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 the preliminary

we

camera panned back to Nicholas. He gave a small smile, but his eyes were guarded. “It’s my duty as a prince to continue the lineage. But, yes, I’d like to

girls squealed in delight. “He’d

he

My heart ached.

glanced off to the side again, looking at the interviewer, and immediately, I felt foolish. Of course, he couldn’t

hadn’t thought of me at all since the

hand over my heart, hoping to soothe away the touch

still be hung up on him.

I had

bell dinged in 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,

something that the royal family is investigating with the utmost seriousness. This

the plate of food in my

once,

one wolf, weakens the whole

other waitresses hissed at me,

cleaning it. As I did, I cursed myself so loudly in my

of my shift, I was worn down and exhausted. After my accident, I pushed myself as hard as I could,

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

hadn’t applied. I wouldn’t be on the list. Why even bother

closing, scrubbing dishes in the sink. After washing away a particularly stubborn

always, he was the last to leave

they would clean the dining room. The lights

I was alone.

of my exposed neck. The stench

I immediately swung around, ready to knock Boss

a moment too late. Boss had been expecting the

knocked the plate onto the floor,

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

I was trapped.

hand ripped open the buttons of my shirt, revealing my

me, I struggled against him. He only held tighter, rougher, fingers biting

my wolf, I didn’t have the

pressed his nose to my cheek. I felt him smile against my jaw. “You have a