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."

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

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

have let him inside, he would have

a little at

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 me in to

"True."

who I

talk about

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 and kind, she deserved

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

looked at it and

overdue," I told her. "He wants

and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a

her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry

for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing

her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't

continued looking at the ring for another minute or two,

see him,"

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

the way, Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When

father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I returned to

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

the word overflowing with obvious

to Susie's parents, closer than even

dropping into a deep bow. "Please

both went

your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live without

her

mother was quicker. She touched her

I would raise it as my child, with Susie

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