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.

I had Elva in my lap, but she was

okay, Piper? I heard some truly terrible

some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued embarrassment

bile rising in my throat, and left my half of the breakfast uneaten on the plate

pick

It took great strength to keep my voice from

“Word is, Terry left at some point last night and returned to

words filled me with a sense of relief and for the

at least, I

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

help but feel Terry’s cold

breath.

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? And why was she teasing

never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad

and for the kingdom, but it frustrated

underground organization was exposed, it would protect people like me from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their

or by Nicholas. I

innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to

safely into the care of her nanny and Mark,

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

be so isolated or

the click of my heels on the tile

be alone?” I asked him. I had questions and

his look of vulnerability faded. In its place was the same sort of cocky expression I’d

if it’s you,” he

took a seat

also there last night. He had bome

tell me it wasn’t my fault,

Nicholas moved away.

that Nicholas would have taken advantage. He wouldn’t

the circumstances of my desire much quicker.

I was still

him to kiss