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Something in my brain is screaming at me to wake up. Before I get a chance to open my eyes, I feel a hand on my body. A warm and greedy hand is down my shirt and is cupping my breast. They are squeezing and pinching my nipple. The sound of what I can only assume is them jerking off. “If you get come on me, I’ll cut it off,” I say flatly.

I opened my eyes. I see that it is not a fox. It is a security guard. He promptly grabs me by the face and forces his way down my throat. I want him to just go away so I speed up the process by sucking him down and making him groan loudly. He pins me in the corner of the car as he brutally fucks my throat. I continue to suck on him. He is still taking too long, so I cup his balls and squeeze slightly. His moans get louder before he finally starts to come. He pushes his way down my throat, forcing me to drink every drop of him as it pours down my throat.

“You got what you want. Go away,” I snap at him. He chuckles and walks out of the car. Asshole.

I lean my head against the window and watch the morning light pour into the train car as we approach the capital city of Mirstone. It warms my skin and brings a semblance of peace over me for a moment. I don’t have many happy moments in my life, but sitting in the warmth of the sun is the closest thing to pure bliss that I’ve ever felt. I feel closer to nature when I’m sitting in the sunlight like this.

When Zypher didn’t have me preoccupied with something or someone else, I would sit in the sun. He knew that if he couldn’t find me inside, I was always in the backyard somewhere sitting by myself. It was surrounded by a huge privacy fence, so he didn’t make a big deal about me being out there. He always said it was weird that I did that but never interfered. I’ve spent the last five years of my life being relentlessly fucked by this man daily. You would think I would feel some type of way about leaving his home, but I don’t. I’m completely indifferent. I do not hate him, nor do I like him. He is just another shifter who uses me for my body. I can’t blame him for that, he as well as everyone else was taught that witches are bad and should be killed while foxes are to be fucked and not trusted. I would like to think that Zypher trusted me though. He never questioned me or blamed me for anything that I didn’t do. He was never the one to say that I was causing issues because he knew that he was the one causing issues. He just didn’t defend me when everyone else would call me a home-wrecker, even though he was the one having these men line up to fuck me. I’m not the one who would force them then go against their mate to fuck another. I didn’t want any of that bullshit anyway.

When I see that we are approaching the train station, I stand up and grab my bags. I am assuming someone will be there to greet me. They would never let me aimlessly walk around the Capital city. They would see that as a recipe for disaster if a fox was allowed to just walk freely. Gods forbid people look past the ignorant stereotypes of fox shifters.

The train comes to a stop and people start filing out. I am in no rush, so I wait until I am almost the last one before stepping out. I am immediately greeted by two men.

“Lilith?” the taller one asks with a gruff tone.

“That’s me,” I say.

“We are here to escort you to Rinas Manor,” he says, motioning for me to walk with them. They stand on either side of me and glance over every few seconds as if I’m going to run away. Once we get out of the train station, they take me to a car and have me sit in between them as another man drives. They are all deadly silent. I’m not used to being around people who are silent and don’t try to touch me. It’s nice, but it’s also a very clear sign that this is going to be a lot more intense than I’m expecting. There are only so many reasons why they would be minding their manners. The number one reason would be they are forbidden to touch me. I am supposed to service the three kings. In turn, they are going to be extremely possessive over who touches me. Unless they are like Zypher, then I’ll probably get raped on the car ride over. Even though they have not claimed me, they will still forbid anyone from doing anything to me until they have made their decision.

We pull past a gate and past the large stone walls surrounding the property is an enormous home. Mansion doesn’t even cover this place. The property has a large, well-manicured garden. It looks to be a walking area. As we stop in front of the house, I see the very edge of a stone bench just inside the entrance to the garden. The rest of the property is freshly cut grass with a few trees sporadically planted throughout the courtyard.

The house itself is just as gorgeous as the property. There are three large stone sculptures in front of the house. In the center, there is a stone dragon, to its left is a bear on its hind legs, and to its right is a panther crouching down, as if it’s about to pounce.

The men walk me around the house to where there are stairs leading to a basement. “You are forbidden from leaving this room until you are escorted out. Do you understand?” the larger man asks.

