Blood of the Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 2)
Read Blood of the Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 2) Online
Authors: Harmony Raines
Tags: #General Fiction
Blood of the Dragon
Her Dragon’s Bane Series
(Book Two)
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Note from the author:
My books are written, produced and edited in the UK where spellings and word usage can vary from U.S. English. The use of quotes in dialogue and other punctuation can also differ.
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All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
© 2014 Harmony Raines
Silver Moon Erotica
Kindle Edition
Connor stood waiting for her as she opened the door. Behind her, all Serena’s belongings were packed ready for her to leave. Hope, her most precious possession sat meowing, complaining at being shut in. Serena knew Hope wanted to go out and play in the garden, just as she had done yesterday. But that carefree time had passed like a dream. Now she had to deal with the reality of her choice.
In her chest her heart thumped so hard she thought he would hear it. What if this all went wrong?
She felt powerless, a feeling that had followed her all her life. Stupid really, because she was about to make a choice, a thing she had always been deprived of. Perhaps if that had been different she would feel more confident she was making the right one now.
Squeezing her hand tightly shut, the vial dug painfully into her palm. Such a small thing, that would change her life for ever.
“You’re ready to leave?” Connor asked, glancing behind her, seeing her bags. He turned his gaze on her, blank and expressionless, all his love for her smothered.
She shook her head. “Not quite yet,” she said, feeling the enormity of everything that had happened pushing down on her, but she had to carry on with her plan. “There’s something I have to do first.”
“What?” he said, hope, or was it suspicion, in his voice. She no longer knew.
“Connor, when I came to you, I didn’t know what you were like. I didn’t know you were ... human.”
“I’m not human. If I were I would have left you on that island. I’ve seen enough of men to know what they are capable of. If you have something to say, Serena, say it. But please don’t tell me more lies.” His voice was hard, it had been suspicion in his eyes, he was closing himself off from her.
She withdrew her hand from her pocket, the vial hidden in her tight fist. It would be all too easy to let him drink this, to put an end to the need to explain her actions. However, Serena had never known easy, and this didn’t seem to be the time to change that fact.
“I promised you the truth, Connor. In return will you promise to hear me out, to allow me to explain.”
He nodded slightly, folding his arms in front of his chest, putting a barrier between them. Was she strong enough to penetrate it? Were his feelings for her strong enough to let her try?
She sighed, trying to find the best place to start. Not an easy thing when she considered her whole life had led her to this point. Looking back Samuel had controlled her life from such a young age through his power over her mother. The food on their table, the electric in the meter, all of it controlled. On a whim he would explode into their apartment and take what he wanted.
Since before she could read she had learned the sound of his footsteps on the stairs leading to their apartment. Learned to cower, covering Charlotte’s body with her own to shield her from his blows. But Connor didn’t want her whole sorry life story, it meant nothing to him what her childhood had been.
Perhaps action would be the best way forward. Moving to his side, she took his hand in hers, and despite at first resisting her, he allowed her to pull his arm away from his chest, and open his hand. On his palm she placed the vial of blue liquid, and then looked to his face, searching for his reaction.
“What is it?” he asked, looking at the vial, holding it up to the light.
“I’m not sure. Not exactly. I was told to come here and mate with you, to conceive your child. Then after five days passed I had to pour this into your drink.” She pointed at the vial which was now in danger of being crushed in his fist.
“And then?” he asked through gritted teeth.
She shrugged, her voice a whisper as she continued. “He never said. But I believe it renders you incapable of thinking for yourself. They said it captures your soul, but I don’t believe that.”
“Oh?”
“Well how can it?”
He looked at her strangely, his mind elsewhere. Looking far into the distance she had the eerie feeling he was trawling through a thousand years or more worth of memories. Serena held her breath, not wanting to disturb his thoughts. More than anything she needed him to help her, now she had given him this information there was no going back. If he chucked her out of the house she was on her own, and she desperately didn’t want that.
“Why?” Connor asked, finally coming back to her.
“It’s a long story.”
“I have the time.”
“There’s this man.”
“The one who comes to your apartment?”
She lowered her head, ashamed. “Yes.”
“Go on.”
“He makes me do things.”
“I’ve seen.”
Serena covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. “Why did you accept my offer if you knew?”
“I have my reasons.” He moved his hand, indicating he wanted her to continue with her story.
