She was so scared it was hard to speak.

This time, following Zar back to his quarters, Ashley didn't feel defiant anymore. She'd achieved everything she'd wanted and it felt hollow despite her victory. Felicia and the others were gone and she trusted that a ship would pick them up soon enough. Maybe they could even deduce something about Nayanor technology with the pod in their command.

As for herself, the situation was as bad as it could possibly get.

Zar had shown her a bit of trust by leaving her alone. Ashley had no doubt she wouldn't have the same freedom again and right on mark, the harbinger locked the door behind them with a code she didn't see.

"Thank you," Ashley said quietly as soon as they were alone.

The harbinger turned to look at her. His dark eyes made her feel like the man was gazing right into her very being, baring everything to him. She stood, suffering his anger, waiting for him to calm down.

With Nayanors, who knew how long that would take?

"You're thankful," Zar said then, the same almost neutral expression on his face as back in the bay.

Ashley realized how much she missed the grin, the easy humor the harbinger had treated her with before. She was beginning to realize just how bad of a turn her future had taken. By saving three others, she'd doomed herself to a life of misery.

There had to be a way to amend that. Ashley had no plan to start up a relationship with Zar, especially now that she'd completely broken the foundations of trust, but she knew the truth. There was no escape for her now and the man in front of her was the man who held her fate in his hands. She had to make sure they could at least be civil to each other.

"Yes," she said, taking a few steps closer to the warlord, who was observing her without emotion. "I know it cost you to let my friends go. I really am thankful."

"Cost me doesn't begin to cover it," Zar said, motioning for her to follow and back to the bedroom they went. "That is not your concern, however. The decisions I make are my own."

Ashley said nothing as Zar sat on a wide, comfortable-looking chair, turning the gaze of his dark eyes back to her. He looked like a king on a throne, ready to be worshiped and Ashley had a sinking feeling that a part of her really wanted to. Looking at his spread legs, she could quite well imagine herself kneeling between them, giving the warlord a blowjob as he looked at her, strong hands in her hair...

She forced herself to snap out of it.

I owe him nothing. He didn't save my friends, he let go of his prey, that's not exactly praiseworthy if he was the one who imprisoned them in the first place.

The silence stretched on. Ashley wished she knew if it was okay for her to move around, or sit too. Now that she no longer had the gun, she was really starting to feel warm with her coat on.

"You said I was going to get punished," she finally said.

"You will be."

"And then?" Ashley asked. "I don't want to be locked up forever. I did what I had to do, but I am still a person and I don’t want to spend my life suffering for today."

As much as she knew she was doomed, she would have done what she did all over again.

Zar regarded her. Ashley hoped she wasn't wrong, but she thought she saw signs of his anger dissipating a little.

"You'll have to earn your rights," the harbinger said.

Bastard. You took them away from me and now I have to buy them back?

Out loud, Ashley said nothing. She felt incredibly uncomfortable standing there before his gaze, undressing her without shame.

"You think I will hurt you," Zar stated to Ashley's surprise.

"Yes," she admitted, hesitating for a moment. "I saw the looks on the faces of the other warriors. You did something for me you shouldn't have done. I know you're mad. I just want to get it over with and move on, if we can."

For a second, the grin appeared on Zar's lips again. Then it was gone like sun behind clouds.

"You're taking this whole thing very pragmatically," he said, leaning back and letting Ashley's eyes travel the length of his impressive body.

There was a definite regret in her heart that it was now hidden under black clothes with dark green symbols.

Zar was right, though. The thought had previously occurred to Ashley herself as well. She had no idea what it was, but panicking had never been an option for her. Begging for mercy or becoming a whore wasn’t one either. From the second she'd seen the raid ships coming for the station, Ashley had been following a firm plan with all her priorities set.

Save myself or others, if I can. Help, if I can't. And try to make life as comfortable and painless as possible if both those fail.

"I suppose," she said quietly. "It's the only way I know how to work. I'm not going to dance for your every whim, that's for sure, but I'm not actively trying to piss you off either. I don't want you to kill me."

"I won't kill you," Zar said.

That's a relief.

Ashley held on to that ray of hope as hard as she could as the harbinger seemed to come to some sort of a conclusion.

"This is your punishment then," he said.

Ashley prepared for the worst, holding her breath.

"Don't look so scared," Zar went on. "I told you, you are my fated mate. I will not hurt you, nor force you. I will take your damn foolish pride instead."

That wasn't so bad compared to what Ashley had imagined, which was positively medieval, but how did Zar plan to do that?

"I don't understand," she admitted. "Do you want me to strip or something?"

Zar wasn't entirely able to hide the hungry smirk from his lips.

"No," he said with a dark lust. "I will make you a deal. Take it for what it is, because I'm not a man to repeat myself or change my mind."

"Okay," Ashley said carefully.