“Yes, Sir,” I say. He gives me a strange look, so I give him a strange look back. I don’t know if he’s shocked that I didn’t argue with him or the fact that I called him sir. Shifters, more often than not, act the way they are treated, so foxes often do not show respect. The way I look at it, if I show respect I get more freedom. If they know they can trust me, my life is easier.

The man who has not spoken a word the entire time opens the door, and motions for me to go into the room. When I step in with my bags, they slam the door behind me, and I hear the deadbolt click into place. Five women about my age turn and look at me. Their initial reaction is a mixture of sorrow and nervousness.

“You are from Midavor, yes?” one girl asks.

“I am,” I say simply.

“I am from Woricsing,” she says. “My name is Elenora.”

“My name is Lilith,” I say. “So… I assume we are all here for the same reason?”

“You mean the three devils choosing which one of us to fuck to death?” she asks. I look at her in shock. I’ve never heard anything that negative about them before.

“You do know who the three kings are, right?” another girl asks.

“I mean. I know they are the kings. I know their names, but I’ve never actually seen them before. I was in the same orphanage for my entire life. When I turned eighteen, I was placed with a city council member in Midavor. He kept me on the property for five years and I only ever left twice. I don’t get out much.”

“They go through fox shifters every few weeks. This last girl only lasted a week,” Elenora says.

“What? Why?” I ask.

“They’re killing them,” she says. “Why do you think you were escorted here? Literally, none of us want to be here. It’s a death sentence.”

“Wow,” I say after a second. “Are they getting shift-fucked? A Dragon can do some damage shifted, I would assume.”

“It’s not even that. They’re just massive and violent in general. They just get by with it because they are handsome, and they are the kings. No city council member, or mayor, or whatever, cares what they do. They would stop being assigned maidens if they were cycling through them that fast,” Elenora says. Everyone else is in complete and total shock. So, I guess Eleanora is the one they have elected as the talker.

“Oh, well… Call me suicidal, but it doesn’t really bother me,” I say.

“You are insane,” she says with a straight face, and I laugh, triggering her smile.

“Look… to me it is what it is. If I get denied here, I end up in a brothel. It’s the same result either way. At least this way I’d get to be in this house until they dick me to death,” I say as I move to sit in an empty chair.

The room is barren except for six chairs sitting in a line and facing a wall. I assume now that I am here, they will choose soon. Whatever they do, they need to hurry up. I’m hungry. I assume we are allowed to eat here. Otherwise, maybe that’s how they died, no food and too much sex.

We are all sitting silently with our bags at our feet. No one has given us instructions on what we are supposed to do so we just sit here and be good. They are likely watching and listening to us so there’s no need to rock the boat this early. The prospect of being fucked to death entertains me. If nearly forty men fucking me three or four times each could not kill me, I doubt three could. Hell, the other night I had double that, and it still didn’t phase me.

My stomach is growling loudly, and one girl huffs as if it’s my fault I haven’t eaten. I was given no time to bring anything, and they don’t feed fox shifters on the train. Normally when I am this hungry, I can do a spell to suppress that nauseating feeling I get, but it would bring too much attention to me. Now is not the time to be fucking around with my magia.

All of the women jump when the door clicks open but none of us turn around. If it’s the kings, there’s a good chance they don’t want us to actually look them in the eye. Instead, the larger man from earlier steps in front of us and we all look up.

“Get undressed and leave your belongings here,” he says simply. I stand to do as I’m told but the rest just sit there. “Good girl, Lilith. You all will understand what happens if you are not compliant.”

With that, they all jump up and do as they are told. I don’t know what the consequences of disobeying them are, but I didn’t plan on disobeying anyone anyway. A shifter’s sex doll is not the worst thing that could happen to me. I would much rather be fucked on a loop daily than be in the mines.

I am the first one undressed and the man points for me to stand at the base of the basement stairs. When the others are done, he has us lineup and has me last. I’m assuming my compliance is putting me at the end for a reason. Hopefully, it’s for a good reason and it’s not going to lead me into a world of shit. “Walk,” he says.

