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.

had Elva in my lap,

you okay, Piper? I heard some truly terrible

head and tired eyes, but otherwise

left my half

to pick

grounds?” I asked. It took great

at some point last night

and for the first time that day, I took in and exhaled a

For now, at least, I was

in my mind, even as we broke from eating to

I couldn’t help but feel Terry’s cold hands on

breath.

there were thoughts about that girl in the black dress who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she? Where had she come from? How had she gotten it?

able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and me from continuing our

heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could not see the importance

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

be cowed by Terry, or by Nicholas.

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

nanny and Mark, I

most of the palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone on the bottom

be

tile steps, he turned back to

him. I had questions

of vulnerability faded. In its place was

mind company if it’s you,”

at his flirtatious charms and took a seat on the same

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

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

Nicholas moved away.

taken advantage. He wouldn’t

the circumstances of my desire much

I was still

I did have desire for Nicholas. I had wanted him to kiss me