Page 9 of Breaking the Bloodstone Curse
“I’m just glad to be out of the Blood Circuit. And as I told you, I’ve been owned by a woman before. It doesn’t bother me, little Mistress.”
“Oh, good.” Serenai sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s just…I haven’t been here very long—less than a week,” she told him. “I lived in the Convent all my life and I don’t know how to be a Yonnite Mistress like Aunt Nibblegrim. I feel like I’m constantly messing up—breaking some unwritten rule I didn’t even know about before I broke it!”
“You’ve been here less than a week?” Brax raised his eyebrows in apparent surprise. “And you say you were raised in a Convent?”
Serenai nodded.
“The Convent of Sacred Serenity on Peaceful Prime. Their motto was ‘Modesty, Purity, and Integrity.’”
To her surprise, Brax started laughing. He had a rich, rumbling laugh that was somehow infectious. After a moment, Serenai started laughing too, though she wasn’t even sure what she was laughing at.
“I…I don’t understand what’s so funny!” she exclaimed at last.
Brax stopped laughing and wiped his eyes, which had teared up.
“It’s just—Modesty, Purity, and Integrity—those are pretty much the exact opposite qualities of a Yonnite Mistress! At least every one I ever met,” he told her.
“Well…I guess you’re right. They certainly don’t embody the morals I was raised with.” Serenai sighed. “I just…I feel like I don’t fit in here and I don’t know what I’m doing half the time!” She shook her head. “How can I be a proper Yonnite Mistress when I was never trained to be one?”
“How did you become one, anyway?” Brax asked. He sounded genuinely curious. “I mean, what happened that landed you here?”
Serenai bit her lip and looked down.
“My…my mother died suddenly. So I was brought here to take over her estate and take her place.”
“Oh, little one…” Brax took a step towards her with one hand held out. He looked like he wanted to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure if she would trust him near her after the outburst by Aunt Nibblegrim.
Serenai wished she could accept the comfort he so clearly wanted to give her. Hugging had been allowed at the Convent—as long as it was while you were fully dressed and no “improper touching” went on. She hadn’t had a hug in what felt like forever, and she wished she could have one now.
But her Aunt’s words were still ringing in her ears and she recognized how dangerous it would be to let this giant of a male wrap his arms around her.
I bet he gives good hugs, though, she thought longingly. He’s so big I bet I’d feel completely surrounded if he hugged me.
Still, though, she stood her ground, keeping distance between them.
Brax stayed where he was as well.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, his deep voice soft and gentle. “It’s difficult to lose your mother—that’s a great loss.”
“I hardly knew her,” Serenai shook her head. “She left me in the Convent as soon as I was born and never visited me once.”
“What? Why the fuck would she do that?” Brax demanded, his brows drawing low on his forehead. “My own mother died when I was just sixteen cycles old, but up until then I saw her every day. How could your mother just abandon you like that, little one?”
“Oh, she still kept contact with me,” Serenai said quickly. “I mean, we had vid-chat conference calls twice a year. So it’s not like we were complete strangers.” She sighed. “I think she was planning to bring me here and train me to take her place, but she was always too busy to do it. And of course, she didn’t expect to die so young—or so suddenly.”
“What did she die of—if you don’t mind me asking?” Brax asked.
Serenai shook her head.
“I don’t know—no one does. She was found dead in her office by my Aunt. There were no wounds and no signs of poison—just her dead body. And then Aunt Nibblegrim had her cremated right away, because she said it was disrespectful to wait. So I never did get to see her in person…not even after she died.”
Grief overwhelmed her then and she felt salty tears stinging her eyes.
“I…I used to dream of the day when we’d finally meet in person,” she whispered. “I wondered what it would be like to hug her, to hold her…” She shook her head. “I never got that—never got to hold her. Not even once.”
“Oh, little one…” Brax came over to her, crossing the vast expanse of the living area in a few long strides. He looked down at her, his pale eyes filled with sympathy. “I want to hold you,” he rumbled. “I want to comfort you, little Mistress. But only if you want me to.”
Serenai looked up at him uncertainly and swiped tears from her eyes.
