My Asian Dragon: A BWAM Romance Story (3 page)

"It
is a.... hereditary position," Longwei replied. "My father
passed away two years ago, when I was thirty. While I am young for
the job, the villagers have confidence in the work I have done so
far."

Joy
shook her head. "Wait a second. How is it you speak such fluent
English? Yesterday almost everyone my team and I talked to barely
made sense in Chinese, and only a few of the little kids tried any
English at all. I mean, you have a slight accent, but your words are
perfect."

Longwei
smiled softly as he climbed to his feet. As he did, Joy was impressed
at the cat-like grace and strength evident in his body. He was
wearing typical peasant garb, a form fitting pair of pants and simple
t-shirt, both of which rippled with lean muscles as he moved. "The
children have unfortunately not taken to their lessons in English as
much as I had hoped, but I am happy they tried. As for myself, my
father felt it was important that I get a well rounded international
education in order to be the best leader for my people possible. So,
when I was a high school student, he sent me to New Zealand for
international high schooling, and later I attended the University of
Oregon. I graduated with a Master's Degree in International
Relations, with a minor in Business."

"Wow.
I'm impressed."

Longwei
smiled, and Joy felt a pleasant warmth in her chest at the sight. She
suddenly noticed one other thing about Longwei. His eyes were a light
hazel gold. Every other Chinese person she had met so far had
naturally brown eyes, most being so dark they almost seemed black.
The image was both sexy and unsettling at the same time. "Now
that I have introduced myself, I would like to know more about you."

"Well,
my name's Joy Roberts, and I'm twenty six. I'm a reporter for the
Asian Economic Review
,
and for the past six months I've been working in Shanghai."

"I
see. So what brings you to my village? And who were the other three
people with you yesterday?"

Joy's
reporter instincts kicked in. She knew when she was getting probed
for information, she had done it enough over the years of study. "How
about you tell me just what the hell it was I saw last night
instead?"

Longwei
tilted his head, and Joy couldn't tell if he was pleased or angry at
her response. "A trade, then. You tell me, and then I tell you."

Joy
thought it over. "Okay. I came to your village because my main
assignment for
AER
concerns trying to track down and investigate the connections between
the government and the Triad. One of the people with me is a
missionary who heard a story from one of his newer converts that this
village is a big no-go zone for the Triads, and even the central
government seems to tread very softly around these parts. I came with
the missionary and two of his members who were acting as translators.
In case you didn't know, your village dialect is very difficult to
understand."

"It
is," Longwei replied. "Another thing I would modernize, but
these sorts of changes take time. Besides, there are advantages to
not being understood by outsiders."

"Of
which I am one," Joy replied. "Now, I told you what I'm
doing. Your turn. What was it I saw?"

"What
did you think you saw?" Longwei asked.

"What
I saw was something that shouldn't exist. Perhaps it was the
moonlight, maybe I had some bad food, but I swore I saw a dragon,
straight out of a wall painting or ancient scroll, tracking a man
through a field. When I yelled, the dragon turned to come after me,
and I took off running. I fell, and I saw you last night. I woke up
here."

"Yes,
after you passed out I decided that perhaps I had been a bit too
harsh, and scared you too much," Longwei said regretfully. "I
brought you inside the temple and set you in the bed you are in now.
I apologize that the sheets are now dirty, but I did not think you
would appreciate me undressing you."

The
image of Longwei undressing her flashed through Joy's mind, and with
it came another wave of pleasant warmth. She shook her head, it had
been far too long since she'd had a date. "Thank you for the
consideration. But you still didn't answer my question."

"You're
right, I haven't," Longwei said. "To give you the answer
you want would take a long time. Would you care for some breakfast,
and perhaps a walk? I would like to introduce you properly to my
village. Along the way, I will tell you what I can."

Breakfast
was very simple, and in the Chinese style, but Joy found it tasty.
There was a simple rice porridge, along with some grilled vegetables
and tea. "I know it is not as filling as you are used to,"
Longwei said, "but it is all grown here in the village."

"No,
I thank you, it's delicious," Joy replied. "After reporter
food, street food, and MRE's for two nights, I'm happy to have
something fresh."

"Thank
you. Shall we look at the village?"

As
they walked around, Joy noticed a marked difference from yesterday.
Today, everyone she met seemed smiling and happy to see her. Perhaps
it was because she was with Longwei, but it still made the village a
much nicer place to be. Around noon, they returned to the temple,
where Longwei had lunch waiting for them. "What did you think of
this morning?" he asked as he poured her a cup of green tea.

Joy
thought for a few moments before replying. "I'll be honest, it's
much different than yesterday. And it was interesting to see how all
the people acted towards you."

"They
are a very kind group of people."

"It
wasn't just that," Joy retorted. "They really looked like
they respected you. More than just as a village politician."

"Well,
in a village this size, politics are a simple matter. I hope I am not
just a politician."

Joy
nodded. "Speaking of which, you never did get around to
answering my questions about what I saw last night. Longwei, what did
I see?"

Longwei
looked at her levelly, and Joy had the distinct feeling she was being
evaluated for something. It was a strange feeling, and one she hadn't
felt since her days at Georgetown. Finally, Longwei set his tea
aside, and looked her in the eyes. "You saw me training."

"Excuse
me?"

Longwei
sighed and stood up. He paced the room, his hands clasped behind his
back before answering. "I know this will sound insane, but what
you saw was real. I come from a long line of men who have been able
to transform their bodies into a dragon. According to family legend,
at one time those of my bloodline numbered in the thousands."

