The Jade Prince

THE JADE PRINCE

L. SHANNON

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.amberquill.com

The Jade Prince

An Amber Quill Press Book

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters,

locations, and incidents are products of the author's

imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead,

locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

http://www.AmberHeat.com

http://www.AmberAllure.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without

permission in writing from the publisher, with the

exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of

review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-202-7

Published in the United States of America

THE JADE PRINCE

Sunday, the forth of September, started off bright and
clear.  The  brisk  wind  blowing  through  the  New York
streets  perfectly  countered  the  blue  sky  and  warm
sunshine. Like a lie promising winter would be held off
while  the  truth  tore  at  clothing  with  small  invisible
fingers.
Winter was coming, but at least this one held less fear
than the last had.
"Hey,  Cal,  how  long  do  we  have  to  keep  looking?"
Tory blinked up at Cal and wiped at his eyes. He was
tired  and  getting  cranky,  but  from  the  looks  of  his
stubborn five-year-old chin, he still had another hour or
so of determination packed inside his small body.
Cal  patted  his  little  brother  on  the  head.  "We'll  find
something soon. Let's try that resale shop over there."
The  battered  pawn  shop  didn't  look  particularly

promising,  and  yet...  Maybe  this  one  would  actually
have that elusive fitting and affordable thank you gift.
Tory  ran  forward  the  moment  the  door  was  pushed
open.  Straight  past  the  electronics  and  to  the  glass
counter  display  that  showcased  the  jewelry  and
watches. "Hurry up, Cal!"
As always, Tory's exuberance eased the tight fear that
bit at his chest more often than not. Even when they'd
been homeless and sleeping in his broken-down truck,
even  then,  it  had  been  Tory's  smile  that  had  kept  him
going.
He  shook  his  head.  No,  he  needed  to  stop  thinking
about the grim fate that they'd recently escaped.
"This  is  perfect  for  Uncle  Jin!"  Tory  always  found
exactly  the  right,  perfect  thing  when  he  was  tired  of
looking. Leaning over the counter, Cal focused on the
huge gaudy men's watch that Tory was pointing at and
extolling the amazingness of at length.
"See?  It's  all  gold  and  shiny.  Uncle  Jin  will  love  it.  I
know he will. Come on, big bro, just hurry up and buy
it for him." Tory jumped up and down and waved while
the clerk took out the watch to see it better. "See, it's

just perfect for the prince!"
Choking on the use of Jin's nickname, Cal caught Tory's
shoulder in one hand while peering at the watch. "You
shouldn't  call  him  that.  We  owe  Jin  too  much  to  be
teasing him."
"But you call him the prince all the time. I think he likes
it."
"Well,  I  shouldn't  either."  Shouldn't,  but  probably  still
would.  As  the  only  son  set  to  inherit  a  huge  import
conglomerate,  Jin  was  more  princely  than  any  other
person  they  would  likely  ever  meet.  Still,  Jin  would
probably  always  be  the  skinny  little  exchange  student
he'd  met  in  high  school.  Nowadays,  with  them  both
edging past twenty-five, Jin was neither skinny nor little.
Despite  the  drastic  difference  in  their  fortunes  and
status, he and Jin were best friends. They'd been parted
for  almost  six  years,  but  Jin  hadn't  hesitated  to  offer
help the moment they'd met again. Without a doubt, the
prince had saved them. With his help, they now lived in
luxury instead of squalor.
Even though the watch in question was horribly gaudy,
it  was  nearly  perfect  at  least  as  a  gag  gift.  He  could

easily picture Jin opening it with a laugh, not to mention
wearing  it  blatantly  to  annoy  the  more  stuck-up  staff.
The  watch  would  make  a  great  thank  you  gift,  but  he
just couldn't swing the price.
"Let's get it."
He  couldn't  crush  Tory's  choice.  "How  about  that
pendant?" Instead he pointed toward the flashy costume
jewelry.  "That  jade  one  is  just  something  Uncle  Jin
would laugh about." Not only could he afford the visibly
small  price  tag,  but  it,  too,  was  fitting.  Jin  loved
everything jade, claimed it was his one tie to his Asian
heritage while living here in the states.
Maybe  he  was  right.  Besides  his  jade  obsession,  Jin
embraced  everything  high-tech  and  everything
American.
"How about it?"
"Yeah,  let's  get  it  and  head  back."  Cal  paid  for  the
pendant  and  a  small  box  to  offer  it  in  and  then  they
headed to the apartment. Tory was already calling the
place home but it wasn't really their home. He and Tory
were  just  living  off  the  kindness  of  his  old  classmate.
And at least this once he'd be sure to thank Jin properly

for the charity.

