had no reason to doubt them. He'd already seen some of their technology in action on the news.

“It's true," Kaira noticed as well. “Coming to Earth and seeing things this dirty was a bit of a shock. But I can say I've adapted somewhat to it. That hardly means I don't look forward to the day that we start helping humans clean up all of this junk, though."

“I must admit it's a slight irritation not having the ability to change the appearance of the environment." Alyssa was referring to the more advanced cities on their planet, Liira. They'd introduced dynamic surfaces, which relied on technology similar to augmented reality. “Perhaps I grew too used to it. But some of these buildings are utter eyesores."

Leon took note of the buildings she was referencing. “Yeah," he said. “I wouldn't mind seeing something other than several rundown buildings coated in a thousand layers of spray paint either."

“This place also looks… um…" Vera thought out loud, “…sketchy. Is that the word?"

“That's the word alright," Leon answered the pantheress. “Unfortunately, this is the quickest route to where I'd like to take you guys first."

“Is there a lot of crime here?" Nalani asked bluntly.

Each immediate answer that popped into Leon's mind lacked any decent degree of tact. But Nalani hadn't really given him a point of reference. “What would be a lot of crime to you?" he replied.

“Anything that's not near zero." The lioness's answer was very terse, and Leon caught the seriousness in her voice.

“Well… in that case…" Leon answered. “Yes. There's a lot of crime here."

Nalani shook her head in disdain. “That's unfortunate," she added. “But that's another thing we can hopefully help human's correct."

Leon laughed nervously. She was right, but he felt somewhat ashamed for his species and the fact that they were so far behind the anthros in many respects. “Eventually," he said. “I just hope people don't hold back the progress we can make together."

The lioness explained how advances in technology helped pave the road to a much safer society. Surveillance was everywhere, both in public and private. The moment someone stepped foot in a bigger hi-tech city, their movements were tracked. Even internal states of people were tracked, monitoring a person's intentions well before an act of violence could be committed.

The thought of some of that technology made Leon anxious. In a way, it felt like a breach of privacy, but Nalani helped explain that away, easing some of his nerves about it. They'd certainly lived in that environment long enough to know, and he was trusted their judgment on whether or not they'd felt any loss of individual rights in their societies.

“And when crime does occur, we have instant, on-sight policing," Nalani explained further. “With the use of nanobot technology and claytronics, we can summon robotic police seemingly right from the ground, buildings, or roads. It's leagues faster than the human's current policing. So I suppose I can understand why crime may be so high by our standards."

“Things are still relatively safe though," Leon added. “And when I say that, I mean that I feel safe enough to walk most streets and travel most places. That's especially the case in most western societies. I guess I can't say that about all countries in the world."

“It doesn't matter," Risa interrupted the conversation, growing tired of it. “If anything happens, we won't have a single problem defending you or ourselves, Leon. Especially – and no offense with this – against any belligerent humans."

Leon grinned, glancing back at the rabbit in his rear view mirror. Fire was in her eyes, suggesting she wouldn't mind getting into some kind of fight.

“No offense taken," he replied. “I can safely say that I wouldn't want to get into a scuffle with any anthro. You guys are built much bigger, faster, and stronger than us. The fight would be over before it began."

Risa saw him looking at her in the mirror. She winked. “True," she concurred. “It's a woman's duty to help protect her man as well as other defenseless males."

It was odd to hear the rabbit subtly refer to him as “her man." Feeling warm, Leon's cheeks and ears grew red.

“I must admit…" he said, “…it's a good feeling knowing that I've got six anthros who've got my back. I don't think anyone would dare threaten me when they saw you all."

Leon thought of just how useful that would have been if they'd been his childhood friends. Not even his siblings would have dared try anything. “We're here," he announced, pulling into a large parking garage.

“So where exactly are we?" Kaira asked.

Leon smiled. “Hollywood Boulevard of course!"

They each gave him a quizzical look. The name wasn't foreign to them, but they wondered what made the place so important.

“I know it might be odd to all of you, and I don't necessarily care for all of this celebrity worship stuff," he explained. “But it's a cool place to see at least one time."

“Celebrity worship?" Kaira asked.

“Yeah, there are magazines like People that tell things like which celebrities are marrying who and which one have an eating disorder or some crap like that" Leon answered.

“Who would care about that?" Nalani asked.

“I have no idea. I've never been able to understand that myself," Leon said.

“That's another thing I find odd…" Nalani started another rant.

“Oh, please!" Vera interrupted her best friend. “Why are you such a pessimist? Quit finding fault in everything and just try to enjoy yourself for once."

The lioness shrugged. “I'm not a pessimist; I'm a realist. But very well…" she added, “…I'll relax a bit this time. For Leon."

“Thank the goddess," sighed the pantheress.

“At the very least…" Leon joked, “…this is a cleaner part of the city."

The walk down the boulevard itself wasn't very long. But they made many stops along the way, taking in each sight as well as gawking curiously at some of the odd characters dispersed along the walkway. Leon made sure to point out Shakira's star on the boulevard, telling them that she was the singer who voiced the gazelle in Zootopia.

“That's actually kind of neat," Vera stated. “It's an odd feeling, but it makes you feel a bit closer to them in a way."

“A lot of celebrities live right here in Hollywood and the LA suburbs," Leon explained. “In fact, most production of the human movies you've seen is done here over at the big studios."

“Can you show us the studios?" Kaira requested.

Leon told her that it'd be no problem. Several of the studios weren't too far from the boulevard. “We can swing by Universal and Warner Brothers after grabbing something for lunch."

When they were on Hollywood Boulevard, Leon was thankful they didn't get many looks from people. A few other anthros were dispersed in the area. Some of them were visiting the tourist attractions like Leon and his group.

Leon wasn't entirely too surprised by the fact that they saw a little over a handful of other anthros. He was surprised more by the fact that they didn't receive any disdainful glances from people. And even though they were still the odd ones out, there were enough other oddballs dressed in costumes and whatnot scattered along the boulevard.

It felt nice to blend in, as if it completely normal to be walking around with six gorgeous anthro women. He swore he'd gotten more looks from people in the past when he'd walked the boulevard alone.

Visiting the studios later on was a blast. Leon already knew how most movie production went on, but it was neat to watch each of the anthro's reactions. They mentioned how similar certain things were in terms of artistic style and storytelling. Many other obvious things were much different. The most noteworthy of which they mentioned was the sheer amount of men doing a lot of the technical work behind the scenes.

“It never gets old," Nalani had mentioned. “Seeing men in roles we're not used to seeing them. I wonder if I'll ever get used to such a thing."

Leon could at least empathize with them, thinking just how much of a culture shock it was each time they went somewhere new. Maybe there was no growing used to it. Maybe, he thought, there were certain things that were instinctually engrained in our psyches.

He imagined if the universe had been completely reversed, and it was him escaping to their planet. Would I have ever gotten used to it? He thought it was unlikely, at least in terms of seeing the exact opposite of that which he'd grown up with every day.

“Alright…" Nalani uttered when they were back in the car on their way to dinner. “I have to admit that I had a great time today."

“There you go!" Vera cheered, slugging her friend on the arm, teasing her. “I knew you could do it."

Nalani laughed. “And you know what the best part was?"

“What?" the pantheress asked.

“Seeing you embarrass yourself in front of a crowd with that street magician."

Vera growled in response, but she still wore a smile from ear to ear. “You were just too scared to volunteer! You would have been just as dumbfounded as me!"

“I'm confident in saying that I knew exactly what trick he was going to use before he even started," Nalani argued. She offered her friend a smile though. “But I suppose we all have our strengths and weaknesses. You're much more willing to put yourself out there like that, which isn't a bad thing."

Leon loved the expressions on each of their faces. It was nice to see that all of them had had fantastic time in the city. And after dinner at a fancy sushi and hibachi restaurant, they made their way back home late that night. He was energized from such a delightful day, but he was ready to head to bed. As were all of them.

