Precious Starlight (Quads of Galafrax Book 3) (16 page)

“Watch out! Weapon!” a voice she barely heard over the cheering crowd screamed out.

A blinding flash of blue hit from behind, agonizing pain ripping through her body. She fell, but didn’t––hands held her as angry and panicked yells erupted. She couldn’t understand any of it, as it was all garbled.

There wasn’t a doubt her body and mind knew the feeling of the utter heaviness and black dimming her vision. Death wanted to claim her, and no matter how hard she tried Daisy couldn’t fight it. Her throat tightened, but the word 'sorry' to her men wouldn’t come as darkness swallowed her.

Chapter Fourteen

Loz’s heart and breathing froze at the yell, the unmistakable blue burst of a photon weapon flashing, and Daisy falling limp between them.

His eyes widened at the large scorch marks on her back. She’d been hit, but from where? Torn between needing to make sure she was all right and seeking out who’d shot her, for a split second he was unable to move before rage and desperation washed though him.

Tos roared in rage as Cir bent over her, yelling for his medical kit. Loz turned to see the smile of insanity on the R’galas quad, still holding the weapon in his hand. He met the other Demos male's gaze. He lifted a challenging eyebrow. Without thought but to kill him, Loz reacted. His boots twisted in the sand as he swivelled and charged the mad Demos male, not caring if he lifted his weapon to fire again.

Tos leapt, his kick sending the weapon flying out of reach before he could discharge it a second time.

Loz knew nothing would stop his brother from killing all four of them. From the corner of his eye, he saw guards and medical quads racing towards where Cir held Daisy, with Bex, his face reflecting his own tight jaw, twisted in a frown of despair.

Loz made his choice. If Daisy died, then he had nothing to live for anyway. He joined Tos in his attack, with the need to avenge and take justice. How dare they try to kill her? How dare they try and take the life of the one they needed more than their own existence.

A veil of red descended over his vision as he poured all his despair and anger into every punch and kick.

* * * *

“Come on, moonbeam, breathe for us… just breathe.” Cir's hands pushed down on her chest.

“Bex, help her breathe. I’ve taught you basic battlefield healing. I need to keep her heart going.”

Cir’s sharp command snapped Bex out of his shock as he bent over Daisy. He shuffled up and complied, sealing his mouth over hers, pushing his own breath into hers.
Not too hard, she has to live… we can’t let her die.

Her body jumped slightly under Cir’s hands as he kept a steady rhythm on her chest. He let the air escape her lungs before breathing into her again.

Medical teams shoved them both aside, quickly placing respirators over her face, helping her to breathe.

Cir pulled Bex back as they picked her limp body up, placing it in an energy pod, slamming the lid down and cutting her from their view.

“No vitals…” The med tech read the outer data on the pod. “Prepare for life voltage.”

“Keep it low, she is human!” Cir yelled at them as the pod buzzed. “By the fire gods, no!”

Bex grabbed hold of Cir who tried to stumble forward. “Don’t you fucking let her die or I’ll kill you all!”

The med team lifted the pod and ran from the arena. Bex saw that his other brothers had taken care of the R’galas brothers, permanently. The guards were struggling to pull Tos and Loz off the R’galas’s bloodied, and no doubt dead, bodies.

Bex suddenly wanted to bring them back to life so he could have the pleasure of watching their blood drip through his hands.

“Daisy needs us.” Cir now tugged him towards the exit.
Yes, she needs us,
he thought and hurried after Cir
. She has to live, has to!

* * * *

“Go wash off the blood, what good are you if she wakes up and you're all filthy?”

Tos growled at the elder healer of the Tri City medical centre, advancing menacingly on the man. There was no way he was leaving Daisy’s side.

Ten hours and she had yet to open her beautiful blue eyes. Something he needed, yet dreaded, after he had failed to protect her.

All three of his brothers were needed to hold him down when he’d learned she’d died in the arena. He wanted to dig up the R’galas brothers from their graves and kill them all over again.

The blessing of Daisy being human and so frail worked in their favour with the fact her body was easy to repair. The pod had managed to restart her heart before the team rushed her to the healing centre where the best medical team worked on her for hours. They managed to repair nearly all the damage to her back.

But the team informed them her skin would always be scarred and they were uncertain if her reproductive organs would function properly, since the destructive energy from the photon weapon had hit her lower back.

She lay so still on her side, a healing gel patch on her back. Her skin would forever be marred, but it didn’t matter to him. Her beauty shone from within as much as it did without.

Once he’d calmed, they’d let him go, as long as he was able to remain by her side, watch every rise and fall of her chest, reassuring him with every breath and beat of his heart she lived and continued to live.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He planted his frame back into the chair right by her side.

Loz sighed, “You’ll call us immediately if she wakes?”

Tos nodded, not taking his eyes from her. “Come on then, Cir, Bex, let's get cleaned up.”

He listened to the sound of his brothers' boots as they walked out. Tos lifted his hand, pulling back just before he touched her, eyes falling to his blood-covered hand.
The healer is right, I am filthy
. But he couldn’t leave, not yet, not till her eyes opened.

“What use am I to you? Twice I’ve failed to protect you. Oh, my sweet Daisy. I don’t deserve your love.”

He laid his head next to hers, a sadness gripping his heart. “I’m sorry, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me, my sweet love?” His eyes closed as he listened to her breathing and the soft beep of the machine hovering above the bed. Even simply laying here with her, she calmed him. How could he ever give that up?

“Silly man,” a small voice croaked.

Tos's head jolted up, gazing down on Daisy. Her half-focused blue eyes peered at him and she blinked slowly.

