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

heard some truly

away her concern. I felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but

my throat, and left my half of the breakfast uneaten on

pick at.

I asked. It took great strength to keep

point last night

the first time that day, I took in

For now, at least, I was safe.

in my

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

breath.

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 me with

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

me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated

would protect people like me from ever being manipulated into giving

Nicholas.

or any of those innumerous other souls out there

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

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

wasn’t like him to be so isolated

the click of my heels on the tile steps, he turned back to

I asked him. I had questions and

his look of vulnerability faded. In its place was the same sort of cocky

don’t mind company if it’s you,” he

flirtatious charms and took a seat on the same step

night. He had bome

both to tell me it wasn’t my

Nicholas moved away.

wouldn’t have. But Julian’s being present helped him.

the circumstances of my

I was still

it. I did 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.