Of course that didn't stop any of them from asking for Leon's attention. And as more days passed, it was becoming customary each night for Leon to give all of them a foot rub. They did it just like the other night, having them all sit in a line-up down in the entertainment room. Other times, Leon would join them in their rooms, giving them much longer and more extensive foot massages. Vera and Risa were every night. Serena was just as often.

Leon grew accustomed to his new nightly pastime very quickly. It wasn't only that he got used to. He loved it.

After each foot massage with the lovely ladies, he found himself increasingly more fond of them, craving much more than rubbing their feet each night. He was, after all, attracted to them in many other aspects. They had to have seen his arousal, but none of them had made the first move. Not that he was ready for it.

“You seem distracted," Serena noticed one night. It was a little over a week since their trip to the city. The snow leopard and Leon were in her room. Leon often saved Serena for last, but not only because she was right next to his room.

Leon continued to rub her big toe with each of his thumbs. He hadn't realized he'd been massaging just her toes for a while, staring blankly at the bottom of her feet. Serena had seen right through him. He was distracted.

Certain desires, urges, and cravings frequently infected his mind and body, growing stronger, more tempting, with each moment he spent with the anthros. He wanted to do so much more with the snow leopard, but he feared her response, afraid of her rejection, afraid it would ruin the relationship he'd developed with all six wonderful women.

“Is something wrong?" she asked him, worried by his silence.

“No… I'm fine…" Leon muttered. His fingers finally withdrew from her toes and ran down to her sole, pushing hard into the soft flesh, kneading it hard for her.

Serena purred in delight, but not an enthusiastically as usual. “You're doing it again," she said. “You're keeping your thoughts from me."

Leon fought each expression his face wanted to make. “I just spaced out for a moment. That's all."

The snow leopard regarded the human at her feet closely. She knew he was lying. And Leon knew she knew.

She sighed. “I'll remind you again that you can be completely honest with us, Leon. Don't worry about what we'll think. Our emotions and our reactions are our responsibly. Not yours."

Leon still fought against it. Such strong desires felt wrong. He didn't know how much of that was due to the shame he'd received from his mother or the bullying he got from his siblings. Resisting such powerful feelings was his nature though. And as much as she urged him otherwise, it wasn't going to change in a couple weeks, he thought.

Serena watched Leon with extreme curiosity, wishing she could delve into that mind of his. Coaxing the man into saying his thoughts was a difficult thing, but she wondered if a new course of action was necessary. Just like she'd done that first night with him, she had to get him to show his desires, and that would require her to be much more forward with the man.

“Would you mind if I suggest a few new things for tonight then?" she asked him.

Leon's ears perked. Hearing those words sent his heart up into his throat, racing. “W-what kind of things are you thinking of?"

The enthusiasm in his voice made Serena smirk. Already, she knew what he wanted. She understood exactly what he'd been refraining from doing, and that made her much more confident with her next request.

“Could you kiss my feet?" she suggested. “Worship them?"

Leon swallowed his heart back down. It pounded hard against his chest, sending a wave of hot blood to his face, making him blush. “K-kiss them?" he echoed.

“Did I stutter?" replied the snow leopard. She pushed her foot up to his face, curling her toes over his head. “Kiss my foot."

Hesitating for a second, Leon let the ball of her foot rub against his forehead. The snow leopard scent was intense so close to her foot. Odors like sweet lavender and earthy leather mixed in his nose, making him shudder in delight. Leon inched forward, drawing close to the arch of her foot. He licked his lips and prepared himself as the gap closed, pressing his lips tenderly against her soft flesh.

Serena purred the instant she felt him upon her. “That's it…" she moaned with heavy breath. “Now taste my foot and tell me how much you like it."

Arousal pumped through each of Leon's limbs. The snow leopard's commanding words heated his body, filling him with a desire for more. Already, he was getting hard. His swelling erection pushed against his shorts, begging to escape.

Leon was surprise how instant his arousal was. All Serena had done was get a little more forceful with him, and it worked. She seemed to understand his body even more than him.

“What are you waiting for, Leon?" Serena repeated. “I told you to taste it. And after you're done, tell me just how much you love my feet."

He finally did as she commanded. His lips spread to his wet tongue sliding out from his mouth. The tip of his tongue was the first make contact with her warm flesh, tickling his taste buds with a semisweet and faintly savory flavor. It made him tingle all over, pushing out more of his tongue onto the arch of her foot, running it up slowly to her toes.

Serena growled from low in her throat this time. Her whole body rumbled with sheer satisfaction. “Yes!" she exclaimed, arching her back and pushing her foot harder into Leon's face. “Lick it all over. Savor every inch of my foot."

Leon submitted to the new pressure on his face, letting the snow leopard drag her foot along his tongue and lips as she saw fit. He tasted of her heel and her arch twice over before she presented her toes. Each big digit was more flavorful than the rest of her foot. The flesh was soft but it still scratched the surface of his wet tongue enough to tickle his taste buds, stimulating his desire to taste more and more of her.

“So, Leon… tell me…" she purred. “What do you think of my feet?"

Pulling his lips from her big toe, Leon held his face against the bottom of her foot, refusing to move away. “I love them," he uttered, kissing the snow leopard's foot several times right below her toes. “It's like I just can't get enough of them."

“Good," she beamed. “Would you like to feel a bit of their power? Of my power?"

Leon nodded with his cheek resting against her arch. The feeling of her flesh rubbing up against his was irresistible. He wanted even more of that feeling, knowing Serena would understand and give him exactly what he couldn't put in words. “I would," he told her. “I want to feel it so much."

“Get on the floor then," ordered the snow leopard. “And lie on your back, right at the foot of the bed. I'll show you what it's like to really worship an anthro's foot."

There was no hesitation from Leon. He rolled off of the bed and got down to his knees, ready to lie down right before she stopped him.

“But take off your shirt first," Serena requested.

Leon's tee came off in an instant. He tossed it away and dropped to his back, lying parallel with the foot of the bed. From his submissive position, he waited eagerly, watching as the snow leopard crawled to the end of the bed. The snow leopard towered over him, looking like a giant from his worm's eye view.

Serena's sly grin dominated her devilish expression. But that commanding look only served to make Leon even more aroused. Her eyes flitted over to the tent he had pitched in his shorts and her grin widened.

The first of her feet came over the edge of the bed, hovering over his face at first. “You did a wonderful job worshiping this one," she stated.

Leon drew in a deep breath as her foot hung just an inch from his nose. He could smell the mixture of his saliva and her scent, making him want to lick it even more. But as he lifted his head to do so, her foot glided away, down toward his crotch.

Serena licked her lips as her foot descended upon his hard shaft. The sudden stimulation made Leon jerk with pleasure, letting a short satisfied groan escape from his lips. Hidden inside his shorts, his cock was dripping pre as she put more pressure over it, rubbing it hard over his crotch.

“My my… it looks like you're quite excited to do some more worshipping, Leon," she observed, smirking.

“Y-y-yes…" he grumbled. It was difficult for him to speak when her big foot was stroking him with so much pressure. “I'm… r-ready."

“That's good to hear," Serena replied.

The sheets of the bed ruffled as her other foot came glided over the edge. Leon watched as it inched toward his face. Within seconds, it overtook his entire field of vision, casting a growing shadow over him until there was nothing more than the dark bottom of her foot in sight.

Her foot alone was heavy enough to make his head turn. It pushed hard into his right cheek, which sunk into her warm flesh. The heat was even more intense from this position between the bottom of her foot and the floor. There was nowhere to go. He was at her whim.

“Do you feel it, Leon?" she asked. “When you're below my feet, there's nothing you can do to escape. You're mine."

Leon grimaced, feeling more of her weight on the side of his face. He struggled a bit, but she didn't allow him to move. It was a splendid experience though. Leon loved it, his cock growing even more in the arch of her other foot.

Serena noticed his increased arousal, grinning. “When you're in this position, you can struggle all you want. I like it when they struggle," she growled in pleasure. “After all, I am a predator."

More of her weight descended upon the right side of Leon's face, making it scrunch up under the pressure. The snow leopard grinded the bottom of her foot against him. She was forceful but made sure not to hurt him. “Do you feel it, Leon? My strength? My power over you?"