Elenora leads the line of us up the stairs. The rest seem uncomfortable with being naked. I’m getting the feeling that whoever they were placed with did not pass them around like I was. I guess that’s an advantage for me because I’m not stressed out. This is pretty tame compared to the things that Zypher has come up with to entertain himself and his friends. He’s psychotic, but he’s harmless for the most part.

If I get chosen, hopefully, they can handle my smart-ass mouth like Zypher could. I was never disrespectful, but I also did not back down when he would be a shithead to me. They seem to have a pretty tough reputation, so I may have to learn how to keep my mouth shut. Hopefully, they’ll let me walk the grounds. That garden is too beautiful to not be visited.

“You will be placed in a room where you will be blindfolded. The Three Kings will then come to visit your room. You are not to say a word unless they take your blindfold off or they speak directly to you. They will then immediately make decisions on whether you stay or go. If there is more than one of you left, they will have you go through a test to decide who stays and who goes,” the large man says. “Lilith, go down the hallway behind me and choose a room. When you get in there, put on the blindfold that is on the bed. Once you have it secured, face away from the door. The kings will start their rounds at the beginning of the hallway.”

“Yes, sir,” I say. He doesn’t react as shocked this time and simply watches me walk past him and down the hallway.

I want to be last, so I choose the room at the very end of the hallway. I grab the blindfold off of the bed and tie it into place before standing at the foot of the bed with my back to the door. I sense that this is the part where I end up bent over this bed when they come in.

I stand in the same spot for nearly an hour before the door finally opens. “Oh, she’s little,” I hear one man say.

“Yeah, she is short. Her ass is nice and round,” another man says as a hand squeezes my ass.

Someone turns me to face the door before hands cup my breasts, rubbing their thumbs over my nipples to make them hard. “These are what… D’s?” A third man asks.

“Oh, has to be,” the second one says.

“She’s so pale though,” the first one says. I accidentally let a laugh slip through, but I stop myself abruptly.

“Something funny?” the first man asks.

“I apologize,” I say respectfully. “It’s just that I like to spend my free time in the sunlight. Just ironic that I’m pale.”

“Jet black hair and pale white skin,” the second one says as he runs his fingers down my neck and chest, stopping short.

“Yes, sir,” I say.

“Sir?” the third one asks from behind me. They circle me like vultures, and it’s starting to make me uncomfortable.

“Would you prefer I call you something else?” I ask.

“Our names are fine. I’ve just never met a respectful fox shifter,” the third one says.

“Respectfully, I know your names, but I’ve never seen your faces. I’m also blindfolded, so you’ll be sir until I know who is who,” I say.

“You are the only one brave enough to talk to us,” the second one says. “The others are scared.”

“Yeah,” I smirk. “They are afraid of being chosen.”

“But you aren’t?” the third one asks, still behind me. I can feel his breath on my neck. Their presence is comforting, which is strange in itself. Adding their supposed history and the fact that they are the reason I cannot be my true self, I shouldn’t be calm. I should be angry.

“No. I’m not afraid,” I say.

“Why are they scared?” the first one asks. His voice is deeper than the rest. Even without seeing his face, his aura is practically screaming that he is the dragon shifter. Something in the way he talks gives him away. I can sense that he is much closer to me now.

The second one is quieter than the rest, so I am guessing he is the panther. He is quiet but likely extremely observant. That leaves the third to be the bear. He has been behind me the entire time, so he doesn’t like to be noticed. His presence will always be known, though.

“They told me that you all cycle through maidens fairly quickly,” I say simply.

“And their death doesn’t concern you?” the first asks.

“No. There is nothing the three of you could do to me that hasn’t already happened to me,” I explain.

“Where were you before you came here?” the second asks.

“In Midavor with Zypher Fallins. I was with him for five years, from the day I turned eighteen until yesterday,” I explain.

“Zypher is a wolf shifter. I find it hard to believe that a mutt like him could do much,” the first laughs.

“You’d think, until there are nearly forty of them,” I say. “Sometimes more.”

“He passed you to his entire pack?” the first asks.

