I was roughly pulled to my feet, and quickly brought into the large room that connected to the passageway we were just in. I squinted as I adjusted to the harsh light from the middle of the room. It was as if they had captured a piece of the sun and put it into the glass ball in the center. I had a feeling that like the rest of this place, that light was magic as well. 

I was surprised to see so much magic in one place. Those who possess it were rare, and often enslaved for their skill. Most went into hiding hundreds of years ago. The rotting round wooden table, and chairs spoke of how old this place was. Which indicated that whoever made this place was long gone. 

Guards of all shape and sizes lined every inch of the dome room. Shrouded in black were Leon's, The ones in earth tones must be Damion's. I could only differentiate them between Edwin's human guards in purple because of the horns, tails, scales, fur, and other animal characteristics that some of them showed. 

I first saw King Edwin. He was a pudgy, short man who physically resembled a boar. He smiled at me with yellow teeth and a hungry look in his beady eyes. I made a note to steer clear of the man. 

Sitting next to King Edwin was King Leon. He beckoned me to him with his pointer finger and the guard released me. I heard a thud behind me, and knew they set Amber down near the entrance.  I swallowed hard, and kept my head down. I walked to King Leon on unsteady feet. I was started to feel the affect of starvation, and felt lightheaded. 

"Gentlemen, this is my Maya," announced King Leon as he grabbed me around the waist. I flinched at the touch and my body stiffened considering the only other times he had pulled me to him were to feed from me. 

"What did you do to her?" King Damion questioned. His voice was calm, but when I looked up his body was visibly tight with anger. 

Hard turquoise eyes met my own, and I softly gasped. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He had a large muscular frame, smooth olive toned skin, brown hair cut close to his scalp, and a strong jawline. When our eyes locked his nostrils flared and his breath hitched. I quickly looked at the table, and felt my cheeks warm. I didn't know a lot about shapeshifters, or werewolves, but I knew that their senses were heightened. He likely sensed my arousal, and that made me want to curl up and hide. 

"What do you mean?" Leon asked. He gripped me tighter and that was the only indication that he had seen the brief exchange between Damion and I. 

King Damion gritted out, "She looks like she's been beaten, and starved."

"What is the point of you asking what I've done to her if you already knew the answer?" Leon retorted. 

"You've beaten, and starved who you believe to be our salvation?" King Damion growled. I looked up and saw that he was trying to control the beast within him. His nails were extending and retracting as claws. Hair was forming, and then disappearing on his body. 

King Leon shrugged and pretended that he didn't feel the rage that was rolling off of the King to the left of him, "I promise her fate has been far better than my other slaves, and especially the one you see in the corner. She also resembles the woman. I've taken into account that one of them could be our hope, but that doesn't mean I will let acts of disobedience go unpunished."  

Damion watched as Leon pulled me into his lap. My stomach churned and I felt humiliated. I had needed to sit down because of my head, but this is not what I had in mind. A muscle ticked in Damion's jaw as Leon started rubbing circles with his cold thumb on my bare shoulder. I felt like I was involved in some battle between them that I didn't understand. 

Damion exhaled, and grumbled, "I need a moment." He got up and left the room via a different passageway than the one we used. I moved to get up, but the solid arm that Leon had snaked around my middle prevented me. 

Leon tucked a stray hair behind my ear, and I felt his hot breath on my neck. "This meeting is going better than expected. And, it's all thanks to you, pet," he murmured so that only I could hear. I said nothing and avoided looking at anything other than the table. I was uncomfortable, but didn't dare shift my weight in case it would cause an unwanted reaction from the King.  

King Edwin sniffled, "I have a proposition for you, my high king." He leaned close to us, and when he opened his mouth it smelled like death. 

"I'm listening," King Leon responded, but even with the flattery he already sounded uninterested. 

"While I have my scholars research your vision, let this girl stay at my castle. She'll be proof to my court that there is a real threat," bargained Edwin. He licked his chapped lips as he looked me up and down. 

Two deep voices simultaneously declared, "No." King Leon smirked at King Damion who now was walking back to his chair. There was a sharp glint in Leon's red eyes that led me to believe that he was the master, and we were all playing his game perfectly. 

"If anything she should come back with me. I have the most resources to figure out what's going on, and the most doubt that you aren't feeding me lies. Consider it a token of good will," stated Damion while he crossed his thick arms. 

Leon whispered into my ear, "Well, pet, looks like you're a hot commodity at the moment." Shivers ran down my spine as fear took ahold of me. I didn't like where any of this was heading, and with Leon there was always a certainty that it would not end in my favor. 

King Leon questioned, "Why should I be giving out one of my most prized possessions when the threat is nearing? Edwin you can help us in this fight, or die. That's my proposition for you, peasant. Damion, you can borrow one of the girls: Amber."

Damion argued, "Why would I take that one, when you obviously favor Maya. Give me Maya and I'll know that you're not hiding something. Otherwise, I'm not fucking helping you."

The two King's stared at each other, both of them unmoving. After a tense moment Leon sighed and said, "Fine. You will do well to remember that she belongs to me. We shall reconvene in half a fortnight, and if I don't get my pet back there will be a far worse threat than death to your kingdom." 

Damion looked like he was ready to keep arguing, but swallowed his pride instead. They moved on to discussing what assets they had. All three King's offered up enough information to get an idea, but never exact numbers. 

While they spoke I tried to imagine why the werewolf King would want me.