Now, after tasting his lover, Val knew he'd need a gentler touch with the man he planned on claiming as his own. Unlike the tough fighters usually sharing the duke's bed, not even one callus marred his mate's beautiful hands. Jory's looks, manner, and clothing spoke of a man used to the finer things in life. Not the type of man who usually appealed to Val, but after the best sex of his life, he was willing to give this soft-spoken, fabulous-smelling man anything he wanted as long as Jory stayed by his side.
Val unwound himself from Jory's arms, careful not to disrupt his bed partner but determined to get another look. Damn. The gods must have loved Val above all others the day they'd made Jory. None of his previous lovers came close to the eye-catching looks of this one, but despite Joriah's innate beauty, it was his eyes that initially caught and held Val's attention. They were blue-silver, like a dragon's underbelly, a striking color. Somewhere in this young man's genetic background lived something not entirely human, which only made him more desirable. Val loved the exotic… and he'd found him first.
A low chuckle escaped his lips when he imagined the look in his rival's eyes. King Raiston was going to have dragon kits when he got a look at Val's new mate.
The king's wandering eye loved beauty, and they often competed for lovers. Val slid a finger across the smaller man's shoulder, feeling for the mark he'd left behind. A frown crossed his face as nothing but smooth skin met his fingertips.
Where in the dragon fire was his mark?
Val sat up, pinning Jory onto the bed while he searched for the mating mark he knew he'd left behind during their hot sexual encounter.
"Wha-what's wrong?" One bleary silvery-blue eye peeked up at him.
"You're not marked."
His eyes cleared as Jory sat up. "What do you mean I'm not marked?"
"I marked you with my teeth when we had sex. It's not there."
Jory shrugged; he didn't look the least surprised. "I healed."
"No one heals that quickly."
Jory met his eyes, serious as death. "I do. I'm a fast healer."
Huh. The mate hunt rules prevented him from asking further questions. Nothing personal could be discussed until the mating mark revealed itself. It prevented prejudice against certain classes.
"I'm going to have to find another way to claim you," Val decided. The gorgeous man couldn't wander around unmarked while a mate hunt raged through the city. He'd be snatched up before he took a step outside the spaceport.
Thinking rapidly, Val snapped off his left armband. It bore an impression of his house and rank and would mark Jory as his to anyone who looked. Val wrapped it around Jory's left arm. The technology inside the band adjusted to his mate's smaller size before clicking into place. Embedded with a family identi-chip, the band would only disengage with Val's fingerprints. Anyone looking at the band would know he was the duke's property. Wise men would steer clear of his lover.
Satisfied, Val lay down and wrapped his new lover back in his arms.
Jory gave a chuckle. "Am I tagged appropriately now?"
"Yes."
In forty-eight hours, Val's DNA would merge with Jory's, and if they were true mates, a tattoo of his shifted dragon form would appear on Jory's back. Once the mark appeared, only death could separate them, a fact he didn't mention to the man cuddling beside him. He hoped Jory's healing ability didn't affect their mating bond, but even if it did, nothing would save Jory from being his, because once a dragonkin found his mate, nothing could part them.
A surge of possessiveness filled Val as he looked at the armband wrapped around Jory's biceps. Few would dare to try and steal him away after seeing Val's makeshift claim around the other man's arm. Technically, Jory still had two days after his first encounter to find another mate. When two men bit the same potential mate, they had to wait and see whose mark was chosen by the god Borl, matcher of dragon mates. The stronger match always won. After several seasons of watching his friends become matched, he'd begun to think he was unmatchable. One look at Jory changed his mind.
This man was the one.
Chapter Three
After cleaning up and redressing, the pair went outside the port to the hover-limo Val had standing by.
"Who are you?" Jory asked his new lover, looking around at the luxurious vehicle. With his father's wealth at his fingertips, Jory knew an owned limo when he saw one, not to mention the driver gave Val a familiar grin and called him by name.
"Uh, uh, uh." Val waggled his finger at him. "You're not allowed to ask questions during the mate hunt." Val sprawled on the seat beside him, his long legs stretched out in front of him in the roomy vehicle. His thick muscular thighs and the fabulous package between them made Jory's mouth water.
"Now is a good time to tell you the mate hunt rules."
"Hmmm." Jory had completely forgotten what they were talking about as his mind clouded with lust. In one graceful movement, he slid to his knees and started untying the laces on Val's soft leather pants.
"Oh fuck, honey. We really should talk."
"Uh-huh." Like any man would consider talking over getting a blowjob as a reasonable choice. "You go ahead and talk, I'll pretend I'm listening."
