The Luna Choosing Game

The next day, during the barbecue held in the gardens, Elva finally got her wolf ride. Nicholas helped her up onto the massive wolf Night, who then trotted slowly around the field under Nicholas’s watchful eyes.

Confined to my wheelchair, I stayed on the patio, not wanting to take my chair into the grass on the chance of getting stuck. It had been embarrassing enough yesterday, having Nicholas haul me around. I didn’t want a repeat performance.

It was a little lonely so near the door, while everyone else was out in the gardens, but I was happy to

watch from afar.

Eventually, Silver came over to see me. She let me scratch the top of her head, and licked.

“Thank you, Silver, for yesterday,” I told her. “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you.”

my hand.

She chuffed at me. I wished I knew what she was trying to say. She didn’t seem to mind, though. She just lowered her big wolf head into my lap and made herself comfortable.

“Interesting how the only person who can’t talk to wolves is the one who made the best friend of one.”

Julian sauntered toward me, moving slowly like he hadn’t a care in the world. I had parked myself near a stone bench in case anyone wanted to chat with me. He plopped himself down there now.

deadly.” I scratched between her ears. She closed

friend.”

at the other girls standing in the garden. Their companion wolves had all mostly abandoned them. Instead, they played amongst themselves out in the

join them, enjoying the company of

colleagues.

mere tools, not as living breathing creatures with their own

thoughts and opinions.”

you have everything, you take certain things for

I remembered what it had been like in my academy days.

the world was at my fingertips, it had been so easy to almost–forget the needs of

hummed. “You are something

are used to. The novelty of me

glanced at me sideways.

Nicholas glanced in our direction. His face immediately hardened and

glared.

ignore him. I knew Nicholas had warned me about Julian being a playboy, but he wasn’t hitting

Julian said, snaring my full attention.

“What?”