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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didn’t have to

the wolf are meshing well. She said

the thought. “I will never

agreement. Now that we’d found each other again, we

through this

worries than just my own inner

end of the

remained that I was no the lowest ranking of the all the candidates. I couldn’t

you think I’ll

let that happen,” Nicholas

if fair was fair, the bottom of the pack would be the first to go. My sole purpose here was for public image, but even that was under fire.

were the protestors who considered me a

been served. Maybe the King would

once, Nicholas clutched me by the shoulders. He dipped his head until he met my gaze, then held it prisoner with his

worry about the elimination,” Nicholas said in his most serious, earnest voice. The one that left

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

meant to be a Queen, despite how much my wolf argued with me. Eventually, a time would come when I would have to step to

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

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in the way of

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

where he let his heart take the lead, he reminded me so much of the boy from years ago that I had fallen so deeply in love with. So idealistic and hopeful. He looked forward and could see a future worth fighting for. One that

still handsome as ever, if not more so. Occasionally, I would see the idealistic boy within him. Yet just as often, I saw his

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

crown, he would

disappear

him now, as the realization came over his

protect me forever. But he