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.

me. I had Elva in my lap, but she was busy

I heard some truly terrible rumors.”

head, pushing away her concern. I felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued embarrassment over my body’s reaction to Nicholas the

rising in my throat, and left my half of the

to pick at.

Terry left the grounds?” I asked. It took great strength to keep my voice from shaking.

Terry left at some point last night and returned to his

relief and for the first

now, at least, I was safe.

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

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

breath.

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

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

his heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could not see

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

by Terry, or by Nicholas. I had my own heart and

daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right

her nanny and Mark, I set off on my

through most of the palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom.

like him to be so isolated or

the click of my heels on the tile steps, he turned back to look at me. “Piper.

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

In its place

don’t mind company if it’s you,” he

and took a

was also there last night. He had

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

Nicholas moved away.

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

of my desire much quicker.

I was still

him to kiss me on the balcony. In