* * * *

Cal waited in Jin's study, letting the silence flow through
him. High up in the next to top floor of the skyscraper,
the  busy  streets  of  the  city  below  might  as  well  have
been  a  different  world.  Here  was  all  neat  and
controlled. Polished. Tidy and organized. Just like Jin's
father expected.
Even  if  the  old  man  only  came  to  visit  every  few
months,  Jin  still  lived  by  his  father's  expectations.  The
small room that he and Tory shared was one of the few
exceptions  Jin  had  fought  for.  The  trade  off  in  extra
work  the  concession  required  was  a  burden  his  friend
had willingly accepted.
One Cal always felt guilty over.
The door opened and then closed with a quiet snick.
Cal didn't bother to turn and look. Jin's soft sigh and the
scent  of  his  subtle  cologne  confirmed  the  identity
without even a blink of the eyes.
"I'm  home."  Jin's  smooth  voice  called  out  the  joking
tradition they had started as teenagers when he'd stayed
over for visits.

"Welcome  back."  The  corresponding  response  was
automatic  and  somehow  comforting,  a  simple  pattern
that bound them together and melted away the missing
years.
"How was your day off, Cal? Did you and Tory have a
good time?"
"We  did.  Did  my  substitute  have  to  take  a  bullet  for
you?"
Jin  snorted.  "Of  course  not.  Just  a  long  day  behind  a
desk. I told you not to bother with a substitute guard."
"If  you  don't  need  one  then  I  can't  let  you  pay  me
anymore for just hanging out and having no purpose."
"Shut up, Cal."
The silence fell once more between them, but it wasn't a
terribly uncomfortable one. They had this conversation
every  so  often  and  Jin  always  ended  it  with Shut  up,
Cal. Maybe it was just another tradition they held onto.
Maybe it offered an end to the charity if Jin ever grew
tired of it.
Jin  disappeared  through  the  connecting  door  to  his
lavish bedroom. A few moments later he returned and
slouched onto the elegant sofa.

Before  Jin  could  click  on  the  TV  and  zone  out,  Cal
moved over and leaned against the sofa arm. "Did you
eat?"
"Yeah, business dinner."
"Good."  Cal  held  out  the  small  box  with  the  pendant.
"Here. It's a thank you gift from me and Tory."
"You didn't have to--"
"Shut up, Jin. Just be gracious and accept our thanks.
What you've done... Well, you won't let us make much
out of it, but it does mean a lot to me, to us both."
Jin  nodded  and  opened  up  the  plain  box.  "A  jade
dragon?" Picking up the pendant, he let it dangle from
his fingers. "Very pretty."
The way the light danced off the green stones made it
look far more expensive than it had in the dusty pawn
shop. Now it gleamed almost alive with the shine of the
jade.
Jin  draped  the  chain  around  his  neck  and  the  pendant
landed  perfectly  at  the  dip  between  his  collarbones.
"Ah! What the hell?"
"What's wrong?"
"It burns!" He pried at the pendant but it didn't budge.

"Help me get this thing off."
Cal leaned in close and tugged at the loose chain. That
much still moved freely, but the pendant itself might as
well  have  become  part  of  Jin's  flesh.  And  when  his
fingers hit the now hot stone, it sizzled with what felt like
damn near electric shock. "Hey!"
"Cal!"  Jin's  body  bucked  back  into  the  sofa  cushions,
his  spine  arched  painfully.  After  a  long  moment  the
shaking started.
He grabbed Jin and pinned his writhing body in place.
What  the  hell  was  happening?  A  seizure,  but  what
caused it? The pendant? It had to be the pendant, but
how and why? All he could do was hold on and pray
for a miracle.
No, that wasn't all he could do.
Pinning Jin down with his weight, Cal pulled out his cell
phone and flipped it open to dial for help. Nine. One--
A  surge  of  unexpected  strength  flung  Jin's  body
upward, one hand connecting with the phone, knocking
it across the room.
"Dammit."  Should  he  hold  on  to  Jin  or  go  for  the
phone?

Jin's eyes widened, pleaded for help. His fingers clawed
into Cal's upper arms.
Clawed.
Really  fucking  clawed,  as  in  with  real  fucking  claws!
The  tips  of  Jin's  neatly  manicured  fingers  had  changed
into  short  but  sharp  black  claws.  "What  the  hell  is
happening?"
"Cal,  make  him  stop.  Make  the  screaming  stop."  Jin
released  the  claw-tipped  grip  and  his  hands  slammed
over his own ears.
"I don't hear anything, Jin. No one is screaming."
"He's  screaming  and  crying.  In  so  much  pain."  Tears
welled  up  from  Jin's  eyes,  glistening  and  then  slipping
free  to  slide  down  toward  his  thick  hair.  "Please,  Cal.
Make him stop crying."
But how could he do anything about something that he
couldn't hear or understand? "Jin, I can't hear anything.
Tell me who is screaming? Tell me how to help."
Then Jin wasn't Jin any more. Maybe if Cal hadn't been
so desperate, so close, and holding his friend's gaze in
the only means of help he could offer, maybe if he had
even blinked at the wrong time he wouldn't have seen.

