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."

doubled, and I regretted holding it

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

think anything would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed through

a little

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 see you than

"True."

knew who I was..." I

"I talk about you often. You

lurched and I pulled 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

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

looked at

I told her. "He wants to ask

it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it

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

they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me,

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

tears. She continued looking at the ring for

to see him," she

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

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

"Susie's 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

said, the word overflowing

to Susie's parents, closer than

Mark said, dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow

parents both

daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live

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

touched her husband's

do," Mark confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with

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