The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

It had been three days since Boss made his proposition: either I sleep with him or I get fired.

I needed one more day’s pay to cover Elva’s most recent bill. Once I had that, I could resign and hopefully find something else.

Boss trailed his eyes down the length of my body. Staring openly at my breasts, he licked his lips. “Don’t think I won’t, Piper. I’ll be waiting for you.”

In the restaurant, all of the female patrons talked excitedly about the selection. To cater to them, Boss turned all of the televisions on the walls to the royal consort ceremony broadcast.

“Which one do you think is the most handsome?” asked one patron to her friends.

They’d ordered a plate of loaded nachos to share. I carefully placed it in the center of their table.

Another girl spoke quickly. “Are you kidding? The others are cute, sure, but Nicholas is obviously the hottest.”

The other girls quickly agreed.

Startled, I hovered at their table. They were right, of course. Nicholas was the most objectively attractive, but to hear people talk about him so casually still surprised me.

For three days, I’d tried to reconcile in my mind that the Nicholas I had known was also the eldest prince of the kingdom. But I still couldn’t quite manage it.

Nicholas had always been proper. But a prince?

“Piper, is it?” one of the girls at the table asked me. I jumped, realizing I was still standing there. Yet before I could apologize, she asked me, “Which one do you think is the most handsome?”

“Nicholas,” came my automatic answer. “Excuse me.”

Embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming, I forced myself to focus on work. And I succeeded – until I heard Nicholas’ voice come from the speakers.

“The kind of woman I’d prefer?” Nicholas said. “Someone loyal. Strong. Even tempered. And she has to like to children.”

“Check, check, and check,” came a voice from the table of girls. “He’s describing me! It’s meant to be.”

“Dream on. He’s clearly describing me.”

“You don’t even like kids!”

see which of us make it through

we can expect you to

He gave a small smile, but his eyes were guarded. “It’s my duty as a prince to continue the lineage. But, yes,

in delight. “He’d make such

a moment, it seemed as if he was staring straight through it. I froze in place,

My heart ached.

the interviewer,

probably hadn’t thought of me at

hoping

up on him. Sure, I hadn’t dated anyone else since, but that didn’t mean anything. I’d been too busy to

I had Anna. I didn’t

the kitchen, signaling a meal was ready. I went back to retrieve it. When I returned to the dining room, Nicholas was still on the screen,

that the royal family is investigating with the utmost seriousness. This illegal trade of wolves and their gifts is dangerous for every person

plate of food in

silenced at once, all eyes on

weakens the whole pack. We cannot let

of the other waitresses hissed at me, waking

As I did, I cursed myself so loudly in my

end of my shift, I was worn down and exhausted. After my accident, I

lift my eyes to the television again, not even when the table of girls bemoaned their disappointment with

applied. I wouldn’t be on

particularly stubborn

always, he was the last to

clean the dining room. The lights in

I was alone.

the back of my

immediately swung around, ready to knock Boss over the head with it. Anything to

too late. Boss had

onto the floor, where it

waist, he pressed his hips hard to mine, wedging me against the lip

I was trapped.

my shirt, revealing my lacey white bra. He pressed his

me go.” Panic swelling within me, I struggled against him. He only held tighter, rougher, fingers biting into my hip and my

wolf, I didn’t have the strength to

cheek. I felt him smile