Leon tried to nod but he couldn't. Instead, he fought against the weight of her foot, turning his head to get more of his face squished into the bottom of her foot. The way his skin rubbed hard against her soft padded flesh was tremendously erotic and arousing, forcing him to wince in sexual satisfaction, pushing his crotch hard against her other foot.

“Y-yes…" he managed to utter from scrunched up lips.

“That's what I like to hear," she replied. “Now how about you even out my feet and give the one on your face a good licking. Be sure not to miss a single inch of it."

She pulled back a little, giving Leon just enough room to bury his whole face into the bottom of her foot. He could feel her toes wiggling atop his head, eager to be worshipped. Leon was ready to give her what she wanted and, ultimately, what he craved so much as well.

Impatient to taste her foot again, Leon had been salivating intensely. His wet tongue slipped from his mouth and pressed hard against the arch of her foot. He also spread his lips as if he were kissing her, suckling whatever amount of her flesh he could get. Adoration of her foot had him enslaved to his cravings like an addiction, running his mouth all over from her heel to her toes, reveling in the succulent aroma and flavor.

Minutes passed that seemed like an eternity in heaven. Everything about his position had him hot and bothered to the point of nearing a climax, especially since Serena was still grinding her other foot against his crotch. But he kept his focus on pleasing her, on worshipping her.

He was unable to see Serena, but he assumed she may have been pleasing herself in other ways. The snow leopard was constantly purring, sometimes moaning loudly, pushing her foot harder into his face. And each time she did, Leon reciprocated with his own groans of pleasure, twisting his hip in an attempt to pleasure himself against her other foot.

Leon was unable to resist his orgasm when it came. The stimulation from all over was just too much for him to handle. The way Serena worked his crotch, even when it was still tucked away in his shorts, was enough to drive him straight into a climax.

It came when her foot was pushed hard into his face again. The pressure was intense and the heat of her flesh against his was like his cheeks were pressed against a steaming towel. The arch of her foot muffled his howl of satisfaction when he came, holding him in place as his body wished to writhe in absolute bliss.

And as his body jerked below her, Serena reached her own climax. She bit her bottom lip, her brow deep over her eyes, back arched and shoving both feet into the man on the floor. Together, their bodies trembled as sexual release shot through each tingling limb, pumping hot blood to their toes and fingertips.

It seemed to last forever to Leon, caught under the snow leopard's feet. And when it finally ended, his body felt weak. But it was a blissful and welcome fatigue. Never before had he experience such an intense orgasm, feeling just how much he'd released.

Serena slid her foot from Leon's face. She rested it on his chest instead, keeping him pinned to the floor.

Leon blinked when the light finally hit his eyes. The snow leopard was still towering over him from the foot of the bed. His face was extremely red, flush with the blood from his pounding heart.

“Leon, you may not be able to tell me what your desires are," she grinned, putting more weight on the foot she had on his chest. It forced him to let out a happy sigh. “But I can tell what they are anyway. Because your body does the speaking for you." Her gaze shot over to his shorts, removing her foot from his crotch. There was a clear wet spot where he'd cum.

Leon felt embarrassed and Serena noticed. She shook her head after glimpsing his attempt to hide his shame. “Stop it," she ordered. “I loved this just as much as you, Leon. There's no need for you to deny yourself these pleasures. And with that being said, all of us are here to help you with that."

“Thank you," he replied. He felt small in that moment, especially being pinned on the floor by the snow leopard. But it wasn't a bad feeling. “It'll just take some time before I feel comfortable saying what I want. All of this has been a bit sudden for me, and it was the first time I'd ever been able to worship someone's feet like that. I felt like I'd have no idea what to do, which is why I've been so shy, but you made it so easy for me. I loved it."

“I understand, as it's been a very long since I was able to dominate someone like that," she nodded, offering him a soft and sympathetic smile. “I'm very glad I was able to help though, and know that I'll always be here for you, Leon. You've made me feel very welcome and accepted. I hope you've felt the same about me."

“I have," he answered. She finally released him and he crawled back up onto the bed next to her. “M-may I sleep with you tonight?"

Serena beamed. It was wonderful to hear him make his first such request. “I'd love that," she said.

Blushing, Leon looked down at his shorts. “But first," he added, chuckling. “I think I'll need to change into something else."

Neither of them got much sleep that night. They didn't mind. Having close company during the night was something they each hadn't had for a long time.

The time had seemed to drift away when their bodies were connected, caressing, cuddling. In a way, it was all the rest and relaxation they needed. The warmth of the other's body kept them half awake most of the time, but it fed their souls, rejuvenating the energy they needed when the sun finally made its ascent over the horizon, creeping in through the window shades.

Sunlight wasn't enough to stir them. They roused enough to be fully alert, but they stayed in bed. Leon was in Serena's soft, furry arms, his back against her chest. The snow leopard's fluffy coat and supple breasts tickled his bare skin, getting lost in the feeling of her lungs filling and emptying, pushing and withdrawing from his back. Nowhere was better than there, Leon thought.

“Good morning, Leon," she said. Her fingers wandered all over his chest and belly. “We should probably get up before everyone else, lest they find out you slept with me tonight."

“Is that a problem?" Leon wondered.

Serena embraced him tighter, pulling his back deeper into her chest. “I suppose it isn't," she answered. Her bosom trembled against him as she purred. “It all depends on you, Leon. The six of us are a family in a way. When it comes to men, it is somewhat, but not always, expect of us to share. If they find out that you've slept with me tonight, then they will ask for the same. And I can't promise that thing won't progress from there.

“That's why I say that it's entirely up to you," she continued, allowing him to twist around in her arms. Their eyes met inches from each other as their noses rubbed together. “You're a man who has welcomed us to your home and offered much more than we've anticipated. You've even shown us, whether it was intentional or not, that you're attracted to each of us. And…" she smiled, “…all of us are attracted to you, Leon. If you wanted more from us, all you have to do is ask."

Leon remained silent. It was a lot to consider. Every fantastical thought he'd shot down that first day was coming true, and even though he'd entertained the idea, it still came as a shock when it became reality. All of them. All six gorgeous anthro women interested in him, attracted to him, and desiring a relationship beyond mere friendship. It was entirely surreal.

“I don't know," he told her. “I guess I'll need some time to think about it. Because it's still something so foreign to me, just like what we did last night."

“Alright," she added. “Just promise me you'll listen to your body, Leon. Don't ignore your feelings when it comes to this. Forget about what you've grown up with and consider the possibilities you were never afforded."

Serena's arms slipped from his body as she rose out of the bed. She was nude and had been the whole time they were in bed, but as she stood there at the side of bed, it was the first time Leon was able to see her in that state. Faint orange beams of light from the rising sun had made their way into the bedroom. It cast a golden aura around her silver and white fur as she stretched, raising her long arms to the heavens and arching her back.

Leon eyes were stuck on the divine vista. A faint smile flitted across his face, letting the sight of her beauty warm and wake him. His head swayed with her tail, which swished to and fro above her toned and bountiful buttocks. He was unaware that she was watching him watch her the whole time.

“Like what you see?" she asked, grabbing her clothing for the day.

Leon answered her with a nod before he even knew his head was moving.

“Well," she laughed softly, “I'd suggest you stay in bed and I join you again, but that would almost certainly give us away. There'd be no going back after everyone found out. You'd be theirs just as much as you'd be mine."

He understood that it wasn't an invitation to sleep in some more. In a subtle way, Serena was suggesting a more intimate relationship. And that came with the stipulation that he'd also become more intimate with everyone else.

Leon had told her that he wasn't ready to make that decision yet. But the temptation was real. He remembered what she made him promise. His body, what he was feeling inside, was telling him everything needed to know about his desires. Only his mind and his constant thoughts were holding him back from agreeing and taking the dive straight into unknown but potentially wondrous waters.

