“Nicholas.” I was dreaming. I must have been close to waking up to be so lucid. I stood in my old room at the Academy. Nicholas had his back to me, his hand on the door handle. A familiar curl of dread was growing in my stomach. A dull, physical ache rested behind my ribs. This was the moment
“Linda!” “Olivia!” A few other names were called as well, but none as loud as those two. They had to come from prominent packs indeed, to have been allowed so many onlookers into the small crowd. Elva, nervous by the noise, hid behind my skirt. I picked her up into my arms. “Are you frighten
His mouth near the microphone, Nicholas paused a moment as if thinking. Then he spoke. “Miss Piper was chosen by the ceremony, and the royal family will honor that choice.” He continued, “One of the many crises we face as a people is a low birthrate among werewolves. Any mother, especially one r
I blinked, stunned into silence. Me? A front runner in the competition? No. Clearly those people didn’t realize how much Nicholas hated me. Once the cameras were allowed into the palace, and they saw the two of us interacting, they would learn the truth. Nicholas hated me. Julian only wanted t
Nicholas and I continued to stare at each other, neither of us saying a word. We both glanced down at the empty chair and back at each other again. Every other spot at the table was filled. Unless Nicholas were to excuse himself, he would have to sit here to eat. But to leave in the middle of his
Around us, the girls were speaking with each other and the royal family. Only Nicholas, Susie, and myself were silent. The King gave Nicholas a hard look, and Nicholas’s lips twitched like he wanted to frown but didn’t. I thought he might talk to me, but instead, he leaned forward to see Susie a
After receiving Susie’s news, I needed a moment to catch my breath. I didn’t understand. The royal doctor had already examined Elva, as recently as the day before. How could she have a fever again? Wouldn’t the doctor have detected any anomalies before they fully formed? Those questions would have
Forcing my voice level, I asked, “Why wasn’t I previously informed that Elva was suffering from a terminal illness?” The pitying one pushed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. “Perhaps we were optimistic before. But she has since taken a turn for the worst. We aren’t fortunetellers, ma’