But  he'd  seen  the  moment  in  crystal  clear  detail,  the
exact  second  when  his  best  friend's  clear  brown  eyes
had  changed.  The  round  human  look  disappeared,
shifting to the green slitted eyes of an animal, a reptile.
The  look  in  those  eyes  was  not  even  one  bit  Jin.  The
being  looking  back  at  him  was  wild  and  in  pain.
Haunted and well past deranged.
The  question  "Who  are  you?"   hovered  on  Cal's  lips,
but  before  he  could  ask  it  out  loud,  the  green-eyed
demon spoke in a cracked whisper.
"Jade  is  free?  Finally...  free?"  Despite  the  hesitations,
the voice was smooth like Jin, but deeper.
It said Jade like a name. "Jade?"
The  thing's  gaze  focused  on  Cal's  face.  It  drew  its
breath in through Jin's nose as if scenting the air. Then
its lips spread into a grin that promised no good will at
all. "You smell tasty. Even the other thinks so."
"Who are you? What happened to Jin?"
"Jin? Oh, the other." His grin turned sneaky. "I ate him
and I'll eat you, too." Jin's body jerked fiercely, rolling
them  from  the  sofa  and  onto  the  floor  with  a  bone
rattling  crash.  The  thing  controlling  Jin's  body  pinned

Cal  to  the  floor.  Its  face,  Jin's  face,  leered  close.  It
licked  along  Cal's  jaw,  sending  ripples  of  confused
reactions skittering across Cal's skin.
He  twisted  and  bucked  but  couldn't  dislodge  Jin's
smaller body. Damn it, his job was to protect Jin, but
how  the  hell  could  he  protect  him  from  whatever  this
thing was or intended to do?
Those  green  snake  eyes  sparkled  with  some  devious
plot.  With  a  sudden  motion,  it  slammed  their  lips
together.  The  pressure  bloomed  into  an  explosion  of
heat.
Cal twisted his mouth free. "Don't." He gasped through
a surprising swell of excitement. "Get a hold of yourself,
Jin!"
It laughed, and the rasping sound sawed through Cal's
soul. This thing wasn't Jin. That single truth ripped him
apart  inside.  Jin,  his  best  friend...  More  than  that.  He
had  always  wanted  to  kiss  Jin,  to  show  him  far  more
than  friendship.  But  that  had  never  been.  Jin  was
straight  and  he  wasn't.  Things  like  that  didn't  change.
He'd accepted it would be a one-sided love story pretty
much from the beginning.

But this thing, it somehow knew his weakness, knew his
secret  and  offered  him  the  one  temptation  he  had
accepted would never be realized.
"I am Jade," it whispered, with the sounds caressing the
air over Cal's lips. "Know my name, but scream out for
your precious Jin if you like." With a surge of strength,
Jade  dragged  Cal's  arms  up  above  his  head,  trapping
his wrists there in the grip of one hand. The other tore
down his body, shredding his shirt.
Cal would have shouted more useless demands to stop,
except  Jade's  mouth  locked  over  his  once  more,
swallowing down his senseless objections. And, really,
what was the point to screaming stop when every cell of
his body begged to be with Jin even if this lie was the
only way.
With a growl, Jade threw himself upward, freeing Cal.
"Idiot  human.  What  kind  of  fun  would  that  be?"  He
stormed around the room, his claws leaving ribbons in
the furniture within reach. "I need more... "
::Blood, flesh, death.::
Jade  hadn't  said  those  words  out  loud,  but  the
murderous  intent  echoed  in  Cal's  head.  This  thing,

whatever  it  was  controlling  Jin's  body,  hungered  for
destruction.  Tory's  innocent  face  flashed  before  his
eyes. He was one room away. A few precious inches of
wall plaster. Cal was on his feet and blocking the only
exit before he had time to register just how damn stupid
he'd become.
"Move."
"No." Whatever was happening, he had to protect both
Tory  and  Jin.  He  couldn't  do  either  if  this  beast  stole
Jin's  body  and  rampaged  loose.  At  least  here  in  this
room  he  had  a  chance  of  controlling  the  situation.  "Jin
stays  here  at  night.  Going  out  would  only  draw
attention."
"I said move." Its eyes focused on Cal's exposed chest.
The remains of his shirt did little to cover his flesh or the
numerous welts that had been left by the thing's claws.
He crossed his arms over his chest and rooted his feet
in place. Jade and Jin were staying here.
Those  familiar  and  yet  so  strange  lips  quirked  into  a
sneer. Its gaze slithered down Cal's body again before
darting  away.  "I  can  tear  though  you  as  easily  as  the
wallpaper."  The  wallpaper  in  question  had  been