“I'll give you to the count of three to decide. Otherwise, I'm just heading to the shower," she told him. Another sly grin was curled on those supple black lips of hers. “One…"

Swallowing hard, Leon rolled out of the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted to answer her, but the mind and body conflict still raged inside of him.

“…two…"

Serena was a master of pushing his limits. She knew each string of his heart to pull, reading him like an open book from the moment she'd arrived at his place. To her, the end of this little game of hers was already set in stone. There was only one outcome.

“…thr—“

“Wait!" Leon stopped her before she could finish the count. “I'll do it." His heart was knocking hard up in his throat and he was forced to gulp it back down before he could continue. “I'll take that leap, Serena. Just as long as you promise me that you'll be understanding and help me along the way. Because this is – by far – way out of my comfort zone. I've never done anything remotely similar to this."

Serena's smirk stretched wider along her muzzle. “Haven't I always been very understanding, Leon?" she reminded him. “But I promise you that I'll be with you every step of the way. And so will everyone else. Nalani, Vera, Risa, Alyssa, and Kaira: they'll be ecstatic to hear this news. They, too, will do everything they can to make you feel comfortable." The snow leopard paused as she put her new set of clothes back down, remaining naked. “Shall we begin?"

Air finally left Leon's lungs as he exhaled in relief. It was difficult to believe he'd agreed to such a thing, but after the words had been said and the deal had been struck, he felt no regret. Oddly, with a sudden rush of energy, he was ready for it, as if his body was thanking him for doing that which it had been begging him.

“Yes. I'm ready," he finally answered her. In more ways than one.

The long lips along Serena's muzzle curled upward in a bright smile. With her tail swaying tantalizingly behind her, she strolled back over to the bed, pushing Leon back down to lie on his back.

Already, Leon's was hard, pushing his pajama pants out in a distinct bulge. The mere anticipation of getting intimate with her had him fully aroused. The sight of it made Serena smile wider, crawling onto the bed next to him.

“Let's get these off," she suggested, helping him remove his pajamas. The moment the pants were off, his hard shaft stood tall before her. Licking her lips, she ran her fingers up his thighs until they met with his balls, fondling them for several seconds.

The feeling of her warm fingers on his genitals made Leon quiver in delight. He closed his eyes for a moment only to find her over him when they opened. Hot breath poured out over him as she drew close, closing her eyes, going in for a kiss.

Leon closed his eyes with her and waited. And when her lips finally made contact with his, it sent a shockwave of instant pleasure right down his body. His cock swelled and twitched, pushing lightly into the warm flesh of her wet labia and clitoral hood. The feeling of his hard member pressing against her womanhood made her purr, kissing him deeper.

Growing overwhelmed by his arousal, Leon wanted to feel himself inside of her. He wanted to twist his hips forward and enter her, but he waited.

Serena was the first to make a move. As she continued kissing him, her fingers traced a line from his chest straight down to his shaft. She took all of him into her palm and drew his manhood even closer to her dripping, lubricated womanhood. She stopped kissing him and rested her muzzle on his shoulder. Fur tickled his neck as she nuzzled with him, whispering into his ear. “I want to feel you inside of me, Leon."

The head of his throbbing erection pressed against her warm, inviting flesh. The snow leopard had full control of it… and him. She held his cock at a slight upward angle as she leaned in closer to him, taking in the tip of his cock, purring in delight as it spread her soft, wet walls.

Leon shuddered underneath the snow leopard. Her warm flesh clung tight to his shaft taking him in eagerly. Pulsing around his shaft, inch by inch, Serena's vagina welcomed him by descending upon him. Her body fell upon his until his crotch met with hers, fully inside her.

Air was pushed out of Leon in a long, erotic sigh as Serena let some of her weight on him, squeezing him between her and the bed. His face rested just above her ample bosom, his chin nestled between each cushiony breast. The snow leopard's right hand snuck below his buttocks and squeezed, forcing him upward along her body, sending his erection all the way into her.

A long but controlled howl of ecstasy rumbled from deep in the snow leopard's throat. “That's it," she purred as she felt Leon's erection pulsing deep inside of her.

Leon felt her squirting hot, sexual juices all around his hard shaft. The natural lubrication made it slick inside of her, but the long walls of her vagina were tight, rubbing his sensitive flesh in all the right ways. Already, he was tingling with the sensation of incoming climax. He did his best to fight that feeling for now. Serena's pleasure was paramount to him, and he'd be ashamed if he didn't last long enough for her.

The snow leopard's top half pressed more over him as her hips twisted upward, letting his cock slip out a few inches. His face sunk into her yielding breasts. She was in complete control over him, but he was realizing just how much he loved it. Being helpless in the face of such a dominating woman made his body give in to all of it, begging to be used as she wished.

And that's exactly what she did. Her hips swung up and down, using him for her pleasure, forcing his cock back and forth inside her. He strained to hold back orgasm, writhing against her as she kept him tight against her body and the bed. His cock was stiff with a constant, pumping stream of warm blood, pulsing against her hot vaginal flesh as he stroked the inside of her faster and faster. Serena was speeding up, leaning back, bouncing and grinding over his crotch with much more force.

Leon's left hand left Serena's back and landed on the silk fitted sheet of the bed. Gripping it tight in his hand, he also felt his toes start to curl. His encroaching climax was becoming too much to handle. Stimulation from all over, the scent of the snow leopard and her sex filling his nose, her warm fur rubbing against the whole front of his body, her hands running all over his body, and the tight throbbing walls of her womanhood stroking him: all of it was driving him straight over the edge of sexual bliss.

Leon roared in pure delight. Erotic electricity shot to his toes and fingertips as they all curled. He grasped some of the fur on her back with his right hand, his body convulsing as much as it could against the snow leopard. Deep inside of her, his cock swelled with impending release, spreading her flesh even more.

The sensation of the man swelling inside of her pushed Serena to the limit as well. She howled with him, adding her sounds of sexual satisfaction to his drawn out moaning as well as the wet sounds coming from below. Her body tensed, her warm flesh constricted around his swollen shaft, and a jolt of ecstasy shot through her. And as she sensed Leon's seed being released inside of her, additional bolts of erotic lightning titillated every inch of her, inside and out.

Their bodies writhed together in sensual bliss for several seconds as they each climaxed. Serena rode that wave of sexual pleasure as long as possible, using Leon more, twisting and driving her hips into his for several more seconds. Leon already felt weak, his body tingling all over, but the snow leopard's continued use of his shaft made him do something he'd never done before. He came a second time in a row.

It seemed to come out of nowhere. His left hand gripped more of the sheet, making it scrunch up tight in his palm. He jerked against Serena, releasing another hot load inside of her. He'd had no clue he was capable of such a thing, but the snow leopard had a way of discovering those things about him.

Serena reciprocated his pleasure with her own. She, too, climaxed another few times, letting out her own howls of pleasure. When they had each been spent, Serena crawled off of him breathing heavily. Leon took in his own deep breath, smelling of their sexual aromas mixed in the air.

“Thank you so much for that," Serena sighed in deep pleasure. “I loved every minute of it."

“As did I," Leon exhaled. He felt so weak, but he felt so overjoyed. “Thank you, Serena."

She gave him another quick kiss before sitting up on the bed. “Would you like to join me in the shower?"

“I would," he replied, beaming.

Leon followed Serena into the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom. It was shared with Nalani's bedroom, which worried him a little. That worry needed to go, he reminded himself, as the truth was going to be revealed no matter what, especially after what he'd just done with the snow leopard.

Serena was going to be with him though. She was going to be there by his side, guiding him, and that made him feel much more comfortable about the situation. When he was with the snow leopard, something about her just made him feel like he could take on the world.

The air felt cold in the bathroom. But next to Serena, it was warm. His nude body was drawn to her, running his hands along her waist until they came to rest just above her tail.

Serena welcomed him, pulling him close, warming him. Her chest rumbled lightly as she purred. She spoke softly for him “You're a very handsome and lovely man, Leon. I want you to know that."

