The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0622

The butler showed me to Susie's room, and then quickly excused himself outside of her door. When he was gone, I knocked.

"Go away!" Susie called in a watery voice. She was crying.

I knocked more insistently as I pushed open the door.

*I said -* she started, cutting herself off she say me. "Piper?"

"Hi, Susie," I said.

"Oh, Piper!" She was sitting at her desk, the tears running down her cheeks. As I entered the room, closing the door behind me, she jumped from the chair and ran to me.

We shared a hug. Relief flooded through me.

I stepped back after a moment, to look her over. She didn't seem too worse for wear. Other than the crying, she didn't show any signs of abuse or neglect.

"What are you doing here?" Susie sniffed. "I'm sure word has gotten around by now."

*Rumors don't matter. Come back to palace."

*If you've heard the rumors, you know why I can't."

"Everyone will forget, the moment you appear. They'll all just think it's gossip and it won't matter," I say. "Since Jessica is the only other contender for Joyce, you wouldn't even have to face elimination."

*Piper," she sounded so sad. "I can't come. It's just not rumors. My parents... They know the truth about me."

*How could they?" I asked. She wasn't showing yet. Sure they might suspect, but to have real proof?

"I told them," Susie said.

I startled, speechless.

"I didn't want to lie anymore about any of it," Susie said. "I don't want to have to pretend to have feelings for Joyce, when the only one I really want is Mark."

weight of the ring in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding

And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said.

him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled

a

at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let me in to see

"True."

who I was..." I

talk about you often. You were my first

be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved so

ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting in

looked at

says it's overdue," I told her. "He wants

ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it

a moment, pure awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's

even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this. He can't be Nicholas's Beta if

If this is what you want,

the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two, before

to see him," she

Susie leading, we didn't need the butler

slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw

Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and

*Susie..." her mom said.

eyes were on Mark, and his on her. Then his

he said, the word overflowing

forward, moving closer to Susie's parents, closer than even

dropping into a deep bow.

both

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot

of her condition!" Susie's father

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm. "He

would raise it

can vouch for this man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He will treat