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

okay, Piper? I heard some

felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued embarrassment over my body’s reaction to

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

pick at.

I asked. It took great strength to keep my

Terry left at some point last night and returned to his own

with a sense of relief and for the

at least, I was safe.

to linger in my mind, even as

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

breath.

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

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 our investigation. 1

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

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

Nicholas. I had my own heart and my own

me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous

after seeing Elva safely into the care of her nanny and Mark,

the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone on

to be so isolated or so

click of my heels on the tile

I had questions and demands, but

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

don’t mind company if it’s you,” he said.

my eyes at his flirtatious charms and took a seat on the

night. He had

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

Nicholas moved away.

Nicholas would have taken advantage. He wouldn’t have. But Julian’s being present helped him.

of my desire much quicker.

I was still

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