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.

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

heard some truly terrible

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

my throat, and left my half of the breakfast uneaten

pick

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

some point last night

sense of relief and for the first time that

least, I was safe.

continued to linger in my mind, even as

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

breath.

black dress who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she? Where had she come from? How had she gotten it? And why

felt worse now, somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since

worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he

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

cowed by Terry, or by Nicholas. I had

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

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

I thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him

be

tile steps, he turned back to look at

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

blinked and his look of vulnerability faded. In its

company if it’s you,”

a seat

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

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

Nicholas moved away.

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

the circumstances of my

I was still

so angry about it. I did have desire for Nicholas. I had wanted him to kiss me on the balcony. In time, I might