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.

I had Elva in my lap, but she was

you okay, Piper? I heard

head and tired eyes,

left my half of the breakfast uneaten on the plate

to pick at.

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

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

relief and for the first time that day, I

For now, at least, I

of last night continued to linger in my mind, even as we

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

breath.

was she? Where had she

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

the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could

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

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

matter what Nicholas condemned, I wouldn’t let him stop me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls

safely into the care of her nanny and Mark, I set off on my own to find Julian.

the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone on the

him to be so isolated or

tile steps,

had questions and demands, but he

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

don’t mind company if it’s you,” he

and took a seat on the

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

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

Nicholas moved away.

wouldn’t have. But Julian’s being present

my desire much quicker.

I was still

him to kiss me on the balcony. In time, I might