Galactic Treasure (Quads of Galafrax) Read online

  Everything in Zay screamed at him to act, to shove everyone out of the way to get to her. His fingers tingled in anticipation of how she would feel when he touched her. Would she be as soft as she looked? He wanted, no, needed to find out.

  He met her gaze, and she stared right back at him with a touch of wariness. Was this the pet the Ambassador wanted them to guard? Intelligence shone in her gaze, not the dullness of a simple creature.

  “I will pay extra to ensure she is not stolen from me.”

  The female rolled her eyes and turned her head and sank behind the chair. It took every ounce of will power not to move. Zay clenched his teeth to stop from blurting out his demands.

  With a side glanced at Bir, he saw his brother was also staring in the direction of where the little creature had vanished. They all had caught sight of her.

  “Ambassador, may we see this pet of yours?”

  Zay noted Bir was doing his best to hide the hard edge to his tone. The cool calm and collected brother was rattled. “To see what guarding her is worth.”

  Hell, he would pay any price, even them blowing the job, snatching her up and fighting their way out.

  It didn’t matter if they were not all born brothers, because they still all thought alike. Zay knew Bir wanted a full glimpse of this delicious little creature. They all did.

  “But of course. Ruby, come here, my pet.”

  There was no instant obedience, as they waited for her to respond to her master’s command. Zay would have laughed if his rod wasn’t so painfully hard.

  And the damn fucking sex droid is broken, just my luck.

  “Ruby, come here now!” barked the Ambassador, his bubbled gurgle showing his annoyance, but still she didn’t respond.

  I like this female, more than I should.

  “Forgive me, my pet is still in training and has much to learn.”

  Zay watched as the Ambassador pulled a control unit from one of his pockets, and his eyes narrowed in on it with disgust. He glanced up to meet Tev’s gaze, yes, he knew exactly what it was. Control collars were outlawed across half the galaxy. The female suddenly bolted to her feet, glaring angrily at the Ambassador.

  Fight and fire in her gaze told Zay she had spirit and intelligence.

  He couldn’t help but rake a hungry gaze down her frame. An abundance of lush pale skin stood out against her jewelled top, sparkling with each of her jerky movements. Ruby’s pretty face twisted in pain. It was clear she was trying to fight the collar. Anger streaked through his gut, seeing the vocal inhibitor added in as well.

  She was not a willing pet, but a slave. Slavery was also outlawed for any species living with in the Hellious Galaxy. Not a doubt she did not fall within Hellious jurisdiction. Zay inwardly cursed. Legally, they couldn’t do a thing.

  Every protective instinct in Zay told him to grab the controls, shove it down the Ambassador’s throat, before snapping the Piclar’s neck. Then scoop up the female and head back to their ship, where he would take hours to explore every inch of her soft skin, whispering promises of pleasure and safety.

  Bir caught his gaze, the message loud and clear. No. Zay clenched his fists and jaw. Never had he been swamped with such strong desire, forcing him to battle for reason.

  “The species is familiar, but I cannot place it,” Bir continued, in a deceptively calm tone.

  “It is called a human. The Jorval assure me they come from a very primitive planet. I hear they don’t even have space travel.”

  Human, no wonder she seemed familiar. It was well known on Galafrax the X’Hani high lords had taken a human female as their sheraz. Not only that, but the female had recently birthed twin females. News of the first twin females ever born on Demos had reached the farthest Demos outposts.

  Ruby stopped just behind the Ambassador, her upper brow beaded with sweat. Zay could see the trembling of her body and wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, comfort and soothe her.

  “Turn off the control collar, Ambassador. I was once a training instructor for young Demos quads. Just like young males, most pets just need firm instruction.”

  Her eyes widened as she stared at Bir. The Ambassador hesitated a moment, before nodding and switching off the controls, tucking it back into his pocket.

  The female heaved a sigh of relief, now free from pain.

  “Please demonstrate, Commander Bir. Show me how you can make her obey without the control collar.” The Ambassador took a step back and to the side.

