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.

seat to face me. I had Elva in my lap, but she was busy stuffing her face with all

Piper? I heard

cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued

left my half of

pick

the grounds?” I asked. It took great strength to keep my voice

left at some point last night and returned to his

relief and for the first time that day,

at least, I was safe.

in my mind, even as we broke from eating to amuse

the day. I couldn’t help but feel Terry’s cold hands on me or smell

breath.

black dress who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she? Where had she come

somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and me from continuing our investigation. 1

the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could not

the underground organization was exposed, it would protect people like me from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It was the only true way to keep Elva

by Nicholas. I had my own heart and my own beliefs.

my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted

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

palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him sitting

wasn’t like him to be so isolated or so reflective.

of my heels on the tile steps, he turned back

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

its place was the same sort of cocky

mind company if

charms and took a seat on the same step he was sitting on.

night. He had bome witness to the full extent

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.

my desire much quicker.

I was still

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