The Luna Choosing Game

The fact was, for whatever the reason, he hadn’t revealed my secret yet. If I played his game, maybe he’d

continue to keep it.

I pressed my hand to his elbow and nudged him closer to the door, further from Elva. I didn’t want her to know the truth yet. We’d have our own conversation in time, when she was old enough to understand.

voice low, just in case, I confessed, “Elva isn’t mine.”

Julian’s perfect veneer finally cracked. His eyes widened for a few solid seconds before he recovered

himself. “Really?”

“She’s the daughter of my twin sister,” I said. The memories burned through my brain, painful and hot.”

sold my wolf to pay off Elva’s ransom.”

“She was being held for ransom?”

“My sister owed too much to so many people. They’d taken Elva as payment. They only gave me so

many days… I did what I had to do.”

practically see the cogs turning in his

to do with

a conclusion. “Have

and your wolf being

hadn’t. “What do

your sister with the implicit purpose of obtaining

surprised me into silence once more. My wolf had been strong, but to purposefully target my

and my power? That seemed so

to himself, then nodded. “Alright. I

I exhaled in relief.

for how long I’ll

the next inhale, my anxiety returned. He’d hold this

who knew what purpose.

indebted to Julian, and that knowledge brought me absolutely zero

you to investigate for yourself,” Julian said. “You might find there is some truth

perhaps it might ease

turned the words over in my mind, trying to decide if they were a threat or

Elva.

your family line, the child’s future

were, she might become the

as if he’d been talking

heard clearly the danger referenced. Weak as I was, I wouldn’t be able to protect Elva if those same people from the underground came for her,