  Zay saw her swallow. Fear flooded her eyes and she took a step back.

  He won’t hurt you, little red, be still.

  “Ruby, come and stand here.” Bir pointed to the spot just before him.

  She hesitated slightly, before walking the few paces forward and coming to a halt, her gaze lowered.

  “Permission to touch your pet, Ambassador.”

  “Granted.”

  Bir reached out, placing a gentle hand under her chin, and lifted her head. With his other hand he swiftly removed the vocal inhibitor, and gently stroked a single finger down over her cheek. They all observed her shudder in response to Bir’s touch.

  I want to touch her. Zay struggled for control, clenching his jaw so tight it ached.

  “That is not advisable, Commander Bir. She has a fire viper’s tongue.”

  Zay refrained from snorting his disbelief at the Ambassador’s warning.

  Bir dropped his hand but held her eyes captive. “You will remain silent, and answer only yes and no to any questions, is that clear?”

  “Y- yes, sir.”

  Her voice was soft and sweet, although it trembled like a shuttle entering a planet’s atmosphere.

  “Are you human, Ruby?”

  “Yes, sir.” Her voice came a little stronger. “Have you been giving your master trouble, pet?”

  An arousing flush of reddish colour flooded her face, and she dropped her gaze. “Y- yes, sir.”

  Good answer, I’d be kicking his genitals up into his nostrils had he enslaved me.

  “When you fight the control collar, it causes you pain. From now on you will not fight it, will you, pet? You will obey your master and avoid the pain, is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good, now return to your master.”

  She turned and quickly walked to the Ambassador’s side, her gaze still lowered.

  “Amazing!” The Ambassador stroked a hand down Ruby’s hair.

  Once again the urge to rip the Ambassador’s hand off and feed it to him, grew painfully strong.

  Bir stepped forward and handed the Ambassador the vocal inhibitor. “I doubt you’ll need this or your collar from now on. One hundred extra credits per cycle for guarding your pet.”

  “A deal!” The Ambassador beamed with glee. “Go back to your place, my pet.”

  She was quick to comply, scurrying over to the chair and sinking down out of sight.

  “Tev and Niz will take first watch, and Zay and I will shadow in our ship to Zarnak Station. Be ready to leave with in the quarter of the hour. Zay, with me.”

  Bir turned towards the door. Zay glanced one more time in the direction of the hiding Ruby, before forcing himself to turn and follow Bir out.

  * * * *

  “Damn the ice plains, brother, you touched her. What did she feel like? Soft, sweet?” Zay blurted out, even before the door of their ship closed.

  The softness under his fingers was indescribable. He’d only touched her to offer what small comfort he could, trying to communicate without words he meant her no harm. The feel of her silken skin only ignited a burning desire to touch more of her. Wisely, he’d refrained, before he lost total control.

  The fear and awe in her gaze as she stared at him both humbled and aroused him to his breaking point.

  Always in control of his mind and body, he was amazed at how the little human shattered everything in an instant. Her vulnerability and obvious frailty made him want to pull her into his arms, protect her from the harsh uni
verse. At the same time he wanted to dip his head and taste her sweet, full pink lips. Explore her large chest mounds, which heaved with her every breath. He wanted to replace her look of fear with desire and passion, as he sank slowly into her depths.

  “She was … soft,” was all Bir could manage.

  “If I’m not mistaken, one set of the Lord Quads of Galafrax have taken a human female as their sheraz.” Zay followed close behind him.

  “I read the reports too.” Bir secured the airlock before storming away, heading up to the top deck towards the bridge.

  The fire in Bir’s blood churned restlessly, his body and mind strangled by desire for the one little flame-red haired and pale skinned human female.

  “I want her, and I know you do too.”

  He wasn’t going to argue with Zay. Being eldest of the quad brothers, he knew he would have her first, if they ever got her away from the Piclar Ambassador’s clutches.

  “We can offer to buy her.”

  “You saw the possessive pride on the Ambassador’s face. She’s his red charm of good fortune, try bargaining that away from a Piclar.”

