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brAX

Brax whipped his head around and saw what she was staring at. Standing in the corner of the living area was the black shadow thing with glowing red eyes. As they watched, it drifted closer to Serenai , menacing her silently.

“Oh, Brax —it’s there! It’s coming for me!” she cried and her dark eyes were wide with fear.

Brax was on his feet at once.

“Get the fuck out of here if you know what’s fucking good for you!” he roared, charging around the couch to grab for the shadowy phantom.

But before he could reach it, the thing faded out of existence and was gone almost as soon as it had appeared.

“Fuck!” He felt a burst of Rage rush over him. He hated an opponent he couldn’t grab hold of! He wanted to teach that fucking thing a lesson about threatening his woman, but how could he, when it disappeared every time he tried to snatch it out of the air?

He looked around the living area but the damn thing was gone. He was just about to go looking in the bedchamber when he heard a muffled sob.

Serenai was sitting up on the couch with her face in her hands and her shoulders were shaking.

Brax’s urge to kill and maim was immediately overtaken by his protective instincts.

“Hey, baby—don’t cry.”

He went to sit beside her on the couch and drew her into his lap. Serenai melted against him, burying her face in his chest, but she didn’t stop crying.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay,” Brax tried to reassure her, but she seemed inconsolable.

“N-no it’s n-not,” she sobbed, shaking her head. “ D -don’t you see? It’s coming for me!”

“Well, I’m not going to let it get you!” Brax swore, stroking her hair.

But she shook her head again and looked up at him with streaming eyes.

“I’ve seen it six times now! And Mistress Trembledamp said if you see it seven times, then you’re dead! The next time it comes for me it’s going to…to kill me!”

And she started sobbing again.

Brax felt like she had reached her soft little hand into his chest and was squeezing his heart. He ached for her pain and her fear and wanted badly to reassure her that he would keep her safe.

“Never mind what Mistress Trembledamp said,” he said roughly, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “ I’m telling you—anything that wants to get you is going to have to get through me first, baby.”

Serenai looked up at him with red eyes.

“But then you’ll be killed too. I don’t want that!”

“You just let me worry about that,” Brax told her. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “ Look at me, baby. I swear to you by the Goddess herself—by the Mother of All Life — I’ll do anything and everything in my power to keep you safe. Even if it means giving my life to do it.”

Her eyes widened.

“Oh, Brax —you can’t mean that! We haven’t even known each other that long.”

“We’ve known each other long enough for me to know you’re the woman for me,” he said firmly. He stroked her cheek. “ I know it’s not usual for a bodyslave to tell his Mistress that he loves her. But , well… I love you, Serenai . And I can’t help feeling like the Goddess herself put us together.”

He wasn’t sure how she would take this. She looked shocked at first…but then her expression became shy and hopeful.

“Do…do you really think so?”

“Yes, I do.” Brax nodded firmly. “ And I’m not just saying that because I want my freedom. I don’t give a damn if you never free me. In fact, I’d rather be a bodyslave as long as it means that I get to be near you every day, than a free male roaming the galaxy without you.”

“I want to be with you, too.” She swiped at her eyes. “ Oh , Brax —when this is all over, why don’t we see if we can find a different place to live? One where we can be together openly and not just as Mistress and bodyslave.”

“I’d love that, baby.” Brax felt his heart swell in his chest. Goddess , she was so beautiful!

“ I’ve always wanted to go visit the Kindred Mother Ship ,” he offered.

“ It’s a huge spacecraft—almost like a floating city—where lots of Kindred and their women live. I’m sure they could find room for us.”

“That sounds perfect.” Serenai snuggled deeper into his arms. “ I don’t think I’ll ever fit into Yonnite society and Opulex is so huge and exhausting.”

“Then it’s settled. As soon as we talk to this Jacobim and get the cursed necklace off our hands, we’ll go together to the Kindred Mother Ship ,” Brax said.

This earned him another tremulous smile and a kiss on the cheek from Serenai .

“That sounds perfect,” she said, cuddling against him. “ Though to be honest, as long as we’re together, I don’t really care where we go.”

Brax felt the same way and was about to say so when they both heard a beeping from the cockpit at the front of the ship.

Brax groaned.

“That’s the proximity alarm— I’d better go check what the fuck is going on.”

“I want to come with you!” Serenai pressed closer to him, her eyes darting around the luxurious living area. “ We don’t know where that thing went—it could be anywhere!”

“Come on then, baby.” Brax rose easily with her still in his arms and carried her to the cockpit. “ Let’s go check together and then we can get you into a more modest dress for our meeting with Jacobim .”

He nodded down at her bare breasts, which were still on display thanks to the scarlet gown. She might have to dress like a Yonnite Mistress while she was on Yonnie Six , but he’d be damned if he let some other male admire her assets when they were away from it.

The possessive protectiveness washed over him again and this time it felt justified. He had admitted his feelings to Serenai and she had returned them. And after all this was put behind them, they were going to be together.

He dropped an affectionate kiss on her forehead, loving the feeling of her warm, curvy figure settled in his arms.

He had no idea how close he was to losing her forever.