The Luna Choosing Game

“How long did you wait, Piper? A week? Two? It couldn’t have been long.”

He sounds like he’s jealous. Or was that an illusion? He doesn’t care about me and is just mad at me.

Maybe the latter is more logical.

His dark eyes burned into me, leaving my heart in scorched tatters. Never in a thousand years would i

have thought Nicholas would be so vicious to me.

“It wasn’t like that.” I said, to try to defend myself.

He crossed his hands over his chest. He wasn’t going to listen to me,

“Why even come here?” he asked me.

“My application was selected…”

“Why even apply? Were you trying to get to me?”

“No,” I said.

“Maybe you regret your child’s father. Maybe you want me back.” He laughed once, bitterly. “Like you

have a chance.”

The words sliced into me as surely as if he’d been holding a knife. He had changed since I’d known him.

Three w

years ago, he’d been kind and patient. I’d given him my heart and he’d gently cradled it. So many

nights, we’d laid under the stars, trading kisses and stories.

Once, when he’d spent all night looking at me, I had told him, “You’re missing the

starlight.”

He’d replied, “I can see it in your eyes.”

The man before me now was nothing like the one I had known. The man here was arrogant, indifferent. and imposing in how he carried himself.

Breaking up with him had never been something I wanted to do. It hurt me still, thinking upon it, so I had tried to push it to the back of my thoughts

for Elva, that I could successfully

him now and seeing what he had become, brought all those feelings crashing back

+15 BONUS

now that I couldn’t help but wonder if I was misremembering the past. Maybe he’d never been kind. Maybe I had been too naïve

wasn’t that

you want,” I said, adding some bite to my own voice. The hurt made it easier.

mistake, and

ran along my spine. “You are the only woman who ever

and left me, then, walking out into the sitting room, and then out into the parlor. I thought he might slam the door behind him, as enraged as

Elva continued resting, undisturbed.

hate

a cruel, insensitive bastard but he liked children. He’d been

to hate

to my knees beside the

different world, maybe Elva would have been our child. If we had stayed together, maybe he would have revealed his secret in time.

was a

reality was very far from these golden fixtures and

I needed to go home and look for another job, as soon

I

was so drained, from the trip, from seeing Nicholas

quickly, my own eyes

me Excuse

open

official hovered over me. I beg your pardon, miss, but the King Luna, and princes

rubbed the sleep from my eye. “Wait, there’s

he was already disappearing out of the room. He left the

couch, watching me with curious eyes. “Is it time for more pretty

softest smile. It is. We have to be quiet though, okay? No one can talk when the

Luna are talking.”

“Okay”

into my arms and camed

the royal family was standing atop some

The three princes flanked

bills in my purse. He was pale with hollowed

voice camed far, like he was accustomed

crowd and gaining their attention “Congratulations

pleased by your presence and look forward to becoming more acquainted

and whispered something