destroyed  by  the  beast's  claws  during  its  restless
pacing.  "You  don't  have  the  strength  to  stop  me. You
have weapons but won't use them on this body. What
exactly can you do to keep me here?" Its gaze locked
again on Cal's chest. Its tongue slid over slightly parted
lips.
Damn  Jade  to  hell.  It  was  obvious  what  the  creature
wanted. Perhaps the only thing it wanted enough to stay
here and give up the opportunity to run amuck.
"Well?"
"You can have me."
"Hunt, yes?" The hiss of anticipation chilled Cal to the
bone.
"Here in this apartment. Here only. You can hunt me all
night,  do  with  me  as  you  like,  take  whatever  savage
pleasures  you  demand.  And  when  the  sun  comes  up
you will give Jin back his body."
"Your precious Jin and I are of one flesh until he dies.
Your gift bound us together. No bargain you can design
will break this chain."
"Jin is still alive then?"
"Yes, the other lives."

"Then  the  deal  stands. You  will  give  him  back  his  life
when the sun rises."
"But  you  will  not  interfere  with  my  control  during  this
night? During every night?"
"Agreed." Cal held back a flinch at the terrible bargain
he had just sealed. Jade could toy with him for hours,
kill him or even just betray their deal on a whim. "Will
you  keep  this  deal  no  matter  what?  Even  if  I  die,  I
expect you to fulfill your side and give Jin his freedom
during the day."
"Dragons  don't  lie."  Jade  closed  the  space  between
them  in  a  flash.  His  claws  sank  into  Cal's  arms.  "We
don't lie like humans, nor do our fancies waver like the
whims of the gods. Once we set a course we follow it
through to the end of time."
Cal tried to maintain his composure, but Jade's words
twisted around his heart. Not that he wanted Jade, but
the  offer  of  honesty  and  eternity  resonated  deep. And
with  Jade  rubbing  against  his  body,  the  pleasure  of
having Jin so close was too much to deny. He focused
on  Jade's  words,  gasping  out  the  only  questions  he
could force through his mind. "You're a dragon? How?

How did you end up in that pendant?"
The claws sank deeper and Jade's mouth shifted forms,
losing  Jin's  much  loved  gentle  expression  and  become
something different, monstrous with long dripping fangs.
Scaled  lids  slid  over  the  slitted  green  eyes.  And
anguished  howl  of  suffering  filled  the  air  without
touching the ears. In that agony came Jade's thoughts,
filled  with  such  darkness  that  they  would  never  have
come forth aloud.
::Betrayal, of course. What else could destroy a soul
so completely?::
That  thought  and  all  its  raw  history  was  something
private. There was no way this dragon intended to feed
that info out to a stranger.
Unless  he  already  knew  that  this  eavesdropper  would
never  leave,  never  have  the  chance  to  share
unnecessary things.
"I said dragons don't lie."
Never mind how the thing could read his thoughts. The
retort  pushed  past  the  detail.  "You  never  promised  to
let me live."
"You  didn't  demand  it.  The  only  importance  in  your

words or thoughts were for this vessel I now possess.
So long as he lives, do you truly care if you perish?"
He  didn't  answer  the  idiotic  question.  Because  of
course he cared whether he lived or died. It mattered. It
just didn't matter as much as... as much as Jin.
"Enough banter. Let's get to the bargain." Jade's claws
dragged down Cal's arms, tearing away the last remains
of his shirt and leaving fine welts along his skin. Pressing
Cal  backward,  Jade  pinned  him  against  the  door  and
closed the distance between them. The first brush of lips
was  electric,  then  the  fanged  mouth  slanted  and
hardened.
Cal  froze  under  the  onslaught.  How  the  hell  was  he
going to get through this night? How could he possibly
maintain any kind of control against the fierce beast with
lust as his only available weapon?
His  first  fleeting  thought  had  been  to  fake  it  all  and
pretend this was actually Jin running Jin's body. Such a
lie sounded more like paradise. But harsh reality offered
more battle than affection.
Whatever Jade expected would be nothing less than all
consuming. And  once  Cal  was  consumed,  quite  likely

there would be nothing left.
Jade pulled back. "So you've decided to burn for him."
"Yes." Cal sagged against the door. Yes, he'd burn, but
that didn't mean he had to remain passive. Jade wasn't
Jin. Even if in a way he was. And if this was a battle,
he'd damn well go into it fighting. His back straightened.
He wrapped his arms around Jade and hauled him into
the air.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm carrying your skinny ass into the bedroom. Even if
you are stronger than Jin, you're the same weight. And
that  is  easy  to  hold." Although  it  was  something  he'd
never had a chance to do, carrying Jin around was a bit
of  a  secret  dream.  At  five  feet  eight,  Jin  had  height
enough but had always been lean and wiry.
After a moment of silence, Jade let out a dry laugh that
lasted until he landed in the center of the king-sized bed.
"You are a bold one, aren't you?"
"I am only me." He eyed up the dragon as it rose onto
hands  and  knees.  Green  eyes  hungrily  glittered  up  at
him. The alien appearance forced him to see past Jin's
body and really see Jade. "What do you want?"

