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."

my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding it back even

know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as saucers. "Mark

parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and

laughed a little at

always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this.

"True."

who I was..."

a little. "I talk about you often. You

another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet

"Mark told me to give you

at it

I told her. "He wants to ask

the ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a precious, rare,

her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's

never go for it," she said. "And 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

her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie,

looking at the ring for another minute or two, before

see him," she

we didn't need the butler to guide

help my smile. When she saw

really is a personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie

*Susie..." her mom said.

on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped

word overflowing with

moving closer to Susie's parents,

dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry your

both went wide-eyed.

with your daughter,"

of her

mother was quicker. She touched

mine. And I would raise it as my

my Beta and a loyal man besides. He will treat