The Luna Choosing Game

Bridget blanched. "What did you call me?"

Ronan clutched at his head as he forced himself upward into a sitting position. "Beloved?"

"You hit your head too hard there, merfolk creep," Bridget said.

Ronan's eyes grew wide. "How can you say that, Bridget? After everything we've shared?"

"Shared? I don't even know you!" Bridget snapped. "I don't know who you think I am but you've got the wrong idea."

"But, Bridget -" Ronan began once more.

Bridget looked straight at Nicholas. "This guy must be a stalker."

Given Bridget's fame, it was possible, I supposed, that Ronan had some kind of delusion that Bridget and he were in love and that he had to prove something. But Julian's digging showed that Ronan and Bridget did know each other for real. They had even been something like friends. Cóntént from Nóveldráma.org

I glanced around, curious who else might be buying this act. No one seemed truly convinced. Nicholas held me around the waist with one arm, while he openly glared at Bridget.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

The guard stood close to Ronan, ready to move in at a moment's notice.

Veronica gave Bridget a flat look.

"Whatever you think about me," Bridget said, "you can't think that I'd actually want someone this pathetic."

Ronan's face crumpled, stricken. "This can't be real. You said

"I didn't say anything to you." Bridget said quickly, cutting her off.

"Let the man finish," Nicholas said.

Ronan looked back at Nicholas. His face was crinkled with upset. Bridget, it seemed, was absolutely ripping his heart out. If he hadn't just almost killed me, I might have felt bad for him. As it was, I couldn't care less about his heartbreak. I just wanted the truth.

As Ronan seemed to look at Nicholas, he seemed to realize something - perhaps the precarious position he was in. He was trapped. There would be no escape for him from the consequences of his actions.

But would this knowledge encourage him to tell the truth? Or would he lie to protect Bridget?

Ronan swallowed. Then he spoke, "Bridget told me that for us to be together, she needed Piper out of the way."

"Bullshit!" Bridget shouted. She stepped closer to him. "How dare you?"

"You lied to me!" Ronan snapped back at her. "You let me believe that we had a chance? And now you are acting like we don't even know each other? What is wrong with you, Bridget? Have you forgotten the vows we made to each other?"

"We made no vows!"

Their shouting seemed to rouse the rest of the household. Selma herself peeked through one of the windows and gasped.

Nathan stepped outside and took in the sight with wide eyes. "I will get the ambassador!" he called as he rushed toward the store.

Ronan shut his mouth and lowered his head. He didn't seem like he was going to say anymore. 

To me, he had said enough, and confirmed all our suspicions that Bridget, despite her protests, had something to do with this.

Nathan returned quickly, with Ambassador Zale and five merfolk guards in tow.

Two of the guards grabbed Ronan under the arms and forcibly lifted him.

*I have no idea how he managed to get through our security line," Ambassador Zale said, speaking to Nathan as he drew closer. "We were on full alert at all times."

"He had help," Nicholas said. He kept his hand on the small of my back, even as he tumed toward Zale. "I'm sure Bridget can fill in the blanks for us."

"Like hell I can! I don't know anything about this," Bridget snapped. Her perfect veneer was cracking. She seemed genuinely nervous all of the sudden.

Zale locked at her in suspicion, then back to Nicholas. "An accomplice?"

"I believe so," Nicholas said.

"Nicholas!"

linched closer to Nicholas for comfort. All of this was making me feel so exposