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.

Elva in my lap, but

okay, Piper? I heard some truly

tired eyes, but otherwise okay

my throat, and left my half of the breakfast

pick

asked. It took great strength to keep my

is, Terry left at some point last night and

and for the first time that day, I took in

For now, at least, I was

thoughts of last night continued to linger in my mind, even as we broke from eating to

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

breath.

about that girl in the black dress who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she?

so many unanswered questions. It felt worse now, somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and me from continuing

for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could

into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It was the only true way to keep Elva safe.

or by Nicholas.

my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing, and lost

the care of her nanny and Mark, I set off on my own to find

palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone on the bottom stair, deep in thought.

be so isolated or

heels on the tile

I had questions and demands, but

its place was the same

mind company if

charms and took a seat on the same step he was

hadn’t forgotten that Julian was also there last night. He had bome

to tell me it wasn’t my fault, as well as to make sure

Nicholas moved away.

advantage. He wouldn’t have. But Julian’s being present

the circumstances of my desire

I was still

have desire for Nicholas. I had wanted him to kiss me on the balcony. In time, I might have wanted to have him do more.