The look on his fated's face would have been amusing at any other time.

None of it was reflected on Rhys' expression, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd been as furious as he was at that moment. Not with Quinn, although she had disobeyed his order and it was something he needed to look into later.

With the warrior, Dolor. The harbinger didn't believe in other men shaping his fate, but the scene that had taken place in the docking bay certainly hadn't helped his relationship with his new fated.

Back on the ship, Rhys had detected wary, hidden signs of her attraction to him. There had even been a smile on her face a couple of times, the way he always wanted his female to look. It was his duty to protect her now and hers to provide him with strong sons in the future.

Harming her wasn't part of the deal, however. And by the looks of it, her sister had been hurt and Quinn knew it as well as he did.

Nayanors were not a species known for their kindness and mercy, but that wasn't the impression Rhys wanted her to have of his people. It was a sure guarantee that she would never willingly come to his bed.

"You want me to strip," Quinn answered carefully, clearly still distraught by what she'd seen.

A smile did appear on her face, but it was accompanied by deep sadness Rhys didn't want to see on her. Quinn shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to cover herself up even more than she already was.

Rhys didn't stop unstrapping his armor, never taking his eyes off her.

"I didn't say strip naked," he replied, dropping the last pieces of his chest plate and seeing how his fated's eyes went wide.

He was wearing nothing but a tight sleeveless shirt underneath to stop the chest plates from scratching his skin. The diadon's green light shone through the fabric. The leather sleeves that were under the armguards were discarded already.

"Come," Rhys said, waving her along as they walked deeper into his quarters.

Quinn followed hesitantly. He could notice small signs of her relaxing when she realized he wasn't ripping her clothes off her with his bare hands. It was something Rhys would definitely try in the future, in the heat of passion when she was spread on his bed, eyes clouded over, begging...

He walked into the bathroom, hearing Quinn gasp when she saw it. The marble floor was warm under his bare feet.

The harbinger turned the lights on, revealing a deep bath he used for relaxing his muscles after a hard battle. The fight with the Terrans hadn't been anything like that, but the bath didn't serve that purpose for him at that moment either.

Without a word, Rhys pressed a few buttons on the panel on the wall and the bath began filling up fast. He turned back to Quinn, seeing the doubtful look in her eyes.

"It's nice," she said quietly, eying him. "Gods, it's been so long since I've even seen a bath. Terran ships only have showers, because of the need to save space."

Rhys pulled the shirt over his head and looked on with amusement as Quinn desperately tried not to stare. She realized she was failing miserably herself, smiling softly.

It was the most beautiful thing Rhys had ever seen. A moment of peace, or perhaps weakness on her part, letting herself take pleasure from something.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the device in his chest.

She was trying to change the topic, but that was fine. Rhys supposed that the softly glowing contraption wasn't like anything a Terran might have seen before.

"A diadon," he said. "Every Nayanor warrior has one. You would say it keeps watch over us. When our bodies are severely damaged, it keeps us alive."

Quinn was nodding, not taking her eyes off the device.

"Is that why you live so long?" she asked. "That thing just never lets you die?"

"Maybe," Rhys said. "We don't know."

He gave his fated a moment to take him in. The naked desire in his fated's eyes was clear as day.

"Strip," Rhys ordered again, knowing he couldn't start giving in to her.

Weaker men had tried that with their new fateds, thinking that it would make the kidnapped women more receptive to their true desires. It never worked. The females merely understood the warriors weren't worthy of them and used it against them.

Rhys had no sympathy for those men, even if his people were dwindling and every child born on Luminos was a miracle.

"I want you in there with me," he told Quinn, not taking his eyes off her face. "I will not force you to get naked, but don't push my patience. Take off whatever you wish, although I suspect that you'll be hot in that coat."

Quinn's lips curled into a grin before she remembered herself. Without waiting for her reaction or response, Rhys removed his pants and boxers, standing naked before his fated.

"Gods..." Quinn breathed. "Holy hell, you're huge."

She seemed to realize she'd been caught staring, looking away with a slight blush on her cheeks. That could have been the rising heat from the steam in the air, but Rhys knew better. Her eyes kept flicking back to his cock, thick and hard for her as he couldn't have hidden his desire for her if he tried.

He stepped into the bath, already almost full, and sat opposite of her, regarding Quinn. Even cowering from him, she was gorgeous. And right before Rhys' eyes, she was melting like a block of ice. The mouth that had been pressed into a thin line from anger was now fighting not to smile as she looked around her, taking calming breaths.

