He can’t smell the future. Can he? #MMRomance #SciFiRomance #MFRWhooks #EnterTheEmpire

In a world where emotions manifest in scents, Izzorah grapples with the complexities of love and destiny. How can he confront his own emotions, when perceptions can often be deceiving?

Can he smell the future?

Joss lowered her head, but then looked back up at him, smiling. "I've seen your future."

"It's bad, then."

"No, my king. Not for you."

Pietas tilted his head. "What?"

"She's—" Izzorah bit his lips shut and stepped back. "Sorry."

"Please go on." Joss looked over at Izzorah. "I want to hear what you think."

He hesitated until Pietas nodded to him.

"It's a good future, but she's not in it."

They both stared at him for a moment, and then Pietas looked at her. "Two things." He tapped one finger into the palm of his other hand. "First, is what he said true? And second, how could any future of mine be good without you in it?"

She rested a hand on his cheek and smiled at him. For her, this was a deep love. Not so for Pietas. Hers was forever. His was...forever, but not...romantic? Izzorah had no word for what he sensed.

"Izzorah is right, my king, but only partly. He doesn't understand because he can't see the full picture. Trust me. I will be there. I won't be as involved as I would like. I think because you won't need me as much. I haven't told you because I didn't want to spoil it for you, but you will be happy." She looked over at Izzorah. "Wouldn't you agree?"

He'd best do so if he wanted her help. "What I said isn't based on experience. Only first impressions."

"So, was he right?" Pietas faced her.

"Quite. He's remarkable. Tell me, Izzorah, are you telepathic?"

"No. Luc keeps asking me that. I know what smells mean."

Pietas squinted at him. "You mean the Kin ability to sense emotion?"

"Yes. To a Kin, every emotion has a scent, and every thought has an emotion. You make a decision based on how you feel about something. Most do, anyway. And I can tell from the changes, no matter how fast they are, where those emotions are taking a person."

"So..." Pietas frowned. "If I understand correctly, when I'm deciding which way to handle a situation, the thoughts I process each convey a scent."

"That's right."

"And you can read those?"

"Pretty much. I'm almost never wrong. Except for—" In the quiet that followed, Izzorah shuffled his feet.

"Except for..." Pietas prompted.

"Well... You. Your emotions don't smell like what I expect. When you're happy, you smell sad."

"Truly?" Pietas turned to Joss. "Dark Hair said the same thing."

"Who?" Izzorah asked.

"Dark Hair is my nickname for Teyhahss. The other Kin Changeling."

"So... is that it?" Izzorah clasped his hands behind him. "Is that my Gift?"

"I think you might have more." Joss released Pietas. "Obviously, you have Charm, which means you can overcome people's natural distrust of a stranger. When you touch someone, they immediately seek to know you or be friendly. I imagine that comes in handy."

"Would've been if I'd known I could do it."

"You didn't?" Pietas asked, sliding one arm around Joss's waist.

"I grew up on a loshudd in the middle of nowhere. I only knew my family."

"Loshudd?" Joss echoed.

"Horse farm," Pietas translated. "Usually quite large. The farm, not the horses. Although... the ones I saw were humongous."

"You've seen my family's loshudd?"

"Dark Hair is a Ceeow, and she helped me purchase stock recently. I flew over your family's land. It was extensive."

That was all true, but parts of it bordered on a lie and Izzorah couldn't tell which.