“He’s always had control of my family. My mother took drugs, and worked for him, but it was never enough. So he made her a deal, she had to make sure I stayed a virgin. Not that she had to try too hard, I saw what men do to women.”
“To your mother?”
“Yes,” she whispered, shutting her eyes to try to block out memories too hard to bear.
“And is that the hold this Samuel has over you?” His voice rough, dangerous.
“What? Drugs?” She shook her head furiously. “No. He has something much worse than that.”
“Tell me.” His body loomed over her, menacing, the dragon so close to the surface she could smell the metallic taint in the air.
She put her hand over her mouth, and turned her head, not wanting him to see her cry. They had lost their closeness, now he talked to her as though she were a stranger, there was no way he would help her. He would leave, him and his brother, Zoah, would simply turn into dragons and fly away from the danger she had brought to their door.
“They have my sister.” Her voice choked, and then she broke down and wept.
He took a step back, and suddenly relief flooded him. “Of course. Now I understand.” Connor came to her, his body relaxed and open to her. Both arms went around her body and pulled her close into a comforting hug. Kissing the top of her head he murmured to her, “I’ll make it right, Serena.”
“That’s just it, you can’t. They’re too strong, there’s no way to beat them. By telling you I’ve signed her death warrant. Or worse.”
“No. We have time to think about it, to plan out what to do. You say they aren’t expecting you until after the fifth day. That gives us time.”
“They have guns.”
“And you have a dragon. Or two.”
“Two?”
“Zoah.”
“He won’t help me. He thinks I’m a worthless whore remember? And he was right, that’s why it hurt so much.” Self loathing threatening to consume her.
“No. You’re not. You were doing what you had to do to protect your family. He’ll understand that, he might be an arrogant idiot, but he understands what family means.”
“I’m not his family though am I?”
“But if you are carrying my child you will be.” This time there was hope in his voice, and she turned her face into his big broad chest and wrapped her arms around him, needing to feel him close, to absorb some of his strength.
“I am so sorry, Connor. I shouldn’t have lied. But I needed you to let me go. If you’d left me on that island I don’t know what would have happened to Charlotte.”
“Let’s leave that in the past.” He rocked her slowly, his heart beat strong and loud against her ear.
“Thank you, Connor.” She turned her face upwards to him, and searched his face for the acceptance she so desperately needed. When his lips descended to claim her she knew he had forgiven her, and for the first time she knew she had someone she could rely on. Until this moment she hadn’t realised how lonely she had been. Now her problem was his problem, and between them they just might succeed.
Behind her Hope complained loudly about being shut in. Breaking away from Connor she went to let her cat out. “This does mean I’m staying, right?” she asked, turning back to see an amused look on Connor’s face.
“I should think so. I’m hoping you intend to spend at least some of the time in the next two days fulfilling your end of the bargain.”
She blushed. “I didn’t know if you’d still want me.”
He sighed, and came towards her, threading his fingers through her hair. “You don’t get it do you?”
“What?”
“I’m almost certain that potion is useless. You are the only thing that has captured my soul, and my body.” He lowered his head to press his lips against hers. “And my heart.”
Serena wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down to her. Softly he kissed her, questioning her willingness. She answered him with her eager mouth, needing his touch. Now everything was out in the open, she wanted to show him how much she cared for him. People had always scared her, they were deceitful and dishonest, all but Charlotte.
Until she had walked into this house and met her dragon.
It all began to fall into place. The reason Serena had come to him and offered herself as the vessel for his child. He had known the money she had asked for wasn’t enough, bearing a dragon child was no longer a thing a woman did for family honour.
The truth complicated matters, he would have to persuade Zoah to help, and despite his words to Serena, it was a risk. Their tough dragon scales were no match for armour piercing weapons. They would have to plan this carefully.
And yet despite the dangers, his heart was lighter. Serena’s admission had also told him she was not a gold digger, and not a whore. If there had ever been a good reason for tricking him, the threat to her sister was it.
Serena had been forced to come to him. It explained why she had been so scared that first night. She had thought him a beast of myth, what stories they had told her he could only imagine. Had she expected to be a different kind of sacrifice on the stone altar if she hadn’t pleased him?
Now, thankfully, something had happened between them that had changed her perception, of dragons. He truly believed she trusted him, and she would be right to. Dragons were the most faithful of creatures when they found the right mate. His father had spent the whole of his life loving their mother, until the sad bitter end when she had been like dust in his hands.