Jade sat up onto his knees and tugged at his suit shirt.
But his claw tips were ill suited to the buttons and the
first one popped off with a ping.
"Here, I'll do it." Sitting on the edge, Cal leaned in and
attacked  the  buttons,  defeating  them  in  a  matter  of
seconds.  When  the  fabric  parted  and  fell  free,  it
revealed a tattoo with a detailed dragon clawing its way
up  Jin's  chest.  Not  just  his  chest,  but  fully  wrapped
around  his  body  and  even  parts  disappearing  beneath
his waistband as well as being partially hidden beneath
Jin's long black hair.
Cal's fingers connected with that dancing green dragon.
Jin's skin was burning hot.
No, not Jin. This was Jade.
Jade, the dragon. He still didn't even know what being a
dragon  meant,  or  how  it  would  change  Jin.  However,
despite  his  fears  for  his  friend,  he  couldn't  ignore  this
other being who was now before him. "Tell me, Jade.
What do you want?"
The  dragon's  eyelids  slid  closed.  He  drew  in  a  slow
breath  and  let  it  out  with  one  word.  "Everything."  The
image was completely seductive.

Cal  sank  his  fingers  through  Jade's  long  black  hair,
pulling  him  in  for  a  kiss.  The  press  of  fangs  was  both
alien  and  familiar.  The  connection  sparked  a  reaction
deep in his body. Was it because of Jin's body, a body
he had desired for what seemed like forever? Or was
this  a  reflection  of  the  desperate  hunger  that  echoed
through Jade? Either way, Cal let the kiss deepen to a
slow, demanding tangle of tongues. The ebb and tide of
the sparring timed itself with his overly loud heartbeats.
But then every dance had a beat, did it not?
He choked a bit on his sentimental side. This wasn't a
dance,  but  more  of  a  battle,  wasn't  it?  Could  this
dragon  that  stole  his  best  friend's  body  be  anything
other than an enemy to defeat?
He  pulled  back  slowly.  Meeting  Jade's  glittering  gaze,
he  found  it  filled  with  unfathomable  emotions.  "You
were in the pendant. Why or how did you get there?"
"The  pendant  is  a  prison."  The  flashing  wash  of
emotions  focused  in  an  intense  flare  of  agony  and
hatred.
"A  prison?  So  you  lost  your  body  and  were  locked
away for what crime?"

Jade  ignored  the  question.  "It  was  the  fourteenth
century  last  time  I  was  freed.  I  did  not  find  him  then.
This time will be different."
Before  he  could  ask  who  Jade  was  looking  for,  Jade
pounced, pushing him back onto the bed and claiming
his mouth in a fierce kiss. Jade's mouth slanted over his
and  the  press  of  fangs  added  a  demand  to  the  touch.
Strangely,  the  difference  seemed  to  work.  Cal's  body
flushed  with  heat.  Dragon  or  whatever,  his  body
approved.
Between kisses so deep they could drown, Jade said,
"I've been numb so long. Let me feel everything."
Locked  inside  the  pendant  for  hundreds  of  years.  No
matter  the  reason  or  crime,  surely  Jade  deserved  this
chance. In a small way, he understood. Loving Jin had
left  him  hungry,  too.  Never  having  what  you  so
desperately  desired.  The  definition  of  cruelty.  But  also
part of life.
Tonight, at least, he could let Jade have it. And fill some
of his own needs.
The growl that vibrated between them sounded anything
but  violent.  If  anything,  the  sound  had  the  texture  and

emotion of a purr.
Cal  burrowed  his  fingers  through  Jade's  silky  hair.
Turning  into  the  kiss  he  deepened  it  farther,  drawing
Jade  in  and  demanding  more  and  more.  Sliding  one
jeans  clad  leg  up  Jade's  thigh,  he  shifted  and  brought
their crotches together. Jade's thick erection pushed at
him  through  the  slacks  and  denim.  The  rasp  of  fabric
against his skin was delicious fire.
Then the heat hit him in a whole different way. It poured
over  him,  burning  but  with  something  different  from
flame.  It  tingled  and  teased  and  kicked  his  pulse  into
overdrive. The sensation sizzled over his nerves until he
arched hard, tearing free from the kiss to gasp for air.
"What the hell?"
Jade chuckled. "Dragon fire. Want some more, lover?"
Panting for breath, he tried to decide if he wanted more
or if more might just kill him. He couldn't say no. Even
death  might  be  fine  if  it  ended  in  dragon  fire.  Cal
dragged Jade back into another kiss.
But just a kiss wasn't enough. He had to have more. He
pushed at Jade's clothing, shoving the shirt off the rest
of the way. Then he dug between their bodies, making

