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

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

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

a little

to stop him before 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

"True."

who

talk about you often.

into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard

the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my

looked at it and

overdue," I told her. "He wants to

up closer to her, to inspect

face, softening all of her features. Then, in the

it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to

a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie,

the ring for another minute or two,

to see him," she

Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us

finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled

father was saying. He cut himself off

*Susie..." her mom said.

eyes were on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd

he said, the word overflowing

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

deep bow.

parents both

with your daughter," Mark

know of her condition!" Susie's

was quicker. She touched her

is mine. And I would

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