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.

Elva in my lap, but she was busy

I heard some truly terrible rumors.”

tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued embarrassment

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

to pick

grounds?” I asked. It took great

nodded. “Word is, Terry left at some point last

of relief and for the first time that day,

now, at least, I was safe.

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

Terry’s cold hands on me or smell his terrible

breath.

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

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

and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me

underground organization was exposed, it would protect people like me from ever being manipulated into giving away their wolves and their abilities. It was

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

wouldn’t let him stop me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous

nanny and Mark, I set off on my own to find

of the palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him sitting alone

like him to be so isolated

on the tile

I had questions

vulnerability faded. In its place was the

don’t mind company if it’s you,”

a

hadn’t forgotten that Julian was also there last night. He had bome

to tell me it wasn’t my fault, as well as to make sure

Nicholas moved away.

would have taken advantage. He wouldn’t have.

circumstances of my desire much quicker.

I was still

kiss me on