The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0425

My wolf cowered inside of me, hurt crashing in on all sides. Rejection. It seeped into every pore and every bone.

I knew I shouldn’t feel that way. Nicholas was pragmatic and cautious. He wouldn’t want to have a baby out of wedlock with anyone, even me.

But my wolf’s reaction is visceral, as if I had been directly rejected by my

mate.

It took every sliver of willpower I had to keep from whimpering and pulling myself into the fetal position. I bury it all down deep, right there alongside

dream I secretly held of making a family with Nicholas.

any

When he glanced at me again, he found me just as closed off as he was.

Slowly, I began to slink out of bed.

“Piper? Where are you going?” He sat up in the bed, watching me as I gathered my clothing off the ground and shimmied back into them.

“I’m going to head back to my room.”

A bit of hurt flashed through his eyes. I tried to ignore it.

“You can stay here the night. Sneak back in the morning,” he said.

“It’s safer if I go now,” I said.

Safer for who? That was the question left unanswered. My heart was already cracking. If I stayed, it might implode into dust.

I slipped out of Nicholas’s room, thinking I might find comfort in the solitude of the hallway. Instead, I only felt emptier somehow.

The walk back to my room felt even longer than usual, and I wasn’t even particularly careful. It was by pure luck that I returned to my room without being seen.

At rehearsals the next day, I avoided Nicholas as much as possible. It was difficult to do with Elva in tow. I wouldn’t deny Elva from spending time with her Nick–lass, even when I’d rather not see him. So I wasn’t terribly shocked when five seconds into entering the ballroom, Elva made a B–line straight for Nicholas.

“Nick–lass!”

little girl. “Elva.” He kneeled down to hug her. Over her head, he looked up at me. That smile dimmed by

said, using his formal title. I hadn’t done that in some time. His

warm smile, when

him.

be in the

a very

I do it now?”

show you. If that’s okay with your mom?” Nicholas looked at me. Elva turned to look at me too, all doe eyes.

Elva far, far away from Bridget. But that was unfair.

done.

a movie buff. Elva deserved a chance

real life honest–to–goodness

Nicholas led my daughter away, up onto the stage that was fully completed now, to where Bridget waited. Bridget seemed so excited to see Elva, that they immediately hugged

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lonely heart ached. They looked like a family up there

the other. Together, they hed her to her starting spot, then walked with her across the stage, showing her the route she would take when she

and she was making Elva laugh and smile. Elva

down to my

I was so enamored with the others on the stage, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I jumped

I said, shaking it off. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”

to hear about your exploits with my

that,” I said. Though, in hindsight, I really

you sleep?” he

to talk about it, not even with him. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready. The hurt

rejection too

just didn’t

myself, Nicholas was just being careful. If I got pregnant, the entire royal house of cards could come tumbling down. It

and I weren’t like Mark and Susie. We couldn’t just run away together. Nicholas would never turn away