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

Piper? I heard

tired eyes, but otherwise okay Except for

swallowed down the bile rising in my throat, and left my

to pick at.

took great strength to keep my voice

point last night and returned to his own mansion.”

the first time

For now, at least, I was

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

Terry’s cold

breath.

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

somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad

heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could

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 way to keep Elva

I wouldn’t be cowed by Terry, or by Nicholas. I

of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing, and lost

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

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

him to be so isolated or

heard the click of my heels on the tile

alone?” I asked him. I had questions

faded. In its place was the same sort of

mind company if it’s you,” he said.

flirtatious charms and took a seat on the

last night. He had bome witness to the

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

Nicholas moved away.

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

of my desire much quicker.

I was still

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