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,

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

parents wouldn't have let

a little at

door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let

"True."

knew who

"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 and kind, she deserved so many more than

tug the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting in the

looked at

overdue," I told her. "He wants

her, to inspect

her features. Then, in the next, she began

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

about that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If

the ring for another minute or two, before she

see him," she

for the doorway. With Susie leading, we

the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though hers was

as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I returned

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

he said, the word

closer to Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas

said, dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow

parents both

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

of her

quicker. She touched

confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would

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