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.

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

Piper? I heard some

felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for

left my half of the breakfast uneaten

to pick

It took great strength to keep

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

sense of relief and for the first time that day, I took in and

For now, at least,

night continued to linger in my mind, even as

couldn’t help but feel Terry’s cold hands on me or smell

breath.

my wolf. Who was she? Where had she come from? How had she gotten it? And why was

never be able to find

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

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

or by Nicholas. I had my own heart and my

of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing, and lost their wolves for

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

the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone on the

like him to be so isolated

click of my heels on the tile

to be alone?” I asked him. I had questions and demands, but he seemed almost… lost

its place was the same sort

don’t mind company if it’s you,”

a seat

hadn’t forgotten that Julian was also there last night. He had bome witness to the full extent of my

me it wasn’t my fault, as well as

Nicholas moved away.

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

my desire much

I was still

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