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.

they continued to argue, Susie turned in her seat to face me. I had Elva

I heard some truly terrible

I felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for my continued embarrassment over my body’s reaction

left

pick at.

Terry left the grounds?” I asked. It took great strength

“Word is, Terry left at some point last

the first time that

now, at least, I was safe.

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

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

breath.

she? Where had

worse now, somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and me from continuing

in his heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could not see the importance of

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

or by Nicholas. I had my own heart and my

matter what Nicholas condemned, I wouldn’t let him stop me from protecting my daughter or any of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing,

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

through most of the palace before I thought to check the empty ballroom. I found him

wasn’t like him to be so isolated

on the tile

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

vulnerability faded. In its place was the same sort of

if it’s you,” he said.

eyes at his flirtatious charms and took a seat

was also there last night. He had bome witness to the full extent of

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

Nicholas moved away.

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

the circumstances of my desire

I was still

I had wanted him to kiss me on the