Blood of the Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 2) by Harmony Raines

Chapter One - Serena
    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