The Luna Choosing Game

I pushed the horse as fast as she could go. My wolf was here, I could feel it.

But then, suddenly, it felt further away. It was leaving me!

In the driveway beyond the house, a car started to drive away. I pulled at the reins, guiding the horse in

that direction.

Faster, faster. We were going to lose it!

The horse huffed with each heavy exhale. Its hooves clattered against the concrete driveway. We followed the car as it pulled out onto the road, slipping straight through the rod–iron gate that had opened

for the car.1

Julian was right behind me. He’d stopped calling for me and instead now followed my lead.

We chased that car. The windows were tinted, I couldn’t see inside. But I knew my wolf was there. It was

so close, I could have cried.

But then the road reached a straight stretch, and the car accelerated to a faster speed than my horse

had any chance of matching.

The distance expanded, adding yard after yard, until the car was on the horizon line, and my horse was

slowing from exhaustion.

I watched the car go, even long after it was out of sight. Inside my chest, the tether between me and my

wolf stretched and stretched, until it finally snapped and was gone.

Julian dismounted quickly beside me. “We have to get off the road.”

As I stood there in shock, he grabbed the reins of my horse as well as his own, and led both away from

the road and into the forest brush alongside it.

I was numb. I couldn’t move.

For one brief moment, I had felt my wolf again. Now, as before, I was empty.

Julian, a man determined, carefully guided our horses deeper into the woods. He didn’t say a word the

entire time

He could have been mad at me, I wasn’t sure. Whenever I had seen Julian mad in the past, typically at

Nicholas, he had lashed out with a sharp smirk and barbed insults. This silence was something new.

In the depths of the forest, we reached a small grassy patch. Julian stopped, and the horses began to

“Can you get down?” Julian asked me. “We need to let the horses rest for a few moments. We pushed them pretty hard.”

I understood and slowly dismounted the mare.

unreadable. He looked so much like Nicholas in that

wolf,” he said. “In

shouldn’t have

that you might react that way. I

be reunited.”

it even if I tried. Instead, I hooked my fingers together and sunk in on

I felt carved out, hollow

with his phone, but he seemed

signal out here.”

we lost?”

can’t coordinate with Brian. We’re way off the prepared route, and

just… I felt a

it, Piper. Really.” He ran a hand down his face and then sighed dramatically. “I suppose we’ll have.

settle for Plan B.”

“What’s plan B?”

He winked.

“Julian.”

“Trust me, Piper.”

too manipulative, always watchful,

through and

trust Nicholas,”

hand over his heart. “You wound

crossed my arms, unwilling to admit how this banter helped me feel

my trust yet.”

him back to his usual self. “I’m likely the most untrustworthy man you will

Chapter 0105

were rested, then we began the

asking, hoping he

will have established great trust between

I sighed.

believe me, but I’m only not telling you for your own protection. I

into this further before

I wished I had my phone, or any access to the internet, so I could just look it up.

we neared the palace, Julian

began to text with

to be sneaky.

paddock, a camera crew rushed toward us as if they had been waiting for our return.

questions.

Julian! Tell us about

breaking the rules to see

done

shoulders. “Come now, guys.

Piper is

totally froze. I’d already been blindsided by the cameras

an absurd lie?

grin that seemed to say, Play along.

true? Are you Julian’s

good liar.

nuzzled against my cheek. It took everything I