The Luna Choosing Game

It had been three days since Boss made his proposition: either I sleep with him or I get fired.

I needed one more day’s pay to cover Elva’s most recent bill. Once I had that, I could resign and hopefully find something else.

Boss trailed his eyes down the length of my body. Staring openly at my breasts, he licked his lips. “Don’t think I won’t, Piper. I’ll be waiting for you.”

In the restaurant, all of the female patrons talked excitedly about the selection. To cater to them, Boss turned all of the televisions on the walls to the royal consort ceremony broadcast.

“Which one do you think is the most handsome?” asked one patron to her friends.

They’d ordered a plate of loaded nachos to share. I carefully placed it in the center of their table.

Another girl spoke quickly. “Are you kidding? The others are cute, sure, but Nicholas is obviously the hottest.”

The other girls quickly agreed.

Startled, I hovered at their table. They were right, of course. Nicholas was the most objectively attractive, but to hear people talk about him so casually still surprised me.

For three days, I’d tried to reconcile in my mind that the Nicholas I had known was also the eldest prince of the kingdom. But I still couldn’t quite manage it.

Nicholas had always been proper. But a prince?

“Piper, is it?” one of the girls at the table asked me. I jumped, realizing I was still standing there. Yet before I could apologize, she asked me, “Which one do you think is the most handsome?”

“Nicholas,” came my automatic answer. “Excuse me.”

Embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming, I forced myself to focus on work. And I succeeded – until I heard Nicholas’ voice come from the speakers.

“The kind of woman I’d prefer?” Nicholas said. “Someone loyal. Strong. Even tempered. And she has to like to children.”

“Check, check, and check,” came a voice from the table of girls. “He’s describing me! It’s meant to be.”

“Dream on. He’s clearly describing me.”

“You don’t even like kids!”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see which of us make it through the preliminary selection. Then you’ll see!”

interviewer. “Children, hm? Does that mean we can expect you

were guarded. “It’s my duty as a prince to continue the lineage.

in delight. “He’d

camera, and for a moment, it seemed as if he was staring straight

My heart ached.

again, looking at the interviewer, and immediately, I felt foolish. Of

probably hadn’t thought of me

over my heart, hoping to soothe

on him. Sure, I hadn’t dated anyone else since, but that didn’t mean anything. I’d been too busy

had Elva, and I had Anna.

went back to retrieve it. When I

is something that the royal family is investigating with the utmost seriousness. This illegal trade of wolves and their gifts is dangerous for

the plate of food

silenced at once, all eyes

wolf, weakens

of the other waitresses hissed at me,

and ruined food. “I’m sorry.” I quickly set to cleaning it. As I did, I cursed myself so loudly in my thoughts, I couldn’t hear

worn down and exhausted. After my accident, I pushed myself as

not even

I wouldn’t be on the list. Why even bother

sink. After washing away a particularly stubborn clump of food from a plate, I noticed

clean the stove, or prep for tomorrow. Almost always, he was the last to leave at night. But

they would clean the dining room. The lights in the dining

I was alone.

puff of hot air brushed the back of my exposed neck. The stench of alcohol permeated the

around, ready to knock Boss over

a moment too late. Boss had been expecting the

knocked the plate onto the

around my waist, he pressed his hips hard to mine, wedging

I was trapped.

of my shirt, revealing my lacey white bra. He pressed

within me, I struggled against him. He

have the