Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Abbey did as he said and then held out her arm, wrist up so the Perfumer could place a drop of the new scent on her pulse point. She felt a droplet of moisture on the underside of her wrist and then the Perfumer said.
“Good. Now rub your wrists together lightly and inhale your new fragrance.”
Abbey did as he said and then lifted her wrist to her nose…only to smell nothing.
“Oh, er…” She sniffed again, but there was nothing but the normal scent of her skin. “I’m sorry—I don’t smell anything,” she said apologetically.
“Of course you don’t! None of us can smell our own scent,” the Royal Perfumer snapped. “The fact that you smell nothing proves I have done my job to perfection. Now let your spouse smell your wrist and see what he thinks.”
Abbey didn’t bother to correct him. She only held out her wrist for Solon, who came forward and sniffed it.
“Mmm, delicious!” he growled and Abbey could hear the sudden lust in his voice. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to smell more appealing, lelka but somehow you do.”
“I’m glad you approve, Commander Solon,” the Perfumer sniffed. “Now come forward yourself so that I may make you a scent as well.”
Solon stepped forward and the Perfumer smelled him for quite some time.
“Hmm…fur and leather and some kind of fragrant wood,” he mused. “Some wilder notes too—almost beastly!”
“Well, I am a Monstrum Kindred,” Solon rumbled. “Which means I am covered in fur—that might be what you’re smelling.”
“Oh, are you? May I touch your hand?” the Perfumer asked, sounding interested.
“Certainly,” Solon said.
“Spex, tell me what’s happening,” Abbey murmured.
“The fur-man is holding out his hand and the Perfumer is feeling his hand and arm all over,” the little Eye-pet whispered in her ear. “He’s rubbing the fur-man’s fur—he seems to like it.”
“Well—I can tell this scent is going to be a challenge to make!” the Perfumer said at last. He spent quite some time mixing and matching—Abbey could hear the faint tinkle of his hundreds of glass bottles. Finally, however, he finished and told Solon to come forward again.
“Now then, as you’re covered in fur almost everywhere, I’m going to be a droplet on your palm, which isn’t furry,” he told the big Monstrum. “Then you can rub your palms together and rub them over your neck and arms as well to spread the scent.”
“All right,” Solon rumbled agreeably.
A moment later, Abbey started to smell something amazing. Warm fur and masculine spice tickled her nose, making her feel instantly aroused. It was his Bonding Scent, she realized, only magnified a hundred-fold!
“Oh my God, that’s amazing!” she nearly moaned, as she leaned towards the big Monstrum. “You smell so good!”
“The scent does smell, a-hem, extremely attractive.” Chancellor Maprist’s voice sounded strained. “My goodness—it’s positively magnetic!”
“It really is,” Abbey agreed, rubbing her cheek against Solon’s chest as he put an arm around her. She had a sudden urge to tackle the big Monstrum and rub her naked body against his. Only remembering that they were in public with other people kept her from jumping his bones then and there!
“Borigard, I hate to say it, but I think you may have created a dangerous scent,” Chancellor Maprist remarked, sounding distinctly uncomfortable. “I have no wish to have sexual relations with a male but this scent you’ve made for Commander Solon is making me rethink my whole sexual identity!”
“Yes, he smells divine, does he not?” The Royal Perfumer said dreamily. “I never knew I wanted to be with a man who was covered in fur until now!”
“You cannot let him wear that scent to the banquet tonight!” Chancellor Maprist exclaimed. “He’ll be mobbed by women everywhere he goes. And men too, I wouldn’t doubt,” he added.
“You’re right, I suppose—but what a shame! This scent is a crowning achievement. Natural aphrodisiacs are so rare,” the Perfumer remarked.
He sounded closer than before, Abbey thought through the lust-fogged haze that had clouded her brain. In fact, the orange and blue blur that was the Royal Perfumer was right beside her now.
“Spex, tell me what’s going on,” she whispered to her Eye-pet.
“The Royal Perfumer is rubbing against the big fur-man,” Spex reported. “But Spex doesn’t think the fur-man likes it. He is making a no-face. The Chancellor is making a want-face at the fur-man but keeping away from him.”
“I think you’ve captured the essence of my Bonding Scent—which is meant only for my mate, Abbey to smell,” Solon rumbled, sounding a bit unnerved at the reaction everyone was having to his new scent. “Er…should I wash it off?”
“Yes, I think you’d better,” Chancellor Maprist said stiffly. “We’ll just have to tell everyone that your natural scent is also your Official Scent. You can’t be let loose in the Royal Palace wearing an aphrodisiac!” He cleared his throat. “Borigard, can you please stop rubbing yourself against Commander Solon and give Lady Abbey her Scent so we can be on our way?”