She ran down the walkway a week later.

Around her, the Black Hall was slowly settling into a normal rhythm again, only it was a new rhythm to all its occupants. The Hall had a new lord and some new rules. At Ashley's insistence, the women were no longer locked up.

There wasn't anywhere for them to go, anyhow. The long night raged outside and even if they did run, the wilderness of Luminos wasn't very forgiving. It was a harsh, cold world and Ashley hoped that she had managed to convince most of them that it was better to stay in the Hall and see what they could do with that.

Now that Zar was the Lord of the Black Hall, Ashley wanted to make it a safe place for women who hadn't been claimed by the warriors. With the endless space and opportunities, she thought they could build a little community there, see about making a new life for themselves.

As for those who had found their mates, she and Joslyn had plans for them too. Ashley knew it was a long and arduous journey, not to mention the firm belief that they couldn't help everyone. Even so, the three of them, with Gwen included, were ready to start the progress, with baby steps if need be.

Speaking of baby steps...

Ashley nearly crashed into the door in her rush. Zar looked up from his new armory, sitting topless and looking like he was reforging his sword.

She froze at the door, distantly closing it behind her. The sight of Zar working still did wonders to her, her body reacting immediately to her drop-dead hot fated.

The harbinger smirked, seeing her breathless like that.

"If I'm the reason you hurried like that, say the word," he said, the dark, velvety voice making Ashley's pussy throb in need for him. "I love how hungry you are for my cock. Give me a moment to wash up. Unless you prefer me like this, in which case I can give you that as well."

Ashley had no objections to being taken to the bed, especially if Zar looked as sexy as he did at that moment, but the news was too important to delay them.

"Yes," she said, "but I need you to know something first."

The smile dropped from Zar's face as he immediately set his tools down and came over to her, a worried frown on his face.

"I thought you went to see the healers about your request to learn with them," he said. "Did they find something wrong with you? Are you alright?"

Ashley couldn't keep the smile off her face. The whole way there she'd been grinning like a fool, unsure of how that much happiness could fit inside one person.

"Well, no," she said. "I did go to see them, yes. I will begin my studies next week. But they did a scan on me to make sure I was alright as a way to show me some things already."

"And?" Zar asked, his voice wavering a little. "If you are hurt –”

"I'm not," Ashley said, looking into his deep hazel eyes, smiling ear to ear. "I'm pregnant."

The joy she'd been feeling blossoming in her chest was now reflected on Zar's face as the harbinger smiled so widely it had to hurt.

"Are you sure?" he asked, pulling her into his embrace.

"Yes," Ashley nodded. "They checked three times. I think they're afraid of you."

"Everyone is," Zar said in that maddening Nayanor way, dismissively as if it was just a natural part of life. "My love..."

Ashley could feel herself trembling slightly. She was so happy that she could barely control herself. Life had a way of surprising her, it seemed. Nothing about the last month of her life was anything she could have predicted or believed could happen, and yet there she was. With the man she loved, about to have a baby.

Zar was looking at her like she was the most amazing thing in the world. Then he led her to the bedroom, less rashly than he usually did.

"If you're going to use this as an excuse to start treating me like I'm made out of glass, forget about it," Ashley said when he laid her to the bed and climbed on top of her, kissing her gently. "Joslyn warned me Nayanor men are like that."

Zar chuckled, shaking his head.

"I will control myself as best I can," he said, "but I swear I won't let anything bad happen to you, or our son."

"I know," Ashley said quietly, arching off the bed to kiss him. "I believe you."

The kiss deepened and turned into something more. Zar pushed a hand between her legs, up her dress, brushing his fingers against her wet panties. Ashley moaned for him loudly, loving the gentle teasing but aching for more.

"Fuck me," she whispered. "I want to feel your cock inside me."

Zar, for once, didn't try to tease her any more. He pulled her panties off her, pushing two fingers into her tight pussy, leaning down to claim her lips as he fingered her. Ashley moaned, rubbing them together, pulling at him. She ran her fingers over Zar's amazing naked chest, loving how she could feel his strength and power, the rock-hard muscles bulging when the harbinger moved.

"I love you," Ashley moaned into the kiss. "Fuck, I love every last inch of you."

Zar groaned darkly, kissing her neck, biting at the flesh gently. His fingers moved faster inside her, hitting the spot of her pleasure until he had Ashley crying out for him, dragging her nails across his arms.

"And I love you," Zar said. "From that sweet, tight pussy of yours to your hot mouth that never stops challenging me."

"Yeah, I bet you love the other uses of my mouth as well," Ashley teased breathlessly, making Zar chuckle.

"I do," he agreed, hitting her spot harder, making Ashley scream now. "I love how your mouth feels around my cock, but I don't want you to think that's all. I love every bit of you exactly the way you are."

Ashley couldn't answer, couldn't say how amazingly happy that made her, because the pleasure had completely taken over. She cried out again and again until Zar pulled his fingers out of her, ripped his pants open and pushed himself against her entrance. Trapped in the rest of her clothes, Ashley barely cared, pushing herself up to kiss her fated as he began fucking her.

The thrusts were shallow at first, but even that was enough to make her moan, feeling the huge cock fill her pussy to the brink.

"Zar!" she screamed when he picked up the pace, pounding her into the bed.

Falling back on her sheets, Ashley closed her eyes and let him take her to heaven and back. The thick cock spread her body open for the man she belonged to as much as he belonged to her. It pushed her body to its limits to take a cock that big, but like always Ashley was so lost to the ecstasy in her veins she didn't even feel the pain.

All she knew was pleasure burning its way through her as Zar make her cum again and again until her body was spent.

Laying on their bed, letting Zar kiss her languidly, running his hands over her body, Ashley found that she could put her faith in destiny after all.

It had brought her everything she'd wanted and more, in the form of a man she'd loved from the first moment she saw him.

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