“Daisy? By the gods, you’re awake.” His throat constricted, choking on his words as emotion overwhelmed him. He fumbled for his communicator to let the others know, but she laid a hand over his.

“No, just listen.” Her sigh was so soft and sleepy. He barely heard the soft whisper of her voice. “I love you, and there is nothing to forgive. But how can you love me if you can’t love and forgive yourself?” Her eyes closed in sleep once again.

Rocked to the core, Tos took her hand, gripping it tight. How did she know? He held so much anger inside for no reason, feeling like he never measured up to his brothers' or father's expectations. Daisy accepted him for who he was, why couldn’t he do the same? It was time he had a good hard look at himself.

He wanted to be the Demos she deserved, not the half-creature he felt. He stroked back her hair. “My
sheraz
, I hear you. I vow to be everything you need for the rest of our days.”

* * * *

“Stop that!” Daisy slapped Cir’s hand and raised a challenging eyebrow at him, daring him to adjust her back pillow once more.

Seven days after her near death experience, she was recovering well, grateful for the advanced medical technology of the Demos people. The only evidence remaining from her injury was a round, hand-sized scar on her lower back where her skin had charred on impact from the photon weapon.

She understood their hyper-vigilance, wanting to stand guard and protect her from the rest of the universe. But she also made sure they understood how she didn’t blame for what happened. Still, all four of her husbands treated her as if she was made from spun glass, as they pampered and doted on her to the point of making her want to scream.

Now all her men were dressed in their official robes, looking damn sexy for the swearing-in ceremony. Now these were High Councillors worthy of the title. Honest, smart, strong, and––most importantly––all hers.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable and feel all right?”

She gritted her teeth. “Cir, I love you, but if you ask me that one more time I’m going to scream.” She smiled sweetly through her fuming.

Cir dropped his hand, his lips curved up into a sheepish, adoring grin and her anger melted. She could never stay mad at them for long. “Go get your position pin. I will be fine here. Especially with those chaps watching.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder, indicating the two sets of burly quad guards who were a part of the package, her men now being High Councillors. Of course, they’d been ordered to watch over her.

His grin widened, he leaned in to kiss her cheek and rising to his feet, hurrying up to the platform. Daisy didn’t miss the glare Tos gave him, no doubt for leaving her unattended by at least one of her husbands.

She lifted her head, catching and meeting Tos’s gaze. She rolled her eyes, his lips thinned in a disapproving frown. She sighed, trying not to think about her back and the scar, or Tos being the ringleader when it came being over-protective.

When she’d asked why and who’d shot her, Loz quietly explained how the loss of the R’galas brothers' position, the humiliation of being beaten and a clear mental instability between them had pushed them past the point of reason. They had nothing to lose, so they lashed out at what the Stormstrong brothers held most precious: her. It would have been a fitting revenge. A small shudder ran up her spine, knowing how close they’d come to succeeding.

Daisy, never one to dwell on such things, did her best to push it from her mind and focus on what lay before her. An amazing life, even if on an alien planet, with wonderful men. So much to look forward to. If only she could get them to touch her more intimately.

The healers had given her a clean bill of health, and Cir knew damn well she could have sex. Not to mention her now husbands had received their anti-sterile injections while she was still in the Galafrax hospital.

Despite having four vital, sexy men, they refused to touch her, too frightened they would break her.

Something had to be done to break their restraint, and her mind ticked over how to push them past their fear of hurting her.

Applause snapped her out of her drifting mind. She glanced up and joined in as the new High Councillors descended from the platform, making a beeline to where she sat. Loz reached her first, sitting by her side and gently lifting her into his lap. Daisy snuggled against his chest.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are today, my sweet Daisy, and how much we love you?” Loz’s tone was laced with strong emotion as he held her.

Her smile widened. “Yes, several times today.”
But I’ll never tire of hearing it.

“We’ll say it many more times before the red sun sets this evening,” Tos added, bending to kiss the top of her head.

“I’m proud of you all. I know you’re going to do the Third City of Galafrax proud.” She ran her fingers down the lapel of Loz’s jacket.

“There’s more work to do than when we were commanding a starship.” Loz sighed.

“Nothing you guys can’t handle, especially with Bex to help you plan.”

“A few weeks ago I would have taken that as an insult.” Bex ruffled her hair then kissed her cheek.

“So are we going back to our room to celebrate?” She lowered her voice into a soft, throaty purr. Her mind did an internal ‘yes!’ fist-pump as Loz shuddered and she peeked around to see arousal in her men’s golden gazes and felt Loz’s hard cock poking into her thigh.

Not sure how she managed to keep a straight face, knowing her men were red-blooded males with carnal needs, it wouldn’t take long, with her strutting around naked, before their natural instincts took over. She blinked innocently up at her husbands.

“We need to meet the line of officials. It would be a good time to get a look at whom we’ll be dealing with. I have a feeling there’ll be a lot of cleaning up to do in the wake of the, uh, past rulers. Celebrations can come later.” She followed where Bex stared at the gathered crowd.

Daisy maintained her blank expression and wiggled out of Loz’s lap, stretching as she got to her feet. Her back twinged slightly, making her wince. There was no real pain, just a phantom symptom, and a left over memory of when she was hit.

Cir was on her in a flash. “Daisy, are you all right…any more pain?” She brushed off his hand as he ran it down her back, searching for an injury.

“No, just a little stiff.” What she needed were the soothing erotic touches of her husbands to create new happy memories.

“What are you waiting for then––you have a job to do, but when it’s over, I’m going to strip naked and have a hot bath.” She sauntered up to Tos, running her hand up his torso. “I’ll need someone to wash my back.”

She added a deliberate swing to her hips as she sauntered off.