short work of Jade's belt and fly. Sliding his hand down
Jade's lean flanks, he dipped beneath to Jade's erection.
He'd  intended  to  start  slow,  but  when  he  found  Jade
hard, wet and pulsing, he caught the tempting length and
stroked up and down the ridged flesh.
He  released  Jade  and  swallowed  back  his  raging
senses. Pushing Jade back on the bed, he stripped off
all  their  remaining  clothing  until  there  was  nothing  but
bare skin between them. Skin that arced with sensitivity
each place they connected.
Returning  his  attention  to  Jade's  erection,  he  stroked
and  petted  and  then  slid  down  his  body  to  taste  that
amazing  flesh.  For  one  moment  Cal  considered  how
long he'd dreamed of taking Jin and claiming this body
in every way imagined. How often had he dreamed of
risking  it  all  to  savor  this  cock  with  his  tongue?  Jin...
The  pain  of  the  one-sided  love  shocked  through  his
arousal.
Not that he wasn't still aching hard. But his mind circled
that long-term pain and distracted him from the pleasure
of the moment.
Jade's fingers with their sharp claw tips scraped through

his  short  hair,  slid  downward  and  then  bit  into  his
shoulders. The pain was sharp and fresh, unlike the old
emotional damage.
Pulling back from the blow job, Cal looked up to meet
Jade's glittering gaze.
"You're mine. Not his." Jade's dominance and demand
burned  through  him.  "From  sundown  to  sun  up,  this
body is mine. With it I will own everything that is you.
Your flesh, your thoughts, your very soul."
The commandment should have scared him or at least
pissed him off. So why did it instead sharpen the desire
and  heighten  the  connection  between  them?  Why  did
Jade's dominance overwhelm the decade of tragic love
he'd felt for Jin?
Had Jade's claws eviscerated his heart? Drained away
the illness and hurt. Freed him from the stagnant pain.
With  a  liquid  writhing  motion,  Jade  flipped  them  over,
taking the top. He looked down and locked onto Cal's
gaze. The moment stretched out, with only the tickle of
ragged shared breaths passing between them. "You are
mine  for  now."  Drawing  close,  the  last  breath  before
their  lips  came  together  caressed  Cal  with  one  more

word. "Forever."
Not just for now, but forever.
Cal pushed back the questions and cradled the comfort
of that promise tight and silent in his soul. Whatever this
thing he had with Jade was, it sure as hell wasn't going
to be flowers and rainbows. But somehow... it felt right.
His confusion got its ass kicked as he realized that Jade
was  topping  him.  "Wait."  He'd  never  pictured  this
scenario. In all his years of lusting after Jin, he'd always
known he'd be the one to do the taking. He broke free
from another deep kiss. "Jade... "
"No more waiting." Jade growled and clenched at Cal's
hips. "I'm at my limit. I need you now." Jade licked his
fingertips  and  the  provocative  sight  stole  Cal's  breath.
Damn him for being one sexy dragon.
Cal wanted to complain, but he had missed the chance.
Hell,  he  lost  the  chance  to  do  more  than  writhe  and
moan as Jade's hand jumped to between his thighs and
danced down across his cock to cup his balls. The light
caress drifted south again and suddenly invaded his ass.
The itching pain quickly turned delicious. Starting with a
couple  slow  advances,  in  moments  Jade  had  him

stretched and begging.
"Like that do you?"
"No more... please, Jade."
"No  more  what?  Please  what?"  The  dragon  purred
against him. Vibrations rolling between them like echoes
in the Grand Canyon. "Tell me what it is you want."
"Now. Fuck me now."
Jade  answered  with  motion,  surging  forward  and
rubbing that hard cock over his entrance. Then the cruel
bastard  slowed  the  attack,  choosing  instead  to  push
inside with a torturously slow advance. The ache both
teased  and  tormented.  Ultimately,  it  drove  the  already
raging arousal completely out of control.
Cal  bucked  into  Jade's  embrace,  taking  the  dragon
deeper and deeper.
The  plunge  and  retreat  built  in  tempo.  Cal's  body
rocketed past rhythm leaving him shaking on the brink
of orgasm.
Jade's  hand  wrapped  around  his  cock  and  the  attack
shot  Cal's  senses  over  that  edge.  He  orgasmed  hard
and spurted his pleasure up between them.
But Jade seemed insatiable. He slowed only a moment

before picking up the pace once more, driving into Cal
in long deep thrusts. With fingers still gliding over Cal's
softened cock, the pleasure sharpened to amazing, fiery
agony. Waves of toe-curling need kept Cal focused on
Jade and only Jade.
Just like that he was hard and dancing at the edge again
far sooner than he even thought possible.
"Must be dragon magic."
Jade  laughed.  The  sound  was  somehow  both  gravelly
and musical, completely unearthly.
Oh yeah, he was a dragon. Cal caught Jade's long hair
and  dragged  him  down  into  a  kiss.  The  response  was
another  burst  of  dragon  fire,  which  rushed  under  his
skin  and  charred  away  everything  in  the  world  except
for this moment.
Like  the  earth  crumbling  beneath  them,  everything
shattered in that heartbeat. Jade's motion stuttered just
as  his  own  pleasure  took  form  in  another  cataclysmic
orgasm. He probably screamed something, undoubtedly
experienced  a  seizure  or  two. And  as  the  last  throes
settled  to  echoes,  he  cradled  Jade's  head  against  his
shoulder...

