Ashley arrived back in Zar's quarters in a conflicted mood.

Captain Roagh dropped her off like some bothersome charge, which she supposed she was. Before Zar opened the door for her, Roagh whispered to her under his breath:

"Not a word to him, understood?"

Ashley nodded angrily, glad to be rid of his company.

Her opinion of Nayanors had definitely not improved during the day. As soon as she saw Zar, the emotions and feelings she didn't want washed over her again. After half a day spent with a bunch of guys who could charm the paint off walls, Ashley realized she'd missed him.

The rational part of her said that she was simply drawn to the most compassionate of them, and that even Zar's compassion was due to the bond between them.

Ashley's heart told her different. She'd genuinely began to enjoy the harbinger's company, in those times when he wasn't being cruel to her.

Zar looked positively furious when he opened the door for her, but as soon as his eyes fell upon her, it all changed. The grinning, playful attitude was back and Ashley couldn't help but think that perhaps she was having a similar effect on him.

"How did it go?" she dared to ask when Zar led her back to the room where they'd eaten on the previous day, seeing the table covered with food again. "Your important call."

Zar humphed dismissively, just as Ashley had expected.

"The Reaper is always a pleasure to talk to," the harbinger replied, a twinkle of mischief playing in his eyes. "If you consider things like setting yourself on fire pleasurable. It is nothing for you to concern yourself with, however. The Reaper can't touch you."

Is there a threat he might want to?

The questions hurt on Ashley's tongue. Roagh had painted her a picture of a cruel, terrible man who left his own people to die at a time when they were dwindling. Zar seemed to have a much more cavalier attitude about him.

She desperately wished she knew who was wrong about the other. Was Roagh underestimating Zar, or was Zar basing his life on bravado rather than reason?

I need to find a friend on the surface, Ashley decided. Someone who has been there long enough to know and give me answers.

"How was your trip to the females?" Zar asked, the gaze of his dark, sharp eyes on her. "Roagh didn't seem very happy."

"He doesn't strike me as a type who is known for happiness," Ashley replied carefully.

To her relief and delight, Zar laughed, nodding.

"I imagine Roagh didn't appreciate being your caretaker, no," the harbinger admitted. "You'll get used to him soon enough, though."

Must I?

"The females," Zar jumped back to the topic. "Were you able to calm them?"

Ashley thought back to the dark, cramped hall not fit for housing anyone. She shuddered a little and the look on Zar's face changed.

"Are they going to be trouble for me on Luminos?" he asked.

"I'm thinking that perhaps if you didn't treat people like sheep, they wouldn't act like sheep," Ashley replied, reaching for a pie she'd quite liked the day before.

"Sheep?"

Ashley rephrased.

"If you didn't stick people you'd just kidnapped into a very dark room and gave them no information about what the hell was going on, perhaps they wouldn't scream in terror."

Zar nodded as if the thought had not occurred to him before.

"It's not ideal," he admitted. "The raid ships aren't fitted to house the females in smaller rooms or to cater to their needs. The trip back to Luminos isn't long. They will be made more comfortable there. Did you manage to calm them down at least?"

Ashley didn't quite believe him on the comfort issue, but she didn't press on it.

"Some," she said instead, thinking of the women she'd left behind, calling her name. "There are different types of people. They react in their own ways. I saw that some were like me. As soon as I told them everything I knew, the wheels in their heads started turning and they looked calmer, yes. Those are types that I believe will make an effort to make their lives tolerable the best they can."

She sighed.

"Others," she continued, "were not so happy with what I was telling them. To them, every piece of new information was like another nail in their coffin. Especially the wormhole thing. So far, I imagine, they had comforted themselves with thinking that perhaps this is the ship the Union will catch in time and they'll be saved.

"I took that hope from them. And I didn't leave them behind any calmer than I found them."

Zar was listening to her, drinking his wine and regarding her with silent interest.

"You did well," he said when she was finished.

Seeing the look of doubt on her face, Zar smirked and explained:

"I know the reactions well. There are always those who manage to accept their fate as well as those who don't. If you managed to calm even a few of them down, that will make life easier both for them and my people, as well as their future mates.

"This isn't a bad idea. I should suggest having a female aboard for exactly this on every ship. The other harbingers could send a fated of one of their crew to talk to the new females, explain a few things before they get to Luminos."

Ashley didn't say anything, too busy trying to convince herself she'd done a good thing instead of teaching Nayanors how to better handle their herd of frightened prisoners.

"Remember our deal?" Zar asked then, his dark eyes fixed on her.

"Yes," Ashley said in a suffering voice. "My memory is quite good, you know."

"A conversational habit of mine," Zar replied, the hunger in his voice making Ashley shiver.

She'd almost forgotten how gorgeous the warlord was, especially when he was playing his games with her. She couldn't put her finger on why they excited her so much, but they did and there was no helping it. Ashley could feel her mate's eyes travel the length of her body, seeing the lust playing in them.

"Where do you want to sleep tonight?" the harbinger asked.

Ashley hated that she already knew the answer to that.

"Would you care if I told you my wants have not been entirely sane lately?" she asked back, seeing Zar grin in the way that drove her insane with desire.

"To a point," Zar said.

"Which point is that?" Ashley teased, knowing full well she'd lost the argument a while ago.

Both with herself and Zar.

"A conversational point."

She glared at him, but the look on the harbinger's face told Ashley that he probably found it sexy for her to fight him so hard. The man truly was insufferable, but what did that say about her then?

"I don't think that –”

Zar got up and walked her way. Ashley's words were stuck in her throat as she watched the man approach, so utterly certain of his right and power over her.

It's working, too, damn it.

"Do you want to do more running from me?" Zar asked when she jumped out of her seat as fast as she could in the tight dress.

"I don't think that would be an entirely fair chase," Ashley pointed out, aware that she was smiling for some reason she couldn't put her finger on. "Seeing as you're dressed for the occasion and I'm not?"

"I guess I'm in luck then," Zar said, catching her in his arms and kissing her deeply.

Ashley pressed her hands against his armor in a mock attempt to push him away, but the truth had dawned on her a while ago. She didn't want to go back to her room.

She wanted everything the harbinger had promised her on the day before.

"Let me at least walk there myself," she asked breathlessly. "I don't want to be carried off like some..."

She'd been about to say "kidnapped bride".

Zar's dark eyes shone as he grinned again, seeing how little she was resisting his charms.

"Pass," he told her before lifting Ashley into his arms and taking her to the bedroom.

It was in that moment when she was lowered to the bed by the most gorgeous man alive that Ashley knew without a shadow of doubt – she really was imprisoned. Not by the distance from Terra and the Union, not by the strength of arms of Nayanors, not by their terrible home world.

By Zar and the bond between them.