As they boarded the quick and agile raid ships, Zar couldn't keep his eyes away from his fated. The Nayanor fleet began to make its way back to the mothership in Terra's orbit, all the females securely aboard and the so-called army of the defenders hopelessly late.

"Harbinger," a voice said over the comm link, reporting from the bridge of his ship, the Foront. "The other raiding parties have returned. Our haul is secured. We are ready to depart as soon as you board."

"Good," Zar replied, pleased that none of his warriors had lost the precious females. "Fire up the ship, be ready to move out on my command."

"Yes, sir."

Zar looked at Ashley, staying carefully away from him in the cramped space of the cockpit. The rest of the females were all locked away in the cargo ships they'd brought down to the surface with them, but he'd kept his own mate with him. Now that Ashley was his, Zar didn't want any of his warriors near her.

She truly was a prize and he didn't doubt a hot-blooded warrior might try to win her from him. Nayanors weren't so much ruled as they were led, fighting their leaders every step of the way as was their tradition. If Zar had shown any weakness, he'd have been dead a long time ago.

As it stood, he had led the raiding party for five years now, ever since he volunteered for the sacred duty. No other harbinger had lasted that long. Nayanors had long lives thanks to the diadons implanted in their chests, but it didn't guarantee immortality.

He'd often thought that just because his people could live forever, they fought each other so hard to make sure that they were the ones who did.

"That person," Ashley said, pointing to the comm link on his wrist, "he said that there were other raiding parties out there."

"He did," Zar agreed, leaning back on the wall and looking at the female. "Four others, if you must know. The gods must have smiled upon me today to make me come for you."

Different expressions flashed across Ashley's face. There was definite irritation behind her gorgeous stormy blue-gray eyes, as deep and enticing as Zar had ever seen. He imagined he could get lost in those eyes, looking into them as he claimed her.

The mere thought of thrusting his cock into her wet, tight pussy made him grow hard. She was calling to him with a force that no female had ever managed to bring out in him.

Under the irritation, though, Zar was certain he'd noticed a slight blush. It made her pale skin glow in an incredibly sexy way, forcing him to control his need to take her right then and there, before they even reached the ship.

There was desire too, he was sure of it. Hidden, denied, forcefully subdued even, but it was there nonetheless.

Gods, this female. I would fight every harbinger on Luminos for her. She's worth every second of waiting for her.

"How many women did you kidnap?" Ashley asked defiantly once she seemed sure her voice wasn't shaking.

Zar looked at her, his head cocked to one side, observing how her amazing eyes seemed to follow his every move.

"What is that to you?" he asked. "You are mine now. The other females will be claimed by my brothers on Luminos. If you're worried about never seeing your friends again, that is out of my hands. I can't make a gift of a female to someone in my fleet for you to have company. A Nayanor finds his own mate."

"How absolutely, unbelievably caring of you," Ashley replied, the tone of her voice telling Zar she'd meant that as an insult.

He grinned, enjoying the look of surprise on her face. The harbinger presumed she'd expected him to get mad at her, but anger was not an emotion Zar dealt in. Anger implied someone had managed to change his mood and Zar didn't allow anyone to control his ways but himself.

His mate still had a curious look on her face.

"Is Luminos your home world?" she asked.

"Yes," Zar said, letting his eyes wander all over her divine body, even if it was hidden from him under the layers of warm clothing the female wore.

He imagined ripping it all off the second they got to his quarters on the Foront. The desire kept blooming in him, threatening to rob him of all sense and control. Zar didn't think he'd ever lusted after a female that badly. The thrill of conquering someone so feisty was everything he'd asked of a mate. Gods truly were favoring him.

"You'll like it there," he added, not even sure why since it wasn't really something Nayanor warriors usually concerned themselves with.

The females were there to stay and carry them strong sons to continue their bloodlines. They needed to be comfortable. Liking their stay on Luminos wasn't something the Nayanors expected from them.

After all, they made no illusions to themselves of how the females came to be there.

Right on cue, Ashley smiled humorlessly and replied:

"I doubt it, but never say never. Can you tell me how many women you took?"

"Why are you so interested to know?" Zar asked, genuinely interested.

Not many females thought about the others once they'd been claimed. They had their own lives to live then. Some focused on escaping, most settled in and accepted their fate.