A  shoulder  that  ached.  Not  a  dull  throb  from  muscle
strain,  which  would  be  very  excusable,  but  a  sharp
biting pain.
Biting?
Jade  pulled  back  a  few  inches,  then  licked  over  the
burning skin where Cal's shoulder met his neck.
"What the... ?"
"Mmm... delicious."
"You fucking bit me?"
Jade released him and stretched his arms high above his
head with a satisfied catlike yawn. "Yeah, I fucked you
and I bit you, too."
With  the  glow  of  orgasm  fading  away,  a  multitude  of
small aches and pains tried to steal the peace from the
moment.  "Shit,  you  tore  me  up  all  over.  How  come  I
didn't  notice  the  damage  those  claws  of  yours  were
doing?"
Cupping  Cal's  head  in  one  palm,  Jade  drew  him  in
lightning  quick  for  a  catch-and-release  kiss.  "Maybe
you were too busy thinking about my cock to notice my
claws?"
Yeah,  maybe.   Not  that  he  was  going  to  say  that  out

loud. Hell no. Jade had a big enough ego. "Whatever.
Just remember that if you tear me up too bad I won't be
in any kind of condition to play with you at night."
Jade's mouth widened into a grin, but before he could
reply, Cal slapped a hand over his lips.
"Before you even say it, no, you absolutely can't leave
to find another toy. Here and me is all you get."
"You think you can do it? Think you can keep a dragon
satisfied?"
Maybe he could, maybe not. But he'd damn sure give it
a  try.  Although,  now  just  a  couple  hours  later,  his
motivation to do so had morphed into something new.
The crazed look in Jade's eyes wasn't gone completely
but it seemed to have been tamed at least for the time
being.  This  wasn't  just  about  keeping  Jade  here  to
protect Jin, Tory and the rest of the world. Now it was
also  about  keeping  Jade  here,  monopolizing  his  time.
This dragon was his and he had no intention of sharing
him with anyone.
"Giving up already?"
"Not  at  all.  Three  more  hours  until  the  sun  comes  up.
Whatever will we do with all that time?"

Jade laughed and the strange sound was dangerous and
full of promise. "How about I heal those scrapes."
"Answer  two  questions.  First,  how  can  you  heal  my
injuries? And second, why the sudden urge to do good
deeds?"
Jade leaned in close. Dipping his head down, he licked
Cal's neck toward the bite mark at his shoulder. There
his tongue swirled over and around the wound, sending
sweeping waves of sensation radiating outward from the
connection.
"Ahh...  "  And  many  other  incomprehensible  sounds
escaped  Cal's  lips.  It  was  all  he  could  do  to  cling  to
Jade and ride out the pleasure freed with that dragon's
tongue.  He  couldn't  get  enough.  Couldn't  get  close
enough. Squirming, Cal maneuvered Jade onto his lap.
Their naked skin came together, already slick from the
previous bout. Heat and need returned so easily.
Was being with a dragon so different? Of course, Cal
was a guy and always enjoyed sex. And he'd known he
was gay or at least well on the gay side of bi most of his
life. But something about Jade, about being screwed by
him, offered so much more than expected.

The rough, sexy glide of Jade's tongue moved over his
body. He might be hitting all the minor wounds, but the
sensual attack strayed across plenty of unmarred flesh,
too.
Jade's  mouth  homed  in  on  one  nipple,  teasing  and
tormenting it into a small, tight knot.
Pleasure skittered outward. Cal clung to Jade, tangling
his fingers in Jade's hair.
With  one  arm  embracing  Cal,  Jade's  other  hand
scrapped  slowly  downward,  leaving  four  new  ribbon-
like  welts.  Gently,  his  clawed  fingers  captured  Cal's
cock,  sliding  up  and  down  the  length  in  a  motion  that
faded every other thing in the world to insignificance. All
that mattered were those fingers and the wonderful way
they  caressed  him.  His  body  jerked  and  twitched,
reveling in the touch.
"Like  that  do  you?"  Jade  pushed  him  down  onto  the
bed. The motion landed Jade's lean body flush between
Cal's  thighs,  that  wicked  hand  pinned,  still  wrapped
around  Cal's  cock.  Letting  a  bit  of  air  between  them,
Jade resumed his ardent stroking.
"Jade...  "  The  name  escaped  in  a  desperate  rush,  but

