The Luna Choosing Game

“She killed her f ucking self,” Julian snapped. “She didn’t give you a chance to save her life. Instead

she stabbed you. Repeatedly.”

Nicholas dragged his fingers through my hair, soothingly scratching at my scalp with his stubby

fingernails.

leaned into him, burying my face in his chest. I was a sobbing, blo ody mess. I couldn’t think straight.

My sister was dead. My wolf was back. Everything was too hot; too much. I felt like I was falling apart.

Nicholas was my anchor. He didn’t once let me go.

In my ear, his voice was a quiet rumble, “We have to check your wounds…”

I shook my head, vehemently against moving even an inch away from him. He was warmth and safety.

His presence smoothed some of the rankled fears within

me.

“Please, Piper…” Nicholas whispered. “For me.”

For… Nicholas? Yes. I could do that. I could do anything for him.

He helped turn me in his arms so that my back was to his chest. His arms wrapped around my waist

and kept me snug in his lap, cradled in his chest.

“Good girl,” he said, and I preened at the praise. Or maybe my wolf did? It was difficult to tell where one

of us ended and the other began. Had it always been that way? Had I been alone in this body so long

that I’d forgotten?

Julian began to lift my dress. To do so, he had to peel it away from the skin of my legs. Both were damp

with blood.

“Holy f uck,” Julian cursed under his breath. He’d said it quietly, but I’d heard it like he had said it clearly

in my ear. Was this werewolf hearing?

I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to see how bad the wound was.

“It’s already healing,” Nicholas said. I felt his voice rumble through his chest.

“I’m going to clean and wrap it anyway,” Julian said. “Brian!” I opened my eyes in time to see Julian’s

Beta hurry forward carrying a first aid kit. Julian accepted it, then said, “Keep everyone away from this

area. And send some guards downstairs…”

Abruptly, Veronica shifted directly into my view. “Look at me,” she said, voice flat and serious.

I obeyed, meeting her eyes at once. She stared into mine for such a long moment, Julian had already

started to treat my leg by the time she was done.

“Good,” she said.

“What…?” I had trouble with my words.

Fortunately, Veronica seemed to understand anyway. “I needed to inspect how well you have received

the wolf. The first few minutes are always critical.”

I waited a beat, then two. When she didn’t continue, I prompted; “And?” “Oh,” she said. “Yes. So far, I

am very pleased with the results.”

I let out a heavy exhale.

Julian finished wrapping my leg in a clean white bandage. He then handed the first aid kit to Nicholas.

Nicholas accepted it.

I didn’t understand.

“For your hands,” Nicholas whispered.

I lifted my hands to look at them, and only now saw the true damage Jane had done. She’d sliced

several crisscrossing lines across the back of my palms.

Tears welled in my eyes again. If only I’d been able to hold on.

Nicholas gently reached out and collected one of my hands in his much bigger one. He opened an

antiseptic wipe and began to clean the cuts. I felt a bit of a sting, but it was nothing compared to

everything else I’d faced tonight.

If the wound on my leg was already healing, then these would too. Soon, there would be no evidence Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

on my body that tonight had happened at all.

Well, at least not on the outside.

The sight of Jane falling… Her callous smile…

That would remain seared onto my heart for the rest of my life.

When Nicholas finished cleaning one hand, he moved onto the other. Julian took the first hand in his

and started picking the lock of the half of the handcuff that remained on my wrist. He had it loosened in

six seconds flat. I knew because he counted.