That was something the harbinger had noticed before. Unlike some females who succumbed to their fear quickly – her sister, for example – Quinn was different. She didn't let herself be put down that easily and she was constantly looking for a way to make things work out her way.

Rhys liked that. It was a very Nayanor quality. He was interested to see what his beautiful fated would do.

Then the ship gave a sudden lurch and Quinn winced.

"What was that?" she asked, her gorgeous deep blue eyes wild.

"We're in the wormhole," Rhys said calmly. "You might see some weird things, feel a bit of rocking, but it's not as bad as it used to be. Even a year ago, the journey through the wormhole was a lot scarier for females."

"Not for you?" Quinn asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No," Rhys said, grinning. "Not for me. I don't fear."

"Everybody is afraid of something," Quinn argued, but the harbinger didn't let her distract him from the fact she was still dressed.

"Get in," Rhys said, holding her gaze. "Now, Quinn."

The tone of his voice brooked no argument this time and it seemed the female understood that. She looked around, trying to find something and not finding it.

"Can I at least change somewhere?" she asked.

"No," Rhys said. "I want to see you."

A shudder went through Quinn. In the growing heat of the bathroom, that couldn't have been from the cold. Not to mention she was still quite warmly dressed.

"Alright," she said finally. "I'm holding you to your promise. I won't get naked."

"Yet," Rhys said, earning a glare from her that only served to make him even harder for her.

The female had spirit and that was everything he'd been hoping for in his female. The bastard Dolor had been right about one thing, at least. Quinn was strong and Rhys hoped that she would give him many sons to carry on his name.

His fated caught his attention then. Trying not to look at him, Quinn was slowly removing her clothes. The high black boots she'd been wearing, the many-buttoned coat over her shoulders. Then her pants that matched the boots, revealing her long, gorgeous legs. Rhys' breath caught, seeing his fated like that for the first time.

The feeling was stronger than he'd ever been able to anticipate. The rush of desire that shot through him was nothing compared to his need to make that female his, body and soul. Rhys ached to claim her, to have Quinn need him as badly as he needed her.

The bond was slowly digging into him, binding him to his fated forever. It was maddening, not to be able to touch her, but Rhys had decided.

He had no idea what compelled him to do that when only a moment ago he'd thought of warriors who were too lenient with their females. Yet the look on Quinn's face when she'd seen her sister at the bay wouldn't leave Rhys. The smile on her face had become much more precious to him than burying his cock into her soft, tight pussy... even if his lust was nearly blinding.

On that first day, the harbinger thought to show a little mercy, surprised he had it in him.

It only showed that Quinn was already working her magic on him.

His fated hesitated with the long blouse she was wearing. It was silky and showed exactly enough to leave more to the imagination. Rhys groaned at the back of his throat, making Quinn look his way, a small smile on her lips.

"This is my favorite shirt," she said, a curious tone of bring defeated in her voice. "I'll ruin it if I wear it into your bath."

"Yes," Rhys said.

"On the other hand," Quinn went on, cocking her head to one side and looking at him. "You so mercifully allowed me to wear as much as I wanted and given how it is you just kidnapped me, I'm reluctant to give you anything I don't have to."

Rhys felt the smirk grow wider on his lips. He rested his arms on the edge of the bath, observing his fated over the steam rising from the hot water.

"I will not tell you to get in again," he said, regarding her with passion running wild in his body. "Next time, I really will strip you myself and I promise, I'll leave nothing on you."

Quinn searched his face for a bluff or a lie, only to obviously find nothing. It wasn't in Nayanor nature to lie and cheat. There was no benefit in it.

"I don't suppose there's a chance you will never get this off me," she said challengingly.

"None at all," Rhys replied. "You are mine now and I will claim you, whether it be today, tomorrow or any other day, but the day will come, I promise you that."

"Right," Quinn said, pulling the shirt over her head and sliding into the bath before Rhys could take a good look at her.

"I'd better enjoy this nice bath then," she said, looking him straight in the eyes, something even his warriors rarely dared to do.

"Good choice," Rhys said, loving the sight of her.

Quinn's soft, amazing breasts were visible barely above the water line, pushed up by the red bra she was wearing, matching the panties Rhys ached to tear out of the way.

She was breathing heavily, not allowing herself to relax yet, following his gaze as he took in the divine body that belonged to him now. The steam obscured his sight, but the water itself covered nothing. Quinn seemed to be aware of that, sitting in a way that left her covered, turning away from him.

She couldn't turn her eyes away, however, and there was Rhys' key, the answer to the question in his heart.

Quinn was his already, she just didn't know it yet.