"And
are there others like you in the village?" Joy asked, not
believing but playing along. Longwei noticed her tone, but decided
not to react to her disbelief.

"No,"
he said, smiling his mysterious smile again. "I'm the only one.
In fact, I may be the last of my kind left in the world. Again, tales
my father told me say there is another blood line of the dragon, but
our family lost contact with them centuries ago. From what my father
said, they may be different than us anyway."

"How
so?"

"Well,
just as there are different mythological forms of the dragon, I think
the other bloodline may resemble the European myth style more.
Considering what I've seen in my travels, the chances are great."

"What
do you mean?"

"I
am not the only shape shifter I have met," Longwei said. "I've
met others. Some types are more prevalent than others."

"And
just what have you met?"

Longwei
shook his head. "Sorry, but that would violate their privacy."

Joy
nodded. "You must realize Longwei, as nice as you are, it's a
lot to believe that you are some sort of were-dragon shape shifter."

"I
know," Longwei said. "Would you like to see, then?"

"You
won't try and eat me?"

Longwei
laughed. "No. Unlike what the movies might say about werewolves,
I retain my mind when I change. I am in control of my actions fully."

"Well,
I guess the proof is in the pudding, as they say."

"Speaking
of which, would you like some pudding for dessert tonight? We can
have rice pudding made."

Joy
shook her head. "You're stalling, Longwei."

Longwei
sighed, and started taking off his clothes. Joy stood up, shocked.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?"

Longwei
chuckled. "You did not think my clothes changed with me, did
you?"

"But,
you were wearing something last night."

"Yes,
a long robe. I keep one by the corner of the temple. If you had been
able to see clearly, you would have seen me wearing what looks
something like a long poncho. It wasn't even belted."

"And
you can't wear one now because?"

"Because
it's dirty and in the wash," Longwei said. "Come now,
you've never seen a man naked before?"

Joy
blushed. Longwei had already removed his shirt, and she could see how
fit he was. He wasn't bulky muscular, but still very lean, with
cleanly defined muscles that lined his torso. She had seen more
defined men in her life, but never in person, and most of the
pictures she had seen were bodybuilders or fitness models. Longwei's
muscles and definition was natural, and much more graceful. Part of
her mind wondered how the rest of him would look.

"If
you are uncomfortable, I can turn around," Longwei said
playfully, reaching for the cord tying his pants.

Part
of Joy wanted him to drop his trousers right there, curious as to
what she might find. But another part of her was shy, and didn't want
to look so slutty. "Please do," she said with a tinge of
regret, covering her eyes. "And perhaps I should do this until
you begin to change?"

Longwei
laughed, and turned around. Joy kept her eyes covered, but curiosity
got the best of her, and she peeked between her fingers to see. While
Longwei kept his word and kept his back turned, the parts she did see
warmed more than just her blood, as a surge of heat went through her
body that she hadn't felt in a while. Longwei's back and legs were
just as attractive as his chest and arms, and she could feel herself
wanting to touch and see what those muscles would feel like under her
fingers.

"I'm
ready to change now," Longwei said quietly, "give me a few
seconds, and you can open your eyes."

Through
her fingers, Joy watched as Longwei's body started to darken in tone,
the pale yellow caramel of his skin turning darker, his legs and back
becoming a dark forest green before his body seemed to ripple. "Look
now," Longwei said, his voice turning gravelly.

Joy
dropped her hands as Longwei turned around. The rest of the
transformation was difficult for her to see, it happened so quickly.
His arms and legs shortened, and his back seemed to lengthen, until
he was almost fifteen feet long, with his legs and arms being not
much more than short stumps, ending in four toed claws. His face also
changed, his hair becoming the fringe of his head, which also
stretched to look like a mythological dragon's. The only thing that
didn't change on him was his eyes, which were the same intelligent
yellow hazel they had been before.

Joy
stood up, amazed at the sight before her. She had expected to feel
fear, but instead she was left with a sense of wonder at the dragon
before her. Longwei exuded a sense of majestic peace and power, and
she felt herself drawn to him as he looked down at her from his head
which was now eight feet off the ground. "Is that really you in
there?" she asked. Longwei nodded his head. "Can you speak
in this form?"

No,
but in certain instances I can use my mind to communicate,
Longwei said in her mind, causing Joy to gasp.
I
am surprised however at how quickly I am able to do so with you.

"Why
is that?"

Because
normally it takes a long amount of time. The nature of my powers is
not fully understood to me, sadly my father died before I knew
everything. Let me transform back, and I will explain.

"I'll
wait outside," Joy said, walking out of the room. While she was
curious, she was more flustered by the feelings inside her. She had
never felt such an intense attraction to a man so quickly before.
Sure, she had her club days, when she had played the scene, but she
was never a one night stand type. She had always wanted to form a
relationship, to find out more about a guy before she let her
feelings get physical. But with Longwei, ever since he had taken off
his shirt all she could think about was how attractive he was. It
scared her, honestly.

Longwei
came out about a minute later, his t-shirt and pants back on,
although he hadn't yet put his socks back on. "Sorry if I
surprised you," Longwei said. "It surprised me, and it came
so naturally. I do not know why."

"That's
okay," Joy replied. "I think anyone would be surprised by
what you showed me."

Longwei
sighed. "Which leaves me in a difficult position."