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brAX

They had a light meal—mostly salad with some grilled protein strips—and then Brax got down to business.

“All right, now show me where you saw this creature,” he told Serenai .

“Oh, in the main bedchamber—the one I inherited from my mother. Come on— I’ll show you.”

She led him into an opulent sleeping area filled with ornately carved furniture and Brax made a careful inspection. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, though—just a lot of expensive furnishings and an enormous, walk-in closet filled with opulent Yonnie Six Mistress outfits.

“It only seems to come out at night…in the dark.” Serenai looked troubled.

“Then I’ll stay with you tonight—with your permission of course, Mistress ,” Brax said formally.

“Oh, um…” She nibbled her lower lip and he could see her wondering if it was safe to have him in the room with her at night.

“It’s all right, little Mistress ,” he said soothingly. “ I didn’t mean I’d sleep in your bed—that wouldn’t be proper. “ I’ll stand guard for you at the foot of the bed and wait to see if anything comes out.”

“Oh, of course—thank you, Brax .” Relief flooded her face…and maybe a tinge of regret? But regret for what—that he wouldn’t be in her bed? Brax wondered if she felt as drawn to him as he did to her but of course, he didn’t say anything.

“Of course, Mistress ,” he answered formally.

“Er…maybe we should get ready for bed, then?” Serenai asked. “ Um , if you’d like to bathe or take a shower, I think there are some clothes that might fit you in the bodyslave’s cupboard at the end of my mother’s closet.”

“Will you be all right if I leave you alone to go shower?” Brax asked her.

She nodded.

“Yes, as long as the lights are still on, I’m not worried.”

He nodded back and was about to leave when she put one small hand on his hand. The soft touch seemed to send fire all the way up his arm but he did his best to keep his face neutral as he looked back at her.

“Yes, Mistress ?”

Serenai was looking up at him with her whole heart in her dark, lovely eyes.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“For what?” Brax was honestly mystified.

“Thank you for not dismissing me—for not thinking I’m crazy,” she said. “ I know it sounds weird—a red-eyed creature stalking me in the darkness. I appreciate you taking me seriously.”

“Of course I take you seriously.” Brax dared to lay his own hand over hers. Gods he’d been right—her skin was so soft! “ I’ll always take your fears and concerns seriously, little Mistress ,” he murmured.

For a long moment their gazes met and held. Then her light brown cheeks suddenly went dark with a blush and she dropped her eyes.

“Okay, well… I guess I’ll take a bath in here and you can use the bathing chamber next door,” she murmured.

Brax wished he could offer to bathe her or even to scrub her back. He knew many Yonnite Mistresses used their bodyslaves as bathing attendants. But he sensed this was not the time.

Serenai had been raised in a convent that stressed purity and modesty—she wasn’t like the other jaded Mistresses who would walk around naked in front of their bodyslaves, showing off their bodies to the helpless males they owned for their own gratification.

No , his little Mistress was shy—he needed to respect her boundaries and be patient.

So he simply nodded and left to go find the sleeping garments she’d said were in the bodyslave’s cupboard. He just hoped they were big enough to fit him.