Leon wasn't accustomed to hearing compliments. But as he stood nude in her embrace, he greatly appreciated it, thanking her. Serena's words made him feel even more welcome in light of his nakedness in both body and soul. That was the first time he'd ever been able to open up so much to someone, exposing his heart, knowing it would be handled with care.

Stepping backwards, Serena lifted Leon from the floor and carried him into the shower. She didn't let his body leave hers, even as she turned on the water. It took a few seconds for the water to warm, but she shielded him from the cold, her back to the showerhead. Her head was hung over him and she lifted his chin, making him stare into her eyes, which were filled with affection and longing.

Leon anticipated her desire in that moment. He let his lids inch over his eyes, closing them softly. Serena's lips twisted in pleasure as she did the same, leaning toward him, the gap between them disappearing until tender contact was made. Their lips pressed together in an electric embrace, sending jolts of immediate pleasure straight down Leon's spine.

His knees buckled and he nearly melted in front of her, almost slipping on the wet shower floor. He was still weak from making love with her. But Serena caught him. She held him in place, her hand inching up to the back of his head, raking through his short, brown hair.

Their faces turned opposite directions and Serena went deeper. With the tip of her tongue, the snow leopard tasted his bottom lip. Leon grew even more weak, but she wouldn't let him fall. Deeper yet, she let her lips spread far over his, forcing his mouth to inch open, sliding her tongue along his.

Leon let out a muffled moan. The snow leopard's tongue tickled his sensitive flesh in a way that made his entire body shake in her embrace. He held tight around her waist, pulling his chest deep into hers, feeling her breast yielding to the pressure of his body. Tempted, Leon drew his right hand away from her hips and traced a line up her side until he was at her left breast. He cupped her supple flesh in his hand, giving it a tender squeeze, making Serena purr in delight.

She kissed him harder and drew him under the water with her. The warm water dripped and drizzled all around them as they continued to make out, exploring more and more of each other's bodies, running their hands all over.

It ended up being one of the longest showers Leon had ever taken. Together, their hands wandered from head to toe, washing the other. Both of them were deeply aroused from the situation, pleasuring their genitals on their own at first. Leon, in fact, was hard again, feeling his erection pressing against Serena's warm and wet flesh once more.

Serena took him into her hand and let him enter her again. Both of them let out a long groan of satisfaction. He loved how it felt being inside of her, massaging her tight flesh.

“What is going on in there?" someone asked from outside the bathroom, knocking on the door. “What's been taking you so long, Serena?"

Leon saw the snow leopard's eyes widen. His did the same, making his already racing heart pound harder.

The door opened before either of them could say anything. Leon was still inside of Serena as none other than Nalani bent around the door to peek into the shower. “It sounded like you were—" Her sentence was cut short the moment she saw them. “Oh! I'm… I'm sorry… I… wait… what!?"

Serena finally let Leon down from her grasp, his cock leaving her, covered in her sex. The smell of it was all over the bathroom, making it even more obvious to the lioness.

“Nalani…" Serena addressed her friend. “Let me explain."

“Oh, you'll be explaining this alright," said the lioness. “You and Leon will be explaining this to everyone. Just…" she finally averted her eyes, “…just get some clothes on first. We'll all be downstairs. Vera was already making breakfast before we started to wonder where the two of you were. I never expected this! But I guess I should have!"

The door closed behind Nalani. Leon felt horrible the moment it clicked shut. Serena had warned him that this was going to happen, and he'd thought he was ready for it. He was just hoping it would have happened under better terms.

Serena noticed his worry. She ran a finger tenderly across his lips and cheek. “Don't fret about any of this," she said. “We knew this was going to happen. And it'll be fine in the end. They'll all be excited to hear just how much you're attracted to them."

“She sounded pretty angry though…" Leon worried.

“She's more disappointed than angry. But I'm sure she's more excited about what this may mean for her and everyone else. After all," she smiled, “it is what you wanted, right?"

Leon nodded. He thought about everything he'd just done with Serena, and the prospect of having such intimacy with all six anthro women was an exhilarating thought.

“And thank you, Leon. It had been a long time since I'd been with a man like you. It was truly delightful. And…" she grinned slyly and winked, “…I couldn't help but notice how much you enjoyed it, too."

“I did," he said, recalling that it was the first time he'd ever had two orgasms in a row.

Serena turned off the water and the both stepped out of the shower. They dried off together. Leon helped dry her back, using more towels than he'd ever have to use for a human. He didn't mind though. It gave him more time to explore the snow leopard's body as well as delay the unavoidable confrontation waiting for him downstairs.

Leon was comforted by Serena's words though. She'd convinced him that this is what he wanted. This was something at the very least worthy of giving a try. His body had certainly given him enough clues over the past few weeks, telling him the same things she'd urged him to realize.

None of it, however, relieved him of his discomfort as they walked down the stairs in the foyer. Nalani was leaning up against the doorframe to the dining room. The lioness's face was emotionless with the exception of tight lips, which grew tighter before she watched him and Serena reach the bottom of the stairs. The flame in her golden eyes said, “You'd best be ready to tell the truth."

Vera had made another exceptional breakfast. It would have tasted better if it had been for the bitterness stuck on his tongue from the words he was currently stewing over. This time it had to be him. He wasn't going to let Serena cover for him.

The moment everyone was done with breakfast, Nalani glared at Leon and Serena. The rest of them had sense the tension that morning. None of them, however, knew how to address it.

“I think it's time you all find out what Serena and Leon have been up to… again…" said the lioness.

Leon immediately felt full of shame despite how much he'd tried to prepare himself.

Nalani quickly had everyone's attention. “I caught both of them naked in the shower this morning."

Leon let his chin drop, embarrassed. Serena, however, kept her chin held high. “It's true," admitted the snow leopard. “And I owe you all even more honesty this morning. Leon and I also had sex."

It wasn't worth it to come up with excuses. That's what Leon thought in that moment, so he mustered as much courage as possible. “Yes, we had sex," he admitted as well, frankly as possible.

The silence lasted much longer than which Leon was comfortable. All his feared returned as they stared, afraid he'd done something awful.

“How was it?" Vera finally broke the silence. Her question was directed mostly to Serena.

Serena lit up, grinning from ear to ear. “Wonderful," she answered.

Some of them weren't too bothered by the truth. Risa and Nalani were the most disappointed and upset out of all of them, unhappy that Serena had kept Leon to herself.

Serena went on to explain that the sex Leon had that morning was their first time. She assured them that Leon understood what it meant and that he was fully prepared for it.

“Serena explained to me what having sex with her would entail for the rest of you," Leon added. “I accepted that and was ready to take the leap. I'm ready and willing to be intimate with all of you."

“That wonderful new!" several of them exclaimed, going on about how much they'd each developed an attraction for him.

“So you're fine with all of it?" Nalani asked, raising a brow. “It's much more complicated than you may think. You have to be totally honest with us and give us the attention you afford Serena. None of this sneaking around."

“Give them a bit of a break, Nalani. All of this has been really difficult for him," Kaira chimed in. The fox offered Leon an understanding smile. “I'm glad Serena helped you gain the courage to be intimate with all of us, Leon. That's the most important thing."

“Me too," Alyssa and Risa agreed.

Leon sighed in deep relief. They all made it so easy to be honest, which was something very alien to him. He looked to Serena, who was grinning from ear to ear. “So what exactly does this mean?" he asked them all. “What does this change?"

“Everything!" Vera cheered again. “I'm so happy! I can't wait to start telling you all thing this I've thought about doing to you."

Laughter thundered in the dining room. Even Leon joined in with a good chortle, even though he was very curious about what the pantheress meant.

“Candid as always," Nalani shook her head before turning to Leon. “It changes whatever you want it to change, Leon. All it means is that we'll be here for you in any way you need, intimate or not."

Serena nodded, beaming. “Just like I'd told you," she said. “I know my friends very well. We're all happy to hear just how open you are to this idea, Leon. And we're just as excited as you to see where this goes."

Leon agreed. He was excited to see where this would go. Fear still infected him, but he was much more confident than he'd ever been before. And why not? He had the attention and attraction of six stunningly sexy, fun, and intelligent women. Leon couldn't ask for much more.

