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.

me. I had Elva in my lap, but she was

okay, Piper? I heard some

tired eyes, but otherwise okay

and left my half of the breakfast uneaten on the plate for

to pick

asked. It took great strength to keep my voice from

Terry left at some point last night and

with a sense of relief and for the first

now, at least, I

my mind, even as we

I couldn’t help but feel Terry’s cold hands on me or smell his terrible alcohol–laden

breath.

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

I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and me from continuing

heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could

me from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It was the only true way to

or by Nicholas. I had my own heart

matter what Nicholas condemned, I wouldn’t let him stop me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing, and lost their wolves for it.

of her nanny and Mark,

thought to check the empty

him to be so

the tile steps, he turned back to look

alone?” I asked him. I had questions

vulnerability faded. In its place was

company if it’s you,” he

took a seat on the same

that Julian was also there last night. He had bome witness to the

had the decency both to tell me it wasn’t my fault, as

Nicholas moved away.

taken advantage. He wouldn’t have. But

the circumstances of my desire much quicker.

I was still

had wanted him to kiss me on the balcony. In time, I might have wanted