he'd  be  damned  if  he  could  utter  any  other  coherent
sound to save his life.
Tongue still swirling over Cal's flesh, Jade followed the
fresh  claw  marks  south  over  his  abdomen  and  then
farther.
Claw. Lick. Repeat.
The  torment  and  pleasure  cycled  around  and  around.
Each time Cal neared orgasm, Jade changed the tempo
or  moved  his  attention  to  another  area.  The  balancing
act continued to circle at that fine line for what felt like
forever.
"Jade,  please...  "  Cal's  body  danced  to  the  dragon's
tune.  He  was  so  close  to  shattering  that  his  body  felt
ready to tear from the strain. Stopping wasn't an option.
More of the delicious hell would never be turned down.
And  yet,  something  about  Jade's  seduction  edged
closer  to  a  darkness  than  he  was  comfortable
accepting.  Like  a  cat  toying  with  a  mouse,  the  game
could  go  on  and  on,  or  it  could  end  in  a  single  swift
strike.
The image of Jade's glittering cold eyes as they stared
up his body drove home the reality of his fear. Before

they  had  joked  and  teased.  But  nothing  could  change
the  truth  that  Jade  wasn't  human  and  couldn't  be
predicted by human expectations.
Something made him want to trust the dragon.
Dragons  don't  lie.  The  whispered  promise  twisted
through Cal's mind. He wanted to believe those words.
But everyone could lie and if the situation called for it,
everyone did lie.
Cal arched upward as Jade swallowed the length of his
cock.  Between  lips,  teeth,  tongue  and  throat,  Cal's
doubts  were  blown  away.  The  orgasm  that  had  been
just beyond his reach crashed over and through him like
a hurricane.
As the sensations slowly ebbed, Cal became aware of
the languid heavy weight holding him contentedly. Jade,
passive  and  limp.  Quite  the  surprise  when  Cal  had
expected  another  ferocious  round  of  lust.  Not  that  he
wasn't  satisfied,  but  the  dragon  hadn't  allowed  him  to
return  any  of  the  sex.  He'd  only  been  able  to  accept
every pleasure that Jade had offered.
"Jade?"
Their  gazes  connected.  Jade's  eyes  glittered  just  as

much as before, but now the look was softer, less dark
and  dangerous  and  more...  Could  he  call  that  look
weak?  Needy?  Not  quite,  but  somewhere  between
there and content.
"Are you okay, Jade?"
"Hmm, yeah. Just tired." His head turned and snuggled
against Cal's flank. "Just let me rest a while." His arms
tightened around Cal's waist.
Cal dragged a pillow under his head and made himself
comfortable. Jade cuddled up like a hungry kitten. Felt
pretty  damn  good,  too.  He  petted  the  long  hair  back
from  Jade's  face.  The  dragon  relaxed  more  and  more
with every stroke. A low purr vibrated through them for
a while and then even that calmed.
Sometime  later,  Cal  felt  the  bed  shift  under  him.  He
blinked open his eyes to dim light filtering in through the
windows.
"Cal? Hey, Cal, wake up."
What a sweet way to wake up with Jin's voice quietly
calling his name. Cal blinked again. Wait... Jin's voice?
He forced his eyes to focus.
Jin  leaned  over  him.  Even  with  his  long  dark  hair

partially covering Jin's face, the worried expression was
still clear. And so was the confusion that lurked behind
the dark fringed lashes.
Oh shit. They were naked in bed together. Him and Jin.
And  Jin  probably  didn't  remember  anything  from  the
nighttime.  Hell,  he  probably  didn't  even  know  Jade
existed,  let  alone  the  deal  Cal  had  made  with  the
dragon.
This was going to take one hell of an explanation...

L. Shannon

L. Shannon, the author, came into existence in June of
2004.  Shannon's  always  been  a  reader  and  lover  of
books,  but  never  considered  writing  until  one  night
when she ran out of books to read. She began writing
that  very  night  as  the  first  line  of  defense  in  a  battle
against insomnia. Her writing has steadily grown into a
full-out war against reality. Her friends kindly say reality
never stood a chance.
Shannon  currently  has  more  than  twenty-five  available
works and more coming soon. The L. Shannon novels
have  expanded  to  fill  an  entire  world  with  paranormal
wonders  including  Valàfrn  werewolves,  Tascryn
demons,  blood-sucking  vampires,  sexy  selkies  and
many,  many  more.  Be  careful  if  you  choose  to  enter
Shannon's  hunk-filled  world. You  may  find  the  stories
as addictive as Shannon does and never wish to leave.
In  the  time  Shannon  doesn't  spend  writing,  she  keeps
busy  by  bothering  her  husband,  showing  dogs  and

Amber Quill Press, LLC

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Erotica...& more!

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