In this scene from Forever Love, Izzorah and Luc are about to face an unexpected trial. They'd practiced every scenario, but not once had this been in the cards.

Tangled Bonds

Izzorah and Luc stopped before Pietas. Luc was seven Tradestandard inches taller than Izzorah, and Pietas and Uurah were almost that much taller than Luc.

The breeze tickled Izzorah's ears, and he lowered them.

"I see the wind bothers you," Pietas said. "I'm sorry about that, but don't worry. We won't be out here long. Uurah, fetch her, please."

The android touched a bracelet he wore and disappeared.

Izzorah stiffened. It hadn't surprised him, but Pietas didn't need to know that.

Luc had called it portaling; moving from one place to another instantly. Only Pietas and Uurah had the tech to do it, but they could take others with them. Luc had assured Izzorah they wouldn't be separated. He promised that Pietas had given his word and said the king didn't lie.

That, however, was not borne out in the king's scent.

Uurah reappeared, a Kin female with dark hair and dark furskin beside him.

Pride radiated from her like light from a lamp, as much a part of her as her bones. She wore black leather, and carried a hook knife on one hip. Blue turquoise of the Marasova clan embedded its dark wooden hilt. But... so did stones of light green peridot from Izzorah's clan.

Confusing. Kin clans didn't mix colors on a hook knife, even in marriage, and there wasn't one bead in her hair. Clanless.

Turquoise also represented Pietas, according to Luc.

The female brought her ears forward as she studied Izzorah. That she'd noticed the bead marking him as Luc's showed in her scent. It might not be obvious to others, but it was to Izzorah. She had a strong feeling of sadness toward Luc, but why, Izzorah couldn't imagine.

All this sizing-up between them came in an ear-flick of time.

Not enemies. Not yet friends.

Like most Kin females with a male, when she held out her hand, it was for the male to put his into. A more submissive pose for the male; her hand over his. When she held out her hand to Pietas, he allowed the position. Her pride softened into affection toward him, and she drew him toward herself with a smile.

Her control laid bare their relationship. Not mates, but definitely lovers, and she was the alpha in their intimate relationship.

Well... That wasn't what Izzorah expected at all.

In this scene from Forever Love, Izzorah, with Luc beside him, is about to face Pietas and be taken aboard ship to undergo his fealty test. Pietas thinks Luc has taught Izzorah nothing, but in reality, they've practiced every scenario endlessly. As with everyone he meets, Izzorah senses emotions through scent, and to him, Pietas seems evil.

Steel and Shadow

As Izzorah crossed the deck at Luc's side, a cold wind kicked dust into the air. In the pool, white-tipped mini-waves skittered across the surface. A stiff breeze gusted.

A momentary panic surfaced. What if he was blown over the edge?

Luc's reassuring advice came to him, and Izzorah repeated it to himself silently. Fear can't hurt me. It's okay to be afraid. Face what I fear head on.

Uurah, Pietas's android bodyguard, had no people-smell, nor did he have the plasticky, androidy scent Izzorah associated with most mechanical people. Like James and McDoth, he smelled not-human but also somehow not not-human at the same time.

Izzorah had no word for it. Maybe he'd have to make one.

Pietas was his usual caustic self, anger and greed at the forefront of his emotions. As usual, his outside didn't match his inside. He stood there, smiling like he knew some secret he wasn't going to share.

Humans had a word for that, but Izzorah couldn't bring it to mind.

From Luc, a kind of coldness Izzorah hadn't sensed before. Now that they were facing the immortal king, the worry Luc had possessed disappeared. Instead, he'd gotten quiet, all the way deep inside, as if he'd done this so many times it offered no challenge.

Yes, he'd practiced with Izzorah, but this wasn't confidence from that. This was deeper. Much deeper. Scary deeper.

This was Luc the General.

The warrior who'd faced thousands on the battlefield. The utter confidence and quiet within him at this moment shaped into a cold, hard focus sharp enough to drive a noodle through steel.

A resolve that said no matter which way this went, he and Izzorah would be together, and nothing Pietas or anybody else could do would stop it.

Izzorah took Luc's arm and squeezed it. If only he could borrow that strength.