The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0393

After the announcements were completed, I stayed behind to privately speak to Nicholas. When the other girls cleared the room, I said, “Thank you for the rescue.”

“It seemed the other girls were ready to fight for you,” Nicholas said.

“They were,” I agreed. “But so was my wolf.”

His face suddenly became more guarded. “Oh.”

“Your entrance was timely.”

“I’m glad then,” he said. Then he cleared his throat. That was odd. So too was his inability to look me in the eye.

“Nick?”

“I may or may not have been keeping tabs on you. Just to make sure you are okay.”

“Which is it?” I asked. “May or may not.”

He cleared his throat again. “May.”

Maybe I should have been upset that he was tailing me around. Instead, I just felt relieved. I had nearly lost myself, after all. I would have hated to hurt Jessica. She simply cared about Joyce. That shouldn’t have been a crime punished with a black eye. Or worse.

Nicholas watched me with a careful eye. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” J admitted. “It feels like me and my wolf are at war with each other over control of my b*dy. I know it’s not on purpose. We aren’t enemies. We just aren’t used to each other. I also suspect that Jane kept her on a shorter leash. Miracle doesn’t know what to do with the freedom I give her.”

Nicholas nodded. “Hopefully you will learn to coexist sooner rather than later.”

“We’ve both changed since we were last together,” I said. It was difficult to explain. It was like seeing a friend after a long time apart. We needed time to reconnect. Once we did, I was sure we would fall together like we had never been separated. But first we had to make it through that learning curve.

“I wouldn’t say you’ve changed all that much,” Nicholas said. He gave me his rakish smile, the one he often used when we were young and in love. He was being cute, but he had changed also. We’d all grown since then.

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we didn’t have

it,” Nicholas said. “Veronica told us that you and the wolf are meshing well. She said this is a compatible match. You just

the thought. “I will never

agreement. Now that we’d found each

get through this

I had more worries than just

end of the announcements,” I said.

have any reaction to them, but the fact remained that I was no the lowest ranking of the all the candidates. I couldn’t exactly blame the judges.

you think I’ll be eliminated?”

let that happen,”

the bottom of the pack would be the first to go. My sole purpose here was for public

there were the protestors who considered me

my purpose here had been served. Maybe the

shoulders. He dipped his head until he met my gaze, then

most serious, earnest voice. The one that left no room for argument. “Julian and I

to have said them like that. But I also knew there would come a time when no amount of bluster would save me from what was to

with me. Eventually, a time would come when I would have to step to the side to

the sake of the kingdom, I would have to give Nicholas up. And

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never stand in the way of him

that. He had to, since he had openly acknowledged he would never

ago that I had fallen so deeply in love with. So idealistic and hopeful.

the weight of the crown had weighed heavily on him in our years apart. He was still handsome as ever, if not more so. Occasionally, I would see the idealistic boy within him. Yet

King did nothing selfishly. He lived and breathed for the sake of

the crown, he would do the

disappear from him

watched him now, as the realization came over his face, darkening

to protect me forever.