Free Soul Of The Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 1) by Harmony Raines Page A

emphasised the word, and her body chilled.
    “Why are we here, Connor?”
    “If you want to be safe, we could live here while you bear our child.”
    She went to him and stroked his naked skin. “I can’t stay here.”
    “Why?”
    “You have to take me back, please.”
    “I’m offering you a choice, Serena.”
    She shook her head. “I can’t Connor. I know you mean well, but it’s not possible.”
    “Why did you come to me?”
    Only now did the precariousness of her situation strike her fully. If he wanted to leave her here, to keep her prisoner, he could. The only way off this island was with him. That was the whole point of this, not for him to show her his other side, but to force her to do his bidding. Bend her to his will in the same way Samuel always had. She thought she could trust him, and now he had shown his true self.
    “I needed the money.”
    “Are we back to lying now?” he asked bitterly.
    “I don’t know what you want from me, Connor. Does it hurt your ego that the only way a woman would mate with you is for money?”
    “I know that there’s more to it than that. What about our child?”
    She had no choice, she lied, “There is no child, there never will be.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “I might have been a virgin, but I was never going to conceive your child. I took precautions.”
    That hit home, he reeled back from her. “You tricked me?”
    “Yes. I told you I only wanted the money.”
    “You’re lying.”
    “No. I’m not. I’m sorry, I truly am, but I’m not in a position to bear your child.”
    “It’s not true. I can tell you’re lying.”
    “How?” She wrapped her arms round her body. “Listen Connor, I’m trash, I always have been, but I did this for my own reasons. Please, take me back, and I’ll leave. Keep the money, just take me back.” Her vision of happiness with him was broken, they had both lied to get what they wanted, and now all she could hope for was to get back to Samuel and hope he would let Charlotte go, she could offer herself to him instead. She pressed her hand down on her stomach, if there was a child inside her she would trade it for Charlotte, Connor would never know.
    He pushed his face close up to hers, and said, “I know you, and I know for whatever reason, you are lying.”
    She turned and looked away from him, and then stumbled backwards when he shimmered into the dragon right in front of her. He was formidable at this angle, looming above her, his hot breath on her skin. Screwing her eyes up tightly she prepared for the end, for him to kill her and leave her miserable bones on this island. But that was not his plan.

Chapter Sixteen - Connor
    Damn her. He thought they had got somewhere, that she had learned to trust him, but now she had lied. Or had she? Maybe by removing himself from the human world for so long he had forgotten what they were like. Yet he had believed with all his heart that she was different, was his soul mate. He laughed bitterly to himself.
    He should leave her here. At least for a day, and then return tomorrow to see if she had a different tale to tell. But what did it matter, if all she did was lie to him then what was the point.
    Crouching down he stood, waiting for her to stand and climb on his back. It took her a full ten minutes to get up and tentatively touch him. Then she clambered onto his back, and he let her struggle, offering no help this time. And even before she was safely in place he leaped into the air and over the seas, feeling the cold spray on his belly.
    On his back the drops hitting his scales were different. Serena was crying. He could feel her body as she tried to stifle her sobs, and the warm tears leaked all over his back, her hands too busy holding onto him to wipe them away.
    He shook his head, trying to clear the cloud of anger that got in the way of his reasoning. They passed over the ocean and onto dry land, and still he flew, hard and fast for the city. There he circled lower, and