The Luna Choosing Game

Linda was not that person.

Yet.. the King’s threats kept me from saying as much.

“That’s not the way the world works, Piper. At least not within the palace walls.” He faced the balcony railing, and looked out into the darkness. “If playing this game with Linda keeps you and Elva here and

safe, then that is as good a reason as any for me to follow through.”

I absolutely hated that I had no other choice but to let him.

“I’ll respect your wishes in this,” he said, “Whatever you want is what I’ll do.”

He had to do it, or the King might have me killed. All I had to do was tell him so, even though I truly

didn’t want to.

If I was alone in this world, I would tell him to turn her down flat. As it was, I had Elva. Elva needed her

mother. I couldn’t afford to be reckless with her care in jeopardy.

Yet the words he waited for did not come easily. I tried several times but could not force myself to say

them.

a few agonizing minutes, I said, “We should think

use it.”

tilted his face toward me. The moonlight reflected in his eyes, and they

see him like this made me want to scream. With how she was

to have him, even for one evening. Certainly

an answer the night before the challenge,” he said. He was giving me time then.

I hadn’t realized that

I said, and

practiced my smile, we returned to the party. The orchestra had

by now, and the King had finished with his private audiences. The King and Queen were

in their

had begun dancing on the floor with some of the honored

attend tonight. Most were personal friends of

were also present

up the ratings,”

during the elimination ceremony. When he spotted Nicholas and me, he ditched her

move.

upset, as Julian’s Beta Brian immediately guided her into the waiting arms of another single dancer. For him to have acted so quickly,

out he