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.

turned in her seat to face me. I had Elva in my lap, but she was busy

you okay, Piper? I heard some truly

some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except

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

to pick

asked. It took great strength to keep

at some point last night and returned to his own

of relief and for the first time that day, I took in and exhaled a deep

For now, at least, I

last night continued to linger in my mind, even as

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

breath.

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

to find the answers. Not since

in his heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but

from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It was the only true way to keep Elva safe.

wouldn’t be cowed by Terry, or by Nicholas. I had my own heart and my own

stop me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there

seeing Elva safely into the care of her nanny and Mark, I set off on my own

thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone on the bottom stair,

him to be so isolated

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

want to be alone?” I asked him. I had questions and demands, but

of vulnerability faded. In its place was the same sort of cocky expression I’d

mind company if it’s you,”

my eyes at his flirtatious charms and took a seat on the

night. He had bome witness

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

Nicholas moved away.

Nicholas would have taken advantage. He wouldn’t

my desire much quicker.

I was still

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