The Luna Choosing Game

They wanted abilities. They wanted people. They had Terry involved, and my sister, and who knew how many others. How could we ever hope to stand up to something so large and powerful? But I knew we had to try. To not even try to fight them was how they would win. Even if it seemed hopeless. Even if I wanted to run and hide or forget I saw or heard anything. I had to be strong. I had to fight. But first, I had to try to get some sleep. I was exhausted and scared. I wanted to watch Elva, as she imagined the world around her was peaceful, and remember why it was I wanted to fight so hard. So I nodded and turned from the room without being asked. Julian followed on my heels. I felt a little better when I was out of the stifling sublevel of the cellar. I nearly stopped, just to catch my Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

breath, but Julian’s hand on the small of my back kept me walking. When we were out of the kitchens, we were into familiar hallways. But everything looked differently now, knowing the danger that loomed so closely. I worried what could be around every corner. What monsters might be listening from the shadows. Julian fell in step with me. He gave me a long sideways look. “You’ll be safe, Piper,” Julian said. “Nicholas won’t let anything bad happen to you or Elva. I can guarantee it.” Deep in my bones, I knew Nicholas would try to protect me and Elva as long as he could, but, even with our near-constant guard, there were still moments when we would be alone. I shook away the thoughts. That’s what my self-defense lessons were for. I simply had to be more diligent. Train harder. Work harder, Fight harder. And more fully appreciate those who were willing to help me. “Thank you, Julian. For what you’ve done. I don’t feel great about any of this… I’m scared by what we’ve

heard. But, we are closer to the underground organization now than I’d ever imagined we would be.” “We won’t back down,” Julian said. I glanced at him. He was unusually serious, his eyes hard with determination. “We’ll get to the truth about your sister and your wolf, and then we’ll shut the whole thing I gave him a small smile. “Thank you.” He nodded and rubbed his hand up and down the length of my spine. When we were on the stairwell, he stopped. I stopped on the next step up and turned to face him. Like this, I stood over him by just an inch, but he still had to look up at me. “My actions are not entirely selfless, Piper,” Julian said. He smiled now, but unlike his typical hard- edged smirk, this was soft. “I have my own motives, and my own desires.” 3 He couldn’t mean to include me on his list of desires, but his eyes seared me as he trailed his gaze down the length of my front. I wasn’t wearing anything revealing. I’d imagined we’d be crawling through dirt tonight, so I wore jeans and a black, long-sleeved turtleneck. Yet Julian looked at me like I was a multi-course meal that he wanted to savor. “But if you really want to thank me,” he said, “you should give me a reward.” I licked my lips. Had it gotten hotter in here? “What could I possibly have that you would want?” “Easy,” Julian said. He started to lean. I was higher than him. He wasn’t touching me. I could have backed away. I could have run. Yet all I did was stand very still and let him close the distance. His lips found my cheek, where he placed a gentle kiss.