"Val's a very sweet man."
Z hooted with laughter.
"What?" He didn't know why the other man found him amusing.
"Val isn't a sweet guy. He's known as one of the coldest bastards in the kingdom."
Anger tore through Jory, hot and unexpected. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my friend like that."
Z held up his hands. "Sorry. I didn't realize you were so attached to him."
Only extensive practice in controlling his emotions made it possible for Jory to bottle his rage. Taking a deep breath, he didn't speak until he felt the angry tide recede. "Neither did I."
Before either man could say anything more, it was Jory's turn to step up to the registration table.
"Code." The man who spoke, an older gentleman with peppered hair and an abrupt manner, had the build and posture of a lifelong soldier. His eyes remained focused on the monitor on the table, his hands poised to type.
"What?"
"Code."
"It should be in your paperwork," Z offered.
"Oh." Jory reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the folded sheet his father's secretary had given him. "12235."
The man glanced up and simply stared, his task forgotten as his fingers hovered over the keyboard.
When it had gone on for over a minute, Z laughed. "Frest, I think you need to finish registering Jory here. Val was most intent on getting him signed up for the hunt."
Frest shook his head. "Sorry." A light flush covered his tanned cheeks, and his eyes widened. "You prefer men?"
Jory nodded.
There were noises of disappointment in the line behind him. Jory pretended not to hear.
Frest turned his attention back to the monitor, his skin flushing redder as he punched in the code. "Ah, here you are, Joriah." He grabbed a piece of paper off the stack to his left. "Here's a list of rules for you to refer to, but I'll tell you the main ones. A mate hunt participant must not share last names, personal information, titles, or any information that might tell of their wealth or family position. That is in order to level the field so mates are chosen for compatibility and not money."
Jory nodded. It couldn't be more perfect. The rules should help him find a man who wanted him, not for his family's wealth and power, but for himself. He hoped he'd already found him in Val, but there were no guarantees. He needed more exposure around Val and other potential mates, though he'd never felt the level of connection he felt with Val with anyone before.
"Participants are to make themselves available to other participants for the purpose of mating and conversation. You can't have a proper hunt if no one comes out of their room. You'd be surprised how many people get here and are afraid to meet anyone. First time participants must have sexual interactions with at least two potential mates. You must learn their first name and registration number so you can properly register your mating. Remember the more people you meet the greater your chances are of finding the perfect one. At the official unveiling, you will remove your shirt, and if the god Borl has decided to match you, a mark will appear on your body and a corresponding one will appear on your mate. If you've mated with a shifter, a mark will appear on your back within forty-eight hours, however your mating won't be considered official until the ceremony where all mates are recognized."
"What kind of mark?" Jory asked, his mind racing. He didn't like the idea of having sex with someone other than Val. His stomach churned as he thought of someone else touching him. The armband felt as binding as the wedding band he'd heard other societies used. However, since he'd agreed to participate in the hunt, he couldn't back out of it now.
"Your mark will represent your mate. If your mate is a dragonkin then it will be a tattoo of the dragon he transforms into. If not, then it will be something that represents his life. I have a tree on my back because my mate is a woodworker and she has a sword on hers because I come from a long line of warriors."
"Wow." Jory wondered if Val was dragonkin, but remembering the fangs impaling his shoulder, he kind of thought he must be, or at least some kind of shifter. He wondered what kind of mark he would leave on his mate's back. Damn, he hoped he got to exchange marks with Val.
"Do you understand these rules?"
Jory nodded.
"Have you had intercourse with Val?"
Blushing, he nodded. Memories of his hot encounter with Val sent added heat through his body.
"His registration number is 552," Z piped up. When Jory gave him a curious look, he explained. "You keep the same number until you find your mate. Val and I tried mating last year, but it didn't work out."
Jory waited for jealousy to hit, but there was nothing. It wasn't like Z and Val appeared to care for one another. When the two men met, there was no romantic or sexual behavior in their greeting.