"Call it genuine human compassion or masochistic interest," Ashley said, holding her head up high. "I would just appreciate knowing. What harm does it do to you to tell me? It's not like I'm going to be able to do something about it."

"Are you planning on escaping, female?" Zar asked with a grin spreading wide on his lips. "It would cause me much amusement to see you try, but I warn you not to push my patience with your futile attempts to get away from me."

Ashley didn't reply at once. She kept him firmly in her sights, her eyes searching his face for something unknown.

"I might," she said then. "Who wouldn't, in my situation? Have you ever had a woman here who agreed to this slavery right away?"

"Honesty," Zar said. "I like that."

Ashley waited. Still leaning on the wall, his sword strapped on his back, Zar observed her with a smirk. The female had spirit, he had to give her that.

He was interested to see what she would try, especially with the little gun hidden in her clothes that he'd felt when they kissed before. It didn't scare or bother him in the slightest. Ashley was right, after all.

The females resisted, most of them. There were some whose spirits were broken before they ever reached Luminos. Nayanors didn't like that, even if they would have made for easier conquest. They were mostly claimed by men whose names were bound to be forgotten the second they died.

Thinking about their kiss made Zar grow even harder. He ached for the female so much it hurt.

"I will tell you," he said, looking closely at the way doubt flared in her eyes. "If you come here right now and let me kiss you again."

There, all the emotions again. The irritation and the desire both. Only this time, there was real curiosity too.

"Why?" Ashley asked. "If I'm yours as you keep claiming, why do you need to bribe me like this?"

Zar shrugged, watching her without the smile ever falling from his lips.

"Make no mistake," he said. "I will not wait for your consent to become my mate for long, but I would rather not force you to submit. Females are a treasure in Nayanor society. I will give you some freedoms, but you can't avoid your fate. I'm offering you a chance to make it easier for yourself."

"You're offering for me to become a whore," Ashley shot back, her eyes glaring daggers at him. "You think I can be bought with little bits and pieces of freedom until I let you do what you want without asking for anything in return."

Zar laughed.

"You will not be a whore," he promised. "You belong to me. It means any man who lays a hand upon you has just killed himself. I would chop him to pieces, starting with the hand that offended me.

"As for the rest, you do not understand how Nayanors work yet. You can ask me for anything you desire and I'll give it to you, with the exception of leaving, of course."

He watched as conflicting emotions played on Ashley's gorgeous face.

"Now," Zar continued. "I will have that kiss from your lips before we board, but you have the chance to choose the terms."

It was interesting to watch the warring emotions behind Ashley's eyes as the female fought herself and her pride. Zar waited with all the patience in the world.

His heart skipped a beat when Ashley took the first hesitant, small step toward him. The light that burned in the female's eyes was gorgeous to behold, even if Zar suspected it was her inner turmoil.

She approached him calmly, never taking her gaze off him. She looked so small compared to him, not short for a Terran female, but nowhere near the height of a Nayanor warrior in war gear.

"You better not lie to me or I won't trust you again," Ashley said.

Zar chuckled at the notion of that.

"I don't lie," he said simply. "Why would I? Everything you see around us is mine. I have no reason to deceive. I take what I want."

"Like me," Ashley said, looking so startled the words must have slipped over her lips unbidden.

"Yes," Zar said, standing straight and leaning down to lift up her chin. "Exactly like you."

The kiss was as hot and passionate as the first one had been. Zar held his mate firmly in his grip, claiming her lips just like he was going to claim her body soon enough. He could hear tiny moans of pleasure from her that Ashley clearly tried to fight, but failed to.

He could feel how her body trembled in his embrace, reaching up to meet his lips better. Her mouth was warm and tasted sweeter than anything Zar had ever experienced before.

He never wanted to stop kissing her, but the treacherous fighter chose that moment to start docking and Ashley pulled away.

She looked at him, a challenge clearly visible in her light eyes.

Zar raised the transmitter to his lips, grinning.

"Bridge," he ordered. "Report on our haul."

"Yes, Harbinger. With Captain Roagh's count, we have 2,312 females aboard. Do you want to initiate the jump?"

Looking at Ashley's mouth drop open in horror, Zar replied:

"As soon as we're clear of the solar system, create the wormhole. Time to return to Luminos."