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.

had Elva in my lap, but she was busy stuffing her face with all

Piper? I heard some truly terrible

I felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued

my throat, and left my half of the breakfast uneaten on

to pick

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

“Word is, Terry left at some point last night and returned to his

relief and for the first time that day, I took in

now, at least, I was safe.

night continued to linger in my mind,

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

breath.

girl in the black dress who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she? Where had she come from? How had she gotten

to find the answers.

for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could not see the importance of discovering

protect people like me from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It was the only true way

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

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

the empty ballroom. I found him sitting

be so isolated or so

on the tile steps,

to be alone?” I asked him. I had questions and demands, but he seemed almost… lost sitting there.

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

mind company if

and took a seat on the same step

night. He

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

Nicholas moved away.

He wouldn’t have.

my desire much quicker.

I was still

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