"You will tell me the truth," Zar stated, keeping Ashley's eyes locked with his as she felt her body tremble under the intensity of his look. "Every damn piece of truth I want from you. If you lie to me or if I even think you're lying, I will do what you are so afraid of and lock you in my quarters. You'll stare at these walls until you can draw them from memory. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

"The other part," Zar said with a grin on his lips that made Ashley consider that perhaps she hadn't drawn the long stick after all. "You will do as I say if I don't get an honest "no" from your lips."

That was... bad, considering all the emotions that had been running around her mind all day, but she'd lost her chances to negotiate. Ashley could only hope Zar didn't read her mind. Though, rationally, he was being far more lenient than she could have expected.

There had to be a catch.

"Do you understand the consequences?" the harbinger asked.

"Yes," Ashley said, knowing she had no leverage to play with at the moment.

"Good," Zar said with a smirk that promised her she had no idea what she was in for. "Then I can tell you the good part. If you please me and I don't catch you lying, I might, in time, let you have the freedoms you threw away with your little trick."

Okay, Ashley thought to herself. This is definitely not what I was prepared for, but it'll have to do. Things could be worse.

"Let's start with something simple," Zar said, observing her with humor quickly returning to him. "Are you hot?"

"Yes," Ashley said.

"Take your coat off. There is no reason for you to suffer."

Keenly aware of Zar watching her, Ashley did as she was told. She shrugged the coat off, relieved to finally be out of it. The long pants she wore and the fur boots had been bothering her just as much, so off they came. This wasn’t the Arctic, she was overdressed and he was correct in sensing it.

It left her standing barefoot, dressed in a white T-shirt and long white leggings. Not the sexiest of outfits, but Zar wasn't able to tear his eyes from her.

When he met her gaze again, Ashley's breath was caught.

He knows. He definitely knows how much I want him.

"Why did you do that?" Zar asked instead. "Why did you rob me of those females?"

She didn't know how to answer that. The fact that Zar needed to ask was just more proof that Nayanors truly were as arrogant as they seemed, thinking they had the right to raid other worlds.

"I didn't rob you of anything," Ashley said quietly. "They are their own, as am I. I set them free, that's all."

"That was not your decision to make," Zar answered with all the calm in the world.

"It wasn't yours to kidnap us either," Ashley replied sharply before she could stop herself.

She sighed.

"I don't even know why you do that," she went on. "All Nayanors I've seen so far are handsome men, despite being complete bastards. Women would come with you to your home world if you just asked them. Gods, how can you not know that? If you put up an ad for women, they'd flock to you in droves. Why take us against our will?"

Zar was looking at her with curiosity in his eyes. It occurred to Ashley that he had never considered it from that perspective.

"It's not that simple," the harbinger replied then. "Luminos isn't a peaceful world, not even a little. Females aren't going to volunteer for the site of such slaughter, I can tell you that. But you are necessary to us, so this is the way it is. Taking what we want is the way Nayanors live. Females are the first and foremost of those things."

Ashley didn't know what to say to that. The Nayanor approach to life truly was horrible.

"You said all Nayanor men are handsome," Zar's voice ripped her out of her musings. "What did you think of then, when I claimed you?"

Ashley glared. Judging by the way Zar smirked at her, the harbinger knew quite well.

She couldn't mess up with such a blatant lie, though. Gritting her teeth, Ashley tried to pass it off like it was no big deal, even over her heart racing again and desire washing over her.

"I thought you were the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen," she said. "Then you opened your mouth, of course, and I found out who you were."

Zar chuckled, standing and walking toward her. Ashley let herself be caught in his arms again, partly because she didn't think running away would help her case. Mostly, though, because she couldn't resist him. The pull she'd felt in the station was getting stronger by the minute and she was beginning to think Zar hadn't joked with the fated bond thing.

"You seem to be in such a hurry to get away from me," Zar said, lifting up her chin again. "Do you really want to get away? Or do you want me to make you cum, crying out my name?"

Ashley moaned. She quickly bit her lip, but it was too late.

Zar chuckled softly, pressing a teasing kiss on her lips.

"Flattering, but not an answer," he said. "Tell me the truth."

His right hand was slowly making its way down her body, stopping to grope her breasts, moving on until Ashley felt his fingers brush over her pussy. She whimpered, resistance leaving her body so fast she found herself writhing against the warlord.

"Answer me."

Ashley cried out when Zar pushed his hand inside her pants, his strong fingers brushing over her naked flesh. Her pussy was so wet she thought the warlord could make her cum simply by commanding her. All common sense had fled her in the rush of desire so overpowering Ashley stopped caring about anything else but the blazing hot heat building inside her.

She’d already lost one battle. Why not lose another? The war would still be going on whether or not she got to enjoy a moment of it.

"Yes," she whispered. "Make me scream."