He chuckled nervously. “So now that that's out of the way. What should we do now?"

They each grinned devilishly. Leon could only imagine what every individual thought, idea, or image was going through their minds. He held his hands up innocently. “But go easy on me," he joked. “I am just one man after all."

They were each generous enough not to demand too much of him that day. It made sense though. Having to share a man was common enough in their society and culture, so they knew how to make it simple and easy for him.

“Communication is key," Nalani explained. “None of us want to feel left out, so we have to spend a good deal of time negotiating our individual time with you."

Leon agreed. The last thing he wanted was for any of them to feel excluded. “Do… um… how do I put this?" he added, stammering. “Would we ever do things in a group?"

“Do you mean in terms of sex?" asked the lioness.

Leon gulped before nodded. He didn't know if it was offensive to ask such a thing, or even subtly suggest it for that matter.

“It's certainly not off the table if that's what you want to know," she answered him very candidly. “We'll leave that up to you for the most part as most of us are okay with that. If you're not comfortable with such a thing, than we can accommodate for you. However, I must admit that it would make intimate time spent with you easier in certain regards."

Discussing terms of a relationship was new to Leon. It helped put him more at ease though. Especially when he was able to see that everyone was on board with the idea. Not only that but they were each excited.

“Jealousy can be a problem, but that's why it's important that we're totally honest with one another," Nalani went on. Everyone was listening intently to the lioness, but Leon knew that this conversation was more for him. They were all down in the formal living room, seated and relaxing in the circle of furniture. “All of our needs are different. We have to make sure each of us is heard."

Leon was starting to realize that Nalani was as wise as she was intelligent. “That all makes good sense to me. It's also something I may struggle with at first," he admitted. “So forgive me if I ever fall short. But I promise to always do my best to make up for it."

“Thank you, Leon," they each said.

“There's another thing you need to know," Nalani added, offering the snow leopard a smile. “Serena has the privilege of spending more time with you. She was, after all, the one who first mated with you."

To Leon, it almost felt like an honor. And now, looking back at it, he was glad he'd made the decisions he'd made. No regrets. Serena had been a wonderful woman with which to first “mate." He grinned as he repeated that word in his mind.

“Is all of that okay with you, Leon?"

“It is," Leon agreed.

“Awesome!" Vera exclaimed. “I'm claiming first dibs!"

“You would!" Risa spat, chuckling. Everyone was laughing, giving a good, lighthearted feel to the room. “And what makes you think you deserve to have him tonight?"

What is this feeling? Leon's heart was aflutter. Never before had he had women fighting over him like this. It made him feel wanted… needed.

Nalani was the only one shaking her head. Her face was buried in her palms again. “If Leon and Serena are alright with it then both of you can have him tonight."

Serena shrugged. She was still chuckling at her bickering friends. “I'm fine with it. Leon?"

“I suppose so," he answered. “Both of you have had enough time to get good those video games, right? Why don't we have that tournament tonight? If Vera wins, she gets me for the night. If Risa wins, she gets me. If I win… I get to choose who I spend the night with. Deal?"

“Deal!" they both replied in an instant.

“But we get to choose the game," Vera insisted.

Leon agreed to their terms. The pantheress and rabbit immediately leaned in towards each other, whispering.

“I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out," Kaira commented. “Can more of us join in the tournament?"

“You bet," Leon replied. “All of you are welcome to join. Winner gets me for the night."

“It's not like I'll do well," Alyssa said in all modesty. “But it's worth a try."

“I might as well join in, too," Nalani shrugged.

Everyone except Serena was part of the tournament. She decided to stay out of it since she'd already had her turn with Leon last night and that morning. Everyone else was very appreciative of her for that.

“So have you two decided on a game?" Leon asked the pantheress and rabbit, who were still conspiring to come up with a winning strategy. Leon was confident he'd do well no matter what game they chose.

“We have," Vera stated.

A sly grin flashed on the rabbit's face. “Super Smash Brothers," she declared.

Leon nearly beamed the moment Risa mentioned that game. But he kept his poker face strong, hiding all emotion, something he was expert at. “Very well," he said. “Smash Brothers it is. Which one?"

“Um…" Risa and Vera went back into their huddle.

The pantheress came out of the huddle stating, “Melee!"

Again, Leon held back his smile. Melee happened to be his best. “Okay," he agreed. “Shall we set up a tournament tree? We'll pull names for the match-ups. The first match-up will have to automatically go to the final match for the luckiest among us. Is best of three good for each match?"

Everyone agreed to the rules Leon suggested. They were to play the game, combat skill only, no items. Once they were down in the entertainment room, they pulled names from a hat. The first two combatants in the first match were Leon and Risa. The second match was Nalani and Kaira. The third was Vera and Alyssa.

Risa was good. She wasn't good enough. Leon ended up beating the rabbit, even though it was decent match. With five lives for each of them, she was able to KO him three times, at least for their second game of match. It made him the lucky one, because that automatically put him in the final match. He just had to watch to find out who his opponent was going to be. His expectation was that Vera was going to make it to the final round, and by that time he will have studied her playing style, ensuring his victory.

Nalani and Kaira came next. It wasn't much of a match. Leon had made the prediction that Nalani would win, and he was correct. The lioness played well, seemingly for her first time, but she wasn't great. Vera was definitely going to beat her as Leon had already seen the pantheress play a few times in the past few weeks.

For the next match, Leon couldn't help but cheer for the underdog, Alyssa. He really liked the mink, and often cheered for underdogs anyway. But Vera was going to win, and she did. The mink, however, surprisingly gave Vera a run for her money. She'd even won one of the games against the pantheress, which somewhat shocked all of them. In the end though, Vera proved herself a worthy opponent, and Leon was quite excited to see how well she was going to do against her.

Nalani and Vera sat down on the floor not too far from the TV. Vera wore a wide grin along her muzzle as she shifted on her rear to get comfortable, her tail happily swishing to and fro behind her. “Ready to get stomped on, Nalani?" she taunted her friend.

“I suppose so…" grumbled the lioness. “You've certainly been playing this much more than me."

Leon caught it right then. Nalani's eyes told an entirely different story. She was toying with the pantheress. She'd been playing a fool with all of them. Stunned, Leon couldn't believe he didn't notice it early. The lioness had purposefully played bad against Kaira to get Vera overconfident.

The same thing happened for the first game of Nalani and Vera's match. The lioness threw it.

“Hmm…" said Nalani. “I guess I've got to change up my strategy."

“Oh, please," Vera laughed at her. “It's not going to matter. You've already lost."

Leon knew different. He saw in Nalani what he'd done plenty of times in the past, and Vera was going to be completely unprepared for it. You can't plan for that which you don't anticipate, he thought.

The next game started. It was done within two minutes. Vera didn't even score a single KO on the lioness.

“What? How?" Vera uttered, dumbfounded. “That… that was just a fluke. You got really lucky."

It was far from luck. Leon saw nothing but skill in how Nalani played that game. It was enough to cause worry in him. Perhaps he wasn't going to win after all, because the lioness was swiftly becoming a fearsome opponent. At least he had the advantage of knowing it ahead of time as opposed to poor Vera, who didn't want to believe it.

“I'll get you this time," Vera said. Her confidence was rapidly becoming her downfall.

The pantheress started the game and she hadn't at all changed her tactics. Every move was just as predictable as the last game, and Nalani exploited that. It resulted in another clean sweep. Not a single KO on Nalani.

Vera held the controller in her hands after the game was over, staring at the defeated character on the screen. “I don't get it. How are you that good?"

Nalani gave her a few pats on the back. “Just because you don't see me play, doesn't mean I don't," she said. “You did well. I just used your confidence against you. You weren't prepared for it." Her gaze wandered over to Leon, making him gulp. “Besides," she went on, “I'm the one that caught those two in the act. I think I deserve to have him first."

Leon wasn't one to worry so much about a game of Smash Brothers. But the stakes were high. And he was actually playing against someone who was apparently so wickedly smart that she'd figured out how to play like an expert in such a short time. For the first time, he believe he could actually lose in one of his best games.

