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brAX

“You’d better let me see that remote— I think it needs a new power source.” Mistress Nibblegrim held out her hand imperiously and even snapped her fingers when Serenai was slow to give it to her. “ Come now— I’ve been dealing with these things all my life. Hand it over!” she demanded.

“All right.” Serenai pulled the chain that held the small black remote over her head and handed it to her Aunt .

“Good. And just you be still or I’ll use this on you, you big brute!” Aunt Nibblegrim pointed a finger at Brax , who was standing quietly in the corner of the penthouse’s large living area.

“I’m sure he won’t be any trouble, Aunt ,” Serenai said quickly. She looked at Brax . “ Will you?”

“I won’t give you any trouble, little Mistress ,” Brax told her—and he meant it.

He still had an idea about escaping in the back of his mind, but he wasn’t in any hurry about it.

He was curious about the young Yonnite Mistress who had just bought him—there was something about her that made him want to hang around.

Also , he still had no way of getting the thick, black pain collar off his neck. So he was stuck there—at least for now.

“Very good. Now just you wait— I’ll be back in a moment.”

Mistress Nibblegrim left the living area and Brax took the opportunity to look around.

He had seldom seen a living situation more opulent.

The whole room was done in white with gold accents.

There were sleek, white, leather couches arranged around a fire pit in the center of the room.

The fire rocks that burned in the pit were pure blue Balxion crystals—they gave off warmth and a soft golden-blue glow without making any ash or soot.

They perfumed the air with a faint, spicy scent that was very pleasant.

There was a rare Tel’lezion singing chandelier hovering over their heads.

It was humming quietly to itself in chiming tones as it floated around the room.

On the walls, were priceless artworks by some of the most famous artists of the galaxy.

Brax recognized a few because his old Mistress had been a collector as well.

On the floor was a rare Fleexon moss—it was pure white and would massage the feet of anyone walking on it as long as they were barefoot.

Brax felt bad for standing on it in his boots, but his new Mistress hadn’t told him to remove them so he was just trying not to move too much so he wouldn’t hurt the moss’s tender white tendrils.

Luckily , Cheeky was asleep in the ragged breast pocket of his shirt, so he wasn’t bothering anything either.

Brax wondered if his new little Mistress — Serenai was her name—had any idea of how much the carefully curated wealth around her was worth.

He bet she didn’t have a clue. She had that wide-eyed, innocent look that told him she was new to these kinds of riches.

Also , hadn’t she said she was also new to Yonnie Six ?

He wondered where she had come from and how she had stumbled into owning so much she clearly had no idea what to do with.

He wasn’t a greedy male himself—he had lived in almost complete poverty for so long that possessions had lost any hold they might have had on him.

But he had to admit the penthouse that was apparently going to be his new home was a hell of a lot nicer than the electrified cage he’d lived in for so long.

“Um…” Serenai looked around the room as though she wasn’t sure what to say. “ Would …would you like a tour?” she asked him at last, raising her eyebrows. “ I can take you around the penthouse and show you all the different areas.”

“We’d better not. You really shouldn’t be alone with me without the remote to my pain collar handy, little Mistress ,” Brax told her gently.

“Why? Are you planning to hurt me?” She took a step back, putting a hand to her throat.

“No, never . I’m part Kindred , remember?

We never hurt females,” Brax told her. “ But if I was any other male, you couldn’t be sure of me.

And since many Yonnite Mistresses have more than one bodyslave, it’s important for you to get into the habit of being wary around them—or really, any male you don’t know,” he added.

“There’s no other male here but the old robo-butler my mother used to run the household and tidy up,” Serenai told him. “ But he’s programmed to be completely loyal so…”

She let the sentence trail off awkwardly.

She still looked frightened but Cheeky chose that moment to wake up and poke his little head out of Brax’s shirt pocket.

He made a cheep-cheep sound and cocked his head to one side, eyeing his new surroundings in apparent surprise.

He looked so cute that both of them laughed and the tension between them was eased at once.

“Oh, he’s adorable!” Serenai exclaimed, coming over to Brax . “ Do you think…would he let me pet him on the head?”

She was within his reach now—if he was any other male he could have grabbed her and taken advantage.

But of course Brax wasn’t going to do that.

He didn’t mention it either, though he was genuinely worried that she was much too trusting and innocent.

She was going to learn the hard way if she wasn’t careful.

It was a good thing he was her only bodyslave—any other male wouldn’t have hesitated to take her hostage and demand his freedom.

“I don’t think he’d mind. Just let him smell your fingers first,” he told her. “ Here —offer him one of these.”

He reached in his other pocket and pulled out one of the protein nuggets to hand to her.

Serenai took it and held it out to Cheeky .

“Here you go, little guy,” she said coaxingly. “ You like these, right?”

Cheeky sniffed her fingers suspiciously at first, but then he appeared to decide she was trustworthy. He took the crunchy nugget from her hand and began to nibble it happily. As he did, Serenai carefully stroked his soft little head with one finger.

Brax watched her as she did. The look of pure happiness on her sweet face as she caressed his little pet seemed to do something to his heart.

After spending years fighting for his life in the Blood Circuit —years surrounded by other males who were bloodthirsty and desperate and hardened by the cruel life they all lived—it touched him deeply to see such sweet innocence—such pure love.

He vowed then and there that he would protect her—that he would keep his new little Mistress safe. He wouldn’t allow her innocence to be sullied or ruined—he would keep her safe if he possibly could.

Just then, Serenai’s Aunt Nibblegrim came back into the room. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her.

“What are you doing , child?” she demanded, glaring at Serenai . “ Why are you so close to your bodyslave when you don’t even have the remote to his pain collar?”

Serenai stepped back hurriedly, her eyes wide.

“Oh, I didn’t think?—”

“Get back from him—get away!” Mistress Nibblegrim pointed the remote threateningly at Brax . “ And you , don’t get any ideas!” she snapped. “ My niece is not going to be your next victim, you brute!”

“I would never hurt my Mistress ,” Brax said quietly, keeping his voice low and calm. “ Just because I fought and killed in the ring doesn’t mean I have no honor.”

“Don’t listen to a word he says—all males are liars!” Mistress Nibblegrim said, speaking to Serenai again.

“Honestly, Aunt —he wasn’t hurting me! I was just petting his little pet!” she protested but Brax could tell by the frightened look in her lovely, dark eyes that he had lost almost all the ground Cheeky had gained for him.

Inwardly, he cursed. But he was used to people thinking of him as a killer. He had won over females before even after they saw him kill in the ring. He would win over his new Mistress too—if only her horrible aunt would leave them alone!

“Here, you take this and keep it on you at all times.” Aunt Nibblegrim put the silver link necklace with the small black remote back around Serenai’s neck. “ And don’t get too close to him! Males are tricky, false creatures. You can’t trust them any further than you can throw them!”

“Yes, Aunt .” Serenai hung her head, looking down at the remote, hanging between her breasts.

“Good. Now that’s all settled, I have things I must tend to in my own apartment.” She pointed a long finger at Brax once more. “ Just you mind you behave yourself or you’re going to get a taste of the pain collar you won’t soon forget!”

Then she left, slamming the door closed behind her.