The Luna Choosing Game

Nicholas was here. I didn't know how. I didn't know why. But he was here, and that gave me the strength I needed to act.

I ripped my arm away from Joyce's hold and rushed into the room where Hawk was choking my sister on the ground. Using all of my strength, I plowed into Hawk.

My surprise more than my strength likely overwhelmed him, because he released her and rolled away, knocking his head into the wall. That disoriented him for a few minutes. He grabbed at his head as he struggled to pull himself up to his knees.

"Jane!" I called and rushed to her.

Clutching at her neck, she gasped for air. When she saw that I had been the one to save her, her eyes went wide." What the hell are you doing?"

"Can you see now? These people are not your friends. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't want to help you." I spoke quickly, knowing I was short on time.

I grabbed Jane's hands and helped her stand. We had to get out of here right now. Hawk could collect himself at any moment.

"Piper!" Joyce called from the doorway. He was looking nervously down the hall, then up at the ceiling as the building continued to shake around us. More dust filled the air.

*Jane, please." I continued to hold her hands, even as she tried to tear them away. "Just come with me. We can figure this all out. Despite everything that happened, you are still my sister. And we're both... princesses? Doesn't that give us both a bright future?"

Jane's face twisted in disgust. "They were going to throw me away anyway, because I didn't have a wolf or a bear. They considered me freak, Piper. I will never have a place there, not as I am."

"We can work it out," I pleaded. "If you stay here, they'll use your or kill you or both. Jane, please."

"You've never cared what happens to me," Jane sneered. She ripped her hands free from mine. "Don't pretend to care about me now!*

"I've always cared about you!" I shouted back. "How could you never see that? Everything I ever did was to protect you! I want my sister back."

*Your sister is gone!" Jane said.

*Then I just want you! However you are! Whoever you consider yourself to be! You are my flesh and blood, and we will work through all of this together. As it should be! You know I'd never leave you behind!"

"Do I know that?!"

for you,

she had done to that little girl. Jane had been the one to place the curse! After

Jane. I would always protect Elva, but if I kept them separate. If I could get Jane into some kind of hospital... get her the best treatment the werewolf or bear kingdom could offer... then maybe she would

please." My voice

But as she looked at me in this moment, I saw a sliver of hope. For the first time in

big sister. I was

left her behind. She was forever in my heart, even when

welled up in her eyes. "Piper..." Her voice

down for so long by the

her to

see the hope spark within her. She lifted her hand to

mouth dropped open in

protruded from the front of her chest. A bloody starburst spread outward, staining her clothes and

stayed on mine as the hope there dwindled. She

heart lurched and I started forward.

into my waiting arms. She was heavier than I expected and we both toppled to

empty now, the

Jane was dead.

trick this time. No missing body, lost in a fall. No

here, face growing cold in my hands. Her skin paling. Her eyes blank as

over my cheeks in fat wet globs. I shook her a little, as if we were children

I knew that. But my body and mind were in

we've suffered, even at each other's hands, I never thought it would end quite like

as