“Yeah. The night after each full moon or any other time he felt like it,” I say. “The other night there was another pack visiting, so double.”

“And that didn’t harm you?” the second asks. I stop talking as I realize what they are closing in on. I let the calming effect they have on me make me careless. I didn’t even use magic, and I’m about to be discovered.

Deny. Deny. Deny

“Speak,” the first demands. I’ll take the punishment. I’m definitely not saying anything else.

“The less you say, the more it tells us,” the second tells me.

“It doesn’t harm me because I am a fox shifter. We are known to be able to take that level of abuse,” I say.

“Then shift,” the first one says with humor in his tone. My heart is nearly beating out of my chest as anxiety swirls inside of me. My hands are tingling as fear churns in my belly.

“It’s forbidden,” I say quieter.

“We will make an exception,” the third says in my ear. “Shift.”

“I’ve never shifted before,” I say, trying to stall.

“It comes naturally to you. If you can shift, you’ll know how to,” the second says.

“It’s forbidden,” I say again. I’m starting to repeat myself because I don’t know what else to say.

“Want to know what I think?” the first says as he pulls the tie on my blindfold. I immediately bow my head to avoid looking at him. He is standing so close to me that I can feel the heat of his body. The third is just as close behind me, and the second moves in to stand close to my right side.

“You’re a witch,” the first leans down and whispers in my ear.

“I am a fox shifter. It says so on my paperwork from the region I was born,” I say.

“Then shift,” the first says. “A simple miscommunication with a simple solution.”

“I can’t,” I say with my voice shaking. “I’ve never shifted.”

He lifts my chin, and I snap my eyes closed. Witches have a habit of their eyes changing colors when they are under stress. It’s just our body trying desperately to adapt to the threat. It’s the first thing that happens when closing in on something we know will be traumatic. I don’t know if I’ve reached that point, but if they see my eyes like that it will give me away.

“Look. At. Me,” he commends.

“I won’t,” I say in a whispered voice.

“Are you scared yet, witch?” The third asks, still close behind me.

“I am a fox shifter,” I lie again.

“Do you know what happens to a witch when they are in danger?” The first asks me.

“Their body tries to adapt,” I say, giving up on my attempt to remain undiscovered. Maybe if I’m lucky, they’ll have mercy on my soul, and I will be given a quick death.

“How?” the second asks.

“Their eyes change colors,” I whisper.

“What else?” The first asks.

“I don’t know.”

“Look at your body, Lilith. See what we see,” he says.

I look down and open my eyes. My chest and abdomen are covered with bright red markings. “Shit,” I say under my breath.

“Look at me,” the first says. I know I have no way out of this. I didn’t know the adaptation caused this. The one time it happened to me; I had clothes on.

I look up at him and when our eyes meet, I feel as if I’ve had the wind knocked out of me. I am staring at Daemon Asher, a dragon shifter, and I instantly feel an overwhelming pull to him. Every cell in my body is screaming at me to reach out and touch him. His shirt hardly contains his muscles as the fabric is stretched thin around his biceps. He has short, dark brown hair. His beard is neatly trimmed and styled. He is massive and fucking breathtaking.

“Fuck,” Daemon says, still staring at me.

“What’s going on? What happened?” The second says as he turns me to face him in an attempt to break our eye contact. Like a bat to the chest, I feel the same pull again as I’m faced with Callum Usoro, a bear shifter. My body is buzzing with electricity at the way he is staring me down. He is a large man whose rich, brown skin is tight around his powerful-looking body. He has shoulder-length locks and a full beard, neatly trimmed along his jaw.

Kael Willows, the panther shifter, grabs me and turns me to face him when Daemon and Callum take a step closer to me. Kael has jet-black hair pulled up into a bun. He is just as tall as the other two but slightly leaner. All three of these men are massive, strong, and bearded. They’re all staring at me like they want to fuck me to literal death. If they keep looking at me like this, I would be a willing participant in my own murder.

My fear of being killed overtakes the sudden connection I have with the three of them. I pull away to back myself in a corner and they just watch me. This can’t be happening. This has to be a nightmare. I can’t be the fated mate to the three kings.