  “I can always negotiate with this.” Zay laid his hand over the holster of his laser pistol, attached to his belt. “I want to rip that control collar off her, grab the Ambassador and shove it far up where the starlight doesn’t shine. How dare he treat a female like that!”

  Bir couldn’t agree more. For the first time, he was tempted to blow off the contract and simply take what lay before them, but it was a heck of a lot more complicated than that. As good as they were, to snatch her and run would alert the station’s security, and have them locked down faster than they could make it back to their ship.

  “Enough, Zay, we’re here to do a job, and we’re going to do it.” Bir poured as much force into his tone as he could muster. Zay only snorted.

  “Don’t pull that command control trick on me, brother. I can feel what you’re feeling. You want her as much as I do, all of us do.”

  Bir burst into the control room, and in an uncharacteristic display of anger, he turned and slammed his fist into the metal bulkhead. The pain radiating through his fist and up his arm was a welcome relief for the aching in his rod.

  Zay folded his arms, watching him stare down at his bloody fist.

  “Feel better now? I know you’ve never used the, now broken, sex droid, but if we don’t do something about this soon I doubt any of us will be able to think rationally.”

  He knew Zay was right, and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

  “I know and I want her too, but we’re going to have to be smart about this. The Ambassador will not let her go without a fight.”

  “Isn’t that what we do best?”

  Bir strode around his central command chair and sat down at the navigation controls. Fighting is what they did best.

  “Yes, but this fight will have to be underhanded and sneaky, and carefully planned. I think it would also be best to gain her trust before we acquire her.”

  Zay’s lips twisted up into a conniving grin. “Then you had best leave that kind of planning to me. It’s our turn when we reach the galactic trade centre. I look forward to getting to know our little human sheraz better.”

  “Sheraz?” The thought startled him, but somehow, deep down it felt right. Not if, but when, they stole her. Bir knew damn well, they would never let her go. Still, the choice had to be hers.

  “You object?”

  “No, but she might.”

  “Then we’ll just have to convince her otherwise.” Zay took the helm, and ran through the undocking sequence. “I think you’ll have more work convincing Ruby, after that domineering control trick you pulled.”

  “I just wanted her out of pain, and the vocal inhibitor.” Anger curled like a snake ready to strike. He still didn’t know how he maintained a cool façade in front of the Ambassador.

  His hand began to throb.

  “I know, and it worked. Let’s just hope it stays that way and she behaves.”

  “I saw the fire in her beautiful blue eyes, matching her red hair. She has a strong spirit.”

  The admiration in Zay’s voice told Bir that Zay was already in deep.

  With their brotherhood bond, he knew they were in one accord. If the Ambassador hurt her in any way, they would rip him to shreds.

  Chapter Three

  Would her heart ever stop pounding? Ruby felt faint and refused to look up at the two huge red men standing over by the door.

  Commander Bir, holy moly! Just his deep raspy voice short circuited her brain and made her insides melt like butter.

  When she’d first spotted the tall deep red coloured aliens, she’d been stunned at just how human they looked.

  Four of them, two sets of twins by the look of it, the first of the twins had a clean cut jaw line, set firmly in place. High cheekbones, large hawk-like nose. The other twin had a scar running from the top of his chin down the side of his throat. Damn, they were gorgeous despite being so big and red.

  The other set of twins had a rougher, bad boy look, reminding her of her favourite actor Gerard Butler. Well, if he were a seven-foot, muscle-bound alien. With liquid golden eyes, all four of them had gazed at her like hungry predators and she was the weak, meek, little prey. Everything about these ‘Demos’ guards screamed raw masculine power and sexuality.

  The control behind Commander Bir’s voice, she couldn’t help but obey his commands. But the look in his molten gaze was also one of concern and kindness.

  Backed up by the fact he’d gotten the Ambassador to turn off the control collar and to allow him to remove her voice inhibitor. Oh, the simple touch of his hand on her chin, lifting her eyes to his, and the feel of his large finger stroking down her cheek, she shuddered in a sudden wash of arousal.

