Cold Mark by Scarlett Dawn Read Free Book Online

had been a brutal need to be near them, even though I had no clue where they had been.
    I had been plenty upset when the guards would not let me find them.
    Apparently, on this ruthless planet, making ones guards bleed was not the done thing.
    I now had ten new men with guns outside of my door, the other six fired.
    My chest heaved as I glanced back to my bed. I had laid there for two hours staring at the ceiling, wallowing in self-pity from missing Jax. I had even flipped the switch so the windows frosted to black, eliminating the sun shining inside. It had done no good. I was still wide awake ... and frightened. There were noises outside from animals I could not name, and they sounded dreadfully vicious. The deep rumbles of the guards' voices outside my door did not soothe, instead bringing on panic.
    I did not trust Malik or Leo for that matter, but it was better to be with the devils I knew.
    I opened the unlocked door as quietly as I could.
    Their bedroom was even larger than mine. At the front of it there was a large black leather couch and two silver recliners with a coffee table between. Bookcases lined each side of the room, which were overflowing with ancient books. When they had first shown me their bedroom, I had been shocked by the quiet nature of it, but then I had seen all of the weapons they had inside their immense walk-in closet—most with dried blood on them—and decided against the room being unassuming. The one massive bed inside the room had confused me, but Malik had informed me that all Vaq slept next to each other.
    By the slim glow that shone from my room to theirs, they appeared to be doing just that. I sighed in relief and quickly went back to my bed and grabbed my comforter. Dragging the ridiculously enormous thing behind me, I silently slipped into their bedroom. Only their heads showed above their own fluffy comforter, but there was a light snore coming from Leo, his golden head of hair shimmering in the light of the sun from my room. Malik was not snoring, but his breathing was heavy with the rise and fall of the comforter on top of his body.
    Once I had my comforter all the way past the doorway, I dropped it on the concrete floor. I moved to one of the silver recliners and, quietly grunting with the effort, shoved it across the room to the foot of their bed. I stood on tiptoe, peeking at their faces, but both were still asleep. The heavy breathing and quiet snoring never stopped. Already feeling a little safer, I grabbed my comforter from the floor and shut our adjoining door, letting the darkness consume the bedroom. Padding quietly across the cold and smooth concrete floor, I lowered myself onto the recliner, covered myself up, and released the footstool.
    In a rush of movement, it lifted with a loud thwack .
    "Shit," I whispered in English, my attention slamming in their direction.
    They did not stir.
    My lips lifted in victory. I may actually sleep this day.
    Though my smile faltered when the snore abruptly stopped, and Leo grunted, "For a Human, who bears ten marks on her wrists, she is remarkably pathetic at stealth."
    With an aggravated huff, Malik rolled in bed. "At least she finally shut the damn door."
    I blinked. "Good night." Or afternoon, whatever it was right now.
    Malik grumbled in irritation, "Just go to sleep, Braita."
    "Okay," I whispered. I snuggled further into my comforter and closed my eyes. They were letting me sleep here. And they were not too angry. That, I could handle.

    My groggy eyes slammed open into darkness when I heard their bedroom door click closed. I watched as Leo jerked upright in bed. His golden eyes cut through the darkness with a violent glow. He also appeared to have a gun aimed at the door. I still did not remove my hand from under my nightgown where my palm rested on the handle of the knife I had thieved from their closet of horrors.
    Unexpectedly, Leo lowered his weapon and yawned so grandly that I thought his jaw might crack from the pressure.