The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0453

Julian and I stayed out in the woods until just before dawn, when we finally made our way back toward the palace. Just as we broke the tree lines and came into the field on the outside of the gardens, Julian stilled. I stopped beside him and looked at him curiously.

His gaze seemed to be fixed on something, so I followed the length of it to see Nicholas walking toward us. His hands were curled into fists. His shoulders were straight, tense. His jaw was locked and his mouth a hard line. His golden eyes were burning with anger, visible even in the dim light.

Sp

Mark followed along behind Nicholas, speaking to him but not touching him. Nicholas didn’t acknowledge Mark at all.

“Julian…” I said, half in warning, half because I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“It will be fine,” Julian said. His gaze was fixed on his brother. His own body was beginning to tense. We’d been up all night. He must have been exhausted. But you would have never guessed it looking at him like this. His focus was intense.

As Nicholas approached, I saw the rage in him. His muscles were flexing wildly, visible even though his tight button–up shirt and slacks. He looked to be on the verge of shifting.

“Nick,” I began. His gaze slid to me for only a moment, yet in that moment, I could feel the heat of his anger. It didn’t feel like it was directed at me, however. Instead, as he looked again at Julian, that anger emerged as a deep, guttural growl.

“How dare you,” Nicholas growled.

“What do you care if Piper and I were out all night?” Julian scoffed. “I heard you spent the night with someone on your own.”

Nicholas growl amplified. “You defiled Piper.”

“Oh? Did I?” Julian smirked. It was sharp.

“Nick,” I said again, more forcefully. I wasn’t defiled. We only looked at the stars.

“Stay out of this, Piper,” Julian said, stopping me from explaining. “My brother and I are

due for a chat.” To Nicholas, he said, “On with it then.”

“Step back, Piper,” Nicholas said.

“But –”

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in. He glanced at me. “It’s

stand by and let you two

He slowly

to try to get him out of the way, but the man was

want you hurt,” he

for them?” I

shifted and pounced at Julian. Julian shifted just in time to meet him, and they met each other with

I called and tried to lunge

the waist to yank me

terrible idea, Piper,” he said.

“Like this?”

the only way,” Mark

that nothing had happened between him and me, then… well, Nicholas probably wouldn’t believe

did he have to be jealous, anyway?

they had sex, they would someday if she

my stomach and squeezed. I

I had

flat look. “You were out all night, which made Nicholas worry. But then when you returned, you reek of

still struggled to understand. Even if I smelled like Julian, Nicholas usually approached these things with either calmness or passionate kisses.

never seen him jump into a

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over each other, then they back off to circle around. Their strong wolves healed quickly, so even the ugliest

to the brink the past few days,” Mark said. “His calm façade is

loud shout, she seemed rather calm for the werewolf fight she walked into. She carried a cup of tea and a saucer as she

But, “Again?” I asked.

shrugged. “They used to do this all the time when we were younger. Sibling rivalry, you know? Fighting helps them

from her