Ruse

by Teshelle Combs

Amora of the Jade Heart Tree has a part to play among her green dragon clan. She’s supposed to move from being a jewel in her father’s treasure trove to being the mate of a new nest. The trade brings her father wealth and will earn her future mate a guardian for his trove. But what if Amora wants something more for her life? And what if it lies somewhere beyond the Woven Wall where humans and dragons live as one?

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2026

About the author

Teshelle Combs is the award-winning author of books like The Underglow and the First Collection.

She's well known for her fantasy romance standalones like The First Dryad, The First Stone, The First Nymph, and The First Flame. (Read in any order, listed in order of writing).

Tropes include enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, arranged marriage, twists & turns, and more.

Find TC @booksarebrightstars on TikTok.

Reviews

[Sefri Kuehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great addition to the Core series!! This was a very short, and fun read! We get to see what it’s like in the life of Green dragons, and how they do things. I’m really curious about what will come next for Amora and her “sister”.