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 it back even this

here, you know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your

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

a little

he did anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let

"True."

who

"I talk about you

her into 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

to give you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting

at it and

it's overdue," I told her. "He wants to ask you

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

of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again.

parents will never go for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be

If this is

tears. She continued looking at the ring

to see him,"

headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us back downstairs

help my smile. When she

I've consistently said "Susie's father was

*Susie..." her mom said.

and his on her. Then his gaze dropped

word overflowing

Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas

bow. "Please allow me to marry your

parents both went

with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live

don't know of her condition!" Susie's father

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm.

would

"He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He