  It confused the hell out of her, as she’d never really felt like this with a human man, and here, a big tall, buffed up alien made her body respond like a feline in heat.

  Good god, what the hell is wrong with me? Squeezing her eyes shut, praying to wake up from this bizarre dream. She pinched her arm hard and mumbled, “There’s no place like home, there's no place like home, there—”

  “What are you doing, little pet?”

  Startled by the sudden deep voice above her, she squeaked, stumbling back on the pillows and staring up into one of the, uh, Demos men’s golden eyes.

  She glanced around for the Ambassador, fearful of his reaction to find one of his ‘hired’ guards talking to her.

  “I, um, pardon?”

  “I’m Tev, and the talkative one by the door is my brother Niz. Don’t look so scared, sweet little human. We may be guards, but we’re not going to harm you. By the ice plains, we would rather cut off our own hands than hurt something so pretty and precious. Now tell me what you are doing?”

  Pretty, precious? Ruby ran back over Tev’s words in her mind. So the guard had a sense of humour, considering his twin brother, the one with the scar, hadn’t said a peep.

  She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Why? Are you going to report it to fish face?”

  Tev barked in laughter. “No, whatever you say in private stays in private. I swear by everything we hold sacred, we won’t repeat anything you say to ‘fish face'.”

  Was he for real? Only one way to find out.

  “I was pinching myself.”

  Tev’s brow furrowed in a frown. “Why?”

  “Haven't you ever had a bad nightmare you've wanted to wake up from?”

  “Night-mare?”

  “Bad dream, you dream, don’t you?” Ruby had no clue what these aliens did or didn’t do.

  “We indeed do, night-mare, interesting word, but we understand.”

  “Well, welcome to my nightmare.” She lifted her hand and pointed to her collar, cuffs, and the room around her.

  “I can’t comprehend what it would be like to be stolen from your world, but don’t fear, little pet. Justice will come to those who deserve it. You have fou
r friends here now.”

  “I do?” She glanced across the room, where Niz stood, and saw the slight smile on his lips as he met her gaze. He nodded to confirm his brother’s words.

  Friends? She didn’t know who to trust. What if they were lying and spying on her for the Ambassador? Well, she had nothing left to lose but her life.

  She reached out offering her hand, “On my planet, friends shake hands when they meet. My name is Ruby MacTavish, of planet Earth. I used to live on the continent of Australia.”

  “What a lovely custom.” His smile widened.

  Tev enfolded her hand into both his larger ones. The warmth of his touch sent tingles of awareness down her spine, making her lower belly quiver. She clenched her thighs together, trying to relieve the sudden blooming ache, but it only made things worse.

  What the hell? Wasn’t it enough she’d become aroused at Commander Bir’s voice and simple touch? Tev seemed to have an even more devastating effect on her.

  He gazed down at her hand, slipping to hold her by the wrist, while he traced her skin with his fingers.

  “I’ve never touched someone as soft as you, Ruby.” She heard the awe and fascination in his deep smooth tone. She gulped when he ran his thumb over her palm, then up over her wrist. Holy moly, her breathing accelerated, and danger signs flashed in her mind. She squirmed, feeling her juices flowing between her thighs.

  Is he trying to seduce me? No, not possible, he’s just curious, that’s all. If the Piclar considers me an exotic species, then these Demos guards would think so too.

  With extreme effort, she tugged on her hand. “Let me go, please.”

  He seemed reluctant, but he did release her.

  “Tev, three seconds.” Niz’s voice made her snap her gaze to his.

  Tev straightened and quickly returned to his post. “Ruby, do not harm yourself, no more pinching.” The admonishment was clear. She stared at him. Does he really care if I hurt myself?

  He placed a finger over his lips, in a silent shhh.

  He didn’t have to tell her twice. She nodded and sat back on her butt.

  Sure enough the doors opened and fish face swept into the room. She lowered her gaze.