The Luna Choosing Game

By the next morning, the drug had worked its way through my system and I felt like my old self again. I

went down to breakfast, where I was reunited with Elva, who had stayed with Susie the night before by

order of Nicholas.

I was grateful for his foresight. Mortified as I was by my actions and sounds, I was at least spared the

embarrassment of explaining any of this to Mark or the nanny myself. Or worse still, to Elva..

A thought so stomach–churning, I dared not even think of it.

So when I did finally greet her, it was with a tight hug and big smile, the same as always.

Susie and I didn’t always sit together, but we chose to that morning. There were still many empty chairs with the previous elimination, and I was feeling vulnerable from what had happened the night before. I needed my friends.

Around us the girls were chattering about the curiousness of the evening’s events. Terry was to be one of the main judges of the night, but he never came to ballroom.

Also as curious, both Nicholas and Julian disappeared sometime in the night, only to reappear this morning, one with a black eye and the other with an injured hand.

“You don’t suppose the princes got into a fight with each other?” one of the girls asked.

“No,” Lilliana said flatly. “He is too mature to take part in such childish antics.”

“Julian does love to tease,” said someone else.

“Not enough to tempt a prince away from his decorum,” Olivia added. “Prince Nicholas been around Prince Julian for years. He’s surely built up a tolerance.”

“Well, then what happened with Sir Terry?“”

“Maybe he started the fight,” someone said, and another laughed. A third shushed them.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

they continued to argue, Susie turned in her seat to face me. I had Elva in my lap, but she was busy stuffing her face with all the delicious pastries.

heard some truly terrible

pushing away her concern. I felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes,

throat, and left

pick at.

took

left at some point last night and returned to his own mansion.”

me with a sense of relief and for the first time that day,

least, I was safe.

of last night continued to linger in my

feel Terry’s cold hands on me or smell his

breath.

who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she? Where had she come from?

worse now, somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and

for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he

like me from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It

Nicholas. I had my own heart and my

condemned, I wouldn’t let him stop me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous

safely into the care of her nanny and Mark, I set off

through most of the palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom.

to be so isolated or so reflective.

on the tile steps, he turned back to

I had questions and demands, but he seemed almost… lost

of vulnerability faded. In its place was

don’t mind company if it’s

charms and took a seat on the

was also there last night. He had bome witness to the full extent of my

both to tell me it

Nicholas moved away.

wouldn’t have.

my

I was still

so angry about it. I did have desire for Nicholas. I had wanted him to kiss me on the