“However…" continued the lioness. Her keen eyes squinted at Leon. “I'm deciding to throw in the towel. Leon has much more practice at this than any of us. Doubtlessly, I would lose to him and it was a fool's notion to think any of us could beat him so early on."

Leon stared at her blankly. He was utterly dazed and bemused. She had to have known that she stood a very good chance against him. Nalani had to have had some other motive for forfeiting like that. It was the only explanation. But Leon sighed in relief, regardless, because she ended up saving him from any potential embarrassment. Losing to her would have kept him up thinking about how she'd even beat him so easily.

“So, Leon," Nalani addressed him directly, making him snap out of his shock. Intense analysis of the human glimmered in her golden eyes. “That makes the choice yours for tonight. With whom do you wish to spend it?"

That was it. Leon figured it out. She'd let him win in order to see how he would answer the question of whom he'd choose. It was all a test she'd designed for him. But Leon already had the answer she was looking for, he'd decided on it the moment he even came up with the stakes of the tournament.

An eager grin flitted across his face, knowing he had the correct answer to Nalani's one question test. “All of you," he replied. “I'm spending tonight with all of you."

Nalani's face brightened. It was indeed the right answer. And everyone approved.

They moved all the furniture around in the entertainment room in order to create a big space for all of them. Leon, Serena, and Nalani grabbed several blankets and pillows from upstairs. It was enough to make one giant bed for them to sleep in.

“It's kind of like a sleepover," Vera remarked. “I'm excited. And I'm glad you had this in mind all along, Leon. It was very generous of you."

“Well, I wasn't just about to turn down the opportunity to spend the whole night with six wonderful women," he joked, sitting down in the mass of blankets. Everyone else join him and formed a bit of a circle. “Lots of guys dream about this sort of thing."

“I guess that would make some sense," Kaira noted. “One man to several women is fairly commonplace in our society, but it must be very taboo for humans."

Leon shrugged. “It is. But it's also happened in the past as well as very rarely in the present. But the polygamy that has been practice by humans still had more to do with patriarchal ideas rather than there being a scarcity of men, obviously."

“May I ask a potentially uncomfortable question, Leon?" Nalani requested. The lioness was seated to the left of Serena, who was right next to Leon.

Curious, Leon wondered exactly what Nalani thought was a potentially uncomfortable question. “Go right ahead," Leon answered, smiling. “You asked for honesty, so I'll do my best."

“I'm very glad that you find us attractive. But is that a common thing for humans? To be attracted to someone so different from you?" she asked. “It's somewhat common enough for us, because anthro species can be vastly different by nature. However, humans have only had other humans, correct?"

“Correct," Leon said. It was a thought-provoking question. He'd often wondered why he'd found depictions of anthros attractive, or why some others felt the same as him. “My best answer is that I don't really know. It was something I'd felt before anthros even arrived on Earth as humans have been ascribing human characteristics to things for a very long time. Maybe part of that had to do with not having any other sentient species on our planet. But I certainly had no control over what I ended up finding attractive when I got older, and when all of you arrived, it made me realize just how real that attraction was."

They each nodded. Nalani felt it was a sufficient answer. Sexuality for anthros was just as complex as it was for humans, so she'd never be one to judge.

Conversation filled most of their evening. Leon was glad to have the opportunity to finally sit down with all of them and get to know them much better. They talked late into the night about a variety of things. Most of it was about each of them, their histories, hobbies, things they missed back on Liira, and much more.

Nalani had explained how much her parents thought it was a waste of her talents and intelligence to join the anthro Army. But the Army was where her friends were, and she'd discovered just how much she enjoyed being part of the military. The lioness had no regrets about the decision she'd made, despite her parent's disapproval, and despite it was the first time she'd really gone against their wishes.

Alyssa's story was the opposite. Her parents were very proud to learn their daughter had joined the military. They'd seen her grow from a bullied girl, afraid of conflict, to a strong, confident, and well-rounded woman. It was delightful to hear the pride in her voice as she spoke of herself and her parents.

They all explained, too, that some of their parents had made it to Earth. Most of them stayed in Seralis. Serena and the rest were still young, so when they heard of the immigration deals with several human nations, they opted for it. Most of their parents had been okay with it. A few of them weren't.

"I wanted to get out of that crowded place," Kaira mentioned. "My father didn't like the idea of me being so willing to join human society, but my most of my mothers had no problem with it. Dad has always been a bit smothering though. He also didn't like it when I'd joined the Air Force, even though I'd proven I was one of the best pilots out there. Males can be so emotional sometimes, worried about every little thing."

Leon admitted it was odd to hear that, but he was starting to get used to this whole role reversal thing. "Well, you don't have to worry about me trying to smother you," he assured her jokingly. "I guess I wouldn't mind meeting all of your parents some day. Are they allowing travel to the anthro nation yet?"

"Not quite yet," Nalani answered. "But it'll get there soon enough."

"And I know it's a touchy subject, but I wouldn't mind meeting your family some day, too, Leon." Vera offered Leon a smile, so he knew she was just being polite.

He shook his head. "You really wouldn't. At least not my parents or siblings."

"I understand," Risa finally spoke up. The black rabbit had been quiet for the most part, at least on the topic of family. "I'm not on all too good of terms with my folks and my many siblings as well. I may have been the runt when I was a kid, but I sure showed them later on."

The rest of them nodded silently, knowing Risa's background much better than Leon. It put an end to the topic of family, but Leon remained curious about more details. He also hadn't heard much about Serena's family, and Vera had mentioned that her family had been very normal except for the whole owning a restaurant thing. He would never doubt that story though. Her cooking was amazing.

It was past midnight by the time they started to get tired. Leon wasn't given too much leeway though. They weren't just going to let him fall asleep. Each anthro lined up like usual, this time on the mess of blankets and pillow. Nalani, Alyssa, and Kaira were very appreciative to get a foot massage from Leon, but Vera and Risa wanted a little more. After hearing about everything he and Serena had done the previous night, they each wanted a taste of that.

Leon couldn't refuse, especially after the pantheress plopped down in front of him. Her big foot was in his face, toes wiggling on his head, before he could even get into position. Vera's scent was more earthy than Serena's, reminding him more of campfire smoke. It was strong, but he loved that aroma. Excited he grabbed her foot and pulled himself deeper into her sole to get a good whiff.

“I like this one," Vera chuckled, feeling his nose and cheeks press into the bottom of her foot. Everyone else was watching, relaxed in the pile of blankets on the floor.

Leon would have thought that he'd be uncomfortable with a small audience like that, but he didn't feel any iota of discomfort. Maybe it was because he had a delightfully soft foot planted on his face. It didn't matter, he told himself.

Just like he did with Serena, he tasted of the pantheress. He licked every little bit, letting the pantheress's flavor settle on his tongue before he went on to suckle on each of her toes. Vera breathed heavily each second, purring in pleasure through most of Leon's licking.

Before he could move on to the next foot, Vera pulled it away. A devilish grin curled on her lips. She gestured toward the floor. Leon understood right away and crawled to the floor lying on his back for her, watching as her foot glided over him until it was only an inch away from his face.

“Take it and place it on your face," the pantheress demanded. “And then kiss it like a good little foot worshiper."

Leon did exactly as she asked. He grabbed her foot with both hands and drew it down over his face until it was bending over each cheek. Lips puckered, he gave her his first kiss right in the middle of her arch. He let the tip of his tongue slip for a second, getting another taste of her savory flesh.

“All over," Vera added. “Kiss every inch of it."

With both hands he pulled her heel to his mouth and started there. Kiss after wet kiss, Leon worked his way all the way up to her toes. He made sure to worship every little portion of the big digits, running his lips all over, intentionally letting his tongue slip out every now and then. Vera's flesh wasn't as soft as Serena's but it tickled his tongue much more than hers, giving it a distinct and delightful texture, making him shudder each time he licked her.

“Very good, Leon," said the pantheress. “And know that you've had a taste, I'm sure you'll be back for more, right?"

Leon kissed her foot one more time before she pulled it away. “You bet," he answered her, already missing the feeling of her padded flesh on his face.

“Don't worry, Leon," Risa added. The black rabbit must have noticed the glimmer of craving in his eye. “You've still got to worship my feet tonight."

Leon went to get up from his position on the floor but Risa stopped him, holding him in place with one of her big feet on his chest. “You stay right there," she commanded him. “That's a good position for you to be in."

Risa was more forceful with him. The rabbit pushed her other foot against his cheek, forcing his head to the side. She put weight on her foot and let it sink into the side of Leon's face. Her big toe curled right onto his lips. “Kiss it and lick it," she demanded.

Not a second passed before Leon's lips were wrapped around the thick flesh on the bottom of her big toe. He licked her toe, running his tongue up and down before giving it another kiss, making a soft wet smacking sound.

Her toes curled and she rolled his head back the other way so he could look at her. “Now kiss my toes while you rub the rest of my foot, telling me how much you like it."

Leon stayed in his position but grabbed her foot. He pulled it close enough so he could kiss her other toes. His thumbs went all over the rest of her foot, kneading the tense flesh at her heel all the way up to the ball of her foot, which he kissed after massaging.

“You're feet are so lovely, Risa," he said. And they were. The rabbit had much more of a flowery scent to her, which resembled Serena's aroma. The smell was sweeter than the snow leopard's though, and it tasted just as sweet.

“Good," the rabbit purred. “My feet will always be available for you to worship, Leon."

Leon followed up with Risa's next foot, doing the same thing for her. He spent a little more time allowing her to push her foot into his face, even asking for it at times. Risa never denied him, loving the way the human's face felt at the bottom of her foot.

By the time Leon was done, he was exhausted. He felt as though he was in the clouds though. Everything around him felt so light and airy, so when they crawled next to him, cuddling with him, it made that sensation ten times better.

“I don't ever want this to end…" he uttered. But saying those words reminding him of a pressing issue, bringing him back down to Earth. “What are we going to do when I'm done hosting you?"

“Was it ever a stipulation that you had to stop hosting us?" Serena asked.

Leon knew her question was less of a query and more of a statement. He knew what she was suggesting, and as he thought about it he was perfectly fine with the idea. However, he didn't know if the U.S. Immigration Service would allow it.

“I don't know," he answered her.

“Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," she replied. “I have a feeling it'll all work out. But for now… let's just enjoy this time we have together."

The next few weeks were not like Leon expected. They were better. He thought managing his time with them was going to be a difficult thing, but they each made it very easy. He thought he was going to be exhausted at the end of the day, but he instead found himself rejuvenated and excited for the next morning. Life with the anthros was becoming a blessing. He didn't want it to end.

And yet, the time he'd been required to host them had passed by very quickly. It flew right by for each of them. So when the man from the Immigration Service showed up at their door, none of them said anything, but none of them wanted to leave.

“I'll assume everything went well?" said the man. Leon let him stroll into the foyer where everyone else was waiting.

“It did," Leon replied, being as cordial as possible. “Hosting them was more than a delight." He'd planned on suggesting they all continue staying with him, so he didn't want to give any negative impressions.

“That's good to hear," the man nodded. He was carrying the same clipboard from his first visit, and he was already scratching his pen all over the paper. The sound of it made Leon nervous. “Would all of you say the same?" he asked the anthros.

Each of them had a different way of expressing themselves, but their responses were all a resounding “yes." Leon already knew that's how they felt. It never got old hearing it though.

He continued asking several questions about how they'd each spent their time. The question made Leon blush as he thought about some of them most memorable things he'd done with them. By that time, Serena wasn't the only anthro with whom he'd slept. They'd all gotten their “time" with him.

All of that stuff was left out of their answers for obvious reasons. However, the man remained somewhat suspicious of their answers, noting that most of their time spent at Leon's involved leisure.

“That's not entirely true," Leon replied to the man's observation. “They've been doing a lot of work around the place. For one, Vera has pretty much become the house chef. Her cooking is exquisite."

“And what about the rest?" asked the man.

Leon went on to list all the ways each of them has helped him. Not only had they helped him around the house, but they'd each helped him grow as a person.

He mentioned how Alyssa was like a personal therapist to him, as he always went to her when he wanted to talk about things that may have been bothering him. Nalani was like a teacher, explaining things about anthro culture and technology that he wouldn't have easily grasped if it wasn't for her being around.

Risa ended up being a wonderful coach, getting him outside and exercising much more than he would have if she wasn't living with him. “Kind of like a drill sergeant at times," he joked, making the rabbit wink at him.

“You bet!" she replied.

Kaira, he told the man, was the creative one of the group. She was the one, over the past few weeks, who was constantly coming up with new things for them all to do. The fox had even done loads to maintain and improve Leon's gardens as well as the nature trails he'd made along the lake. Anything outdoors was the vixen's domain.

“I did notice that something seemed different when I pulled up in the driveway," noted the man. He offered Kaira a smile and a nod. “You did a wonderful job out there."

“Thank you," replied the fox, beaming. “I can't help getting my hands dirty." Another wink was passed Leon's way. No doubt the double entendre was intentional. Leon appreciated it, but held back his laughter.

After clearing his throat, Leon spoke up about the last of them. “And Serena…" he said, turning to the snow leopard. “I've realized that she's been the glue that has held us together over this past month. In the best of ways, she's been the one that has made us all feel like family."

“I see…" the man took note of it all, striking several more marks on his clipboard. “This was always meant to be a temporary program," he added. The pen stopped and he finally lifted his head from the clipboard, regarding each of them carefully.

Those words made all of them anxious. They felt he was setting them all up for some terrible new, that which they'd feared so much. Leon wanted to cut him off and tell him, straight up, that he wasn't going to let them go. They were going to live with him permanently.

Leon took a step forward. “I want—"

“But…" the man interrupted him. “It seems like all six of you have settled in very nicely with Mr. Shepherd."

They all nodded without hesitation. “Yes," Serena stepped forward, farther than Leon. She wasn't going to let herself be interrupted. “And we'd all like to make the request that we continue to stay here with him. We want to live here permanently. Is that possible?"

The man's silence had them all worried. After a few seconds of consideration, he spoke up. “This case is an exception to most others, especially considering Mr. Shepherd's wealth," he added.

Suspense struck the air like the shifting air before a storm. Could it be possible? Was he truly going to allow it?

“I suppose if it is alright with him, Immigration Services can allow you to take up permanent residence with Mr. Shepherd," he finally stated. “If that's the answer, I can settle all your cases and you'll each receive an extended visa with this address as your current residence. I suggest, however, that you each start working toward citizenship as soon as possible."

All of their fear vanished in that instant. It was a surprising blessing to hear him approve of their wishes.

“Yes! Absolutely, yes!" Leon proclaimed right away, perhaps a little too excited in front of the man.

After raising an eyebrow, the fellow strolled over to the door. “I suppose that settles it then," he said. As the doorknob twisted in his hand, the first semblance of a genuine smile finally flashed along his face. “You're a very lucky man, Mr. Shepherd."

“You're right," Leon answered him. His body was shaking from the sheer amount of joy filling him up. “Thank you very much, sir."

“You should all receive your new visas in the mail within the next two weeks," the man stated as the door closed behind him.

The moment the door was shut they all let out their excitement. Their rejoicing was loud enough to make it to the driveway where the man heard them. He grinned, knowing that something much more was going on than he'd felt the need to ask.

“I told you," Serena said to Leon. The snow leopard wrapped her long arms around his back and pulled him close, kissing him. “That it would all work out in the end."

“Yes, you did," Leon beamed. “I have to admit I was afraid that I'd lose you all though. Thank you for speaking up and asking, Serena."

Serena shook her head. “You never would have lost us, Leon. Even if we would have had to leave, we would have kept coming back until we figured out how to be with you permanently. This just made it much easier."

“I love you so much, Serena," he said, kissing her again. “I love you all!"

“And we love you, Leon," they each replied.