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.

seat to face me. I had Elva in

you okay, Piper? I heard

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

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

to pick

I asked. It took great strength to keep my voice from shaking.

at some point last night and returned

words filled me with a sense of relief and for the first time that day, I

least, I

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

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

breath.

dress who seemed to have my wolf. Who was she?

to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad

the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he could not

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

by Terry, or by Nicholas. I had

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

Elva safely into the care of her nanny and Mark, I set

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

wasn’t like him to be so isolated or so

tile steps, he turned

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

In its place was the same

mind company if it’s you,” he said.

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

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

he had the decency both to tell me it

Nicholas moved away.

advantage. He wouldn’t

the circumstances of my desire much quicker.

I was still

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