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,

I heard

felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes,

the bile rising in my throat, and left my half

to pick at.

the grounds?” I asked. It took great

some point last

relief and for the first time that

now, at least,

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

for the day. I couldn’t help but feel Terry’s

breath.

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

somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not

me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me

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

by Nicholas. I had my own

me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing, and lost

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

palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom. I

him to be so isolated or so reflective.

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

I asked him. I had questions and demands, but he seemed almost…

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

company if it’s you,” he

flirtatious charms and took a seat on the same step

also there last night. He had bome witness to the

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

Nicholas moved away.

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

circumstances of my

I was still

wanted him to kiss me