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brAX

When they got to the door of the closet, Brax made sure to keep his own body between his new Mistress and the opening. He scanned the darkness inside, but still didn’t see a damn thing. Whatever the red-eyed monster was, it had disappeared completely. How in the Seven Hells had it managed that?

He had no idea but he was determined to go searching for it tomorrow.

He got Serenai safely out of the room and they went to another bed chamber at the other end of the penthouse.

This one wasn’t as elaborately furnished as her mother’s old bed chamber, but it still had a huge bed with an expensive gella-foam mattress which probably cost more than most people made in half a solar year.

Brax held open the sheets for her and his little Mistress crawled into them. But when he would have left her to go stand at the foot of her bed, she tightened her grip on his hand.

“Wait, please…” Her voice was soft, almost pleading.

“Yes, Mistress ?” Brax turned and leaned down to look into her eyes.

“I don’t want you guarding me from the foot of the bed,” Serenai said.

“You don’t?” He frowned. “ Do you want me to go stand with my back to the door then?” It might be a good idea—that way he could see anything that tried to enter the room.

But she shook her head.

“No, I don’t want that either. I want…that is…” She was nibbling her lower lip as though she wasn’t sure how to phrase her next sentence. “ I want you to get in the bed with me!” she burst out at last.

Brax raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Really, Mistress ? But you barely know me. You think you’d feel safe with me in the bed with you?”

“Yes, I think I’d feel much safer if you were close.” She gave him a pleading look. “ The eyes…they were right there—at the other side of the bed! I’m sure they were trying to come right across the mattress to get me!”

Brax nodded in understanding.

“I see. Well then, if you really want me to, of course I’ll sit on the other side of your bed and watch from there. If you think you’ll feel safe with me.”

She looked up at him.

“I’m sure I will if…if you’ll agree to tell me why your old Mistress sold you.”

Brax frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“That’s a painful memory you’re asking me to dredge up, little Mistress .”

“I’m sorry.” She looked abashed. “ I didn’t think?—”

“No, it’s all right.” Brax shook his head.

“ I’ll tell you. Just let me get settled.

” He went to sit on the other side of her bed, making sure to leave some room between them.

He positioned a pillow behind his back and leaned against the headboard.

“ Do you mind if I call for the lights?” he asked.

“ I think this would be easier to tell in the dark.”

“Of course—that’s fine,” she murmured. Her large, dark eyes were fixed on him, wide with interest.

Brax was happy to call, “ Lights out,” and plunge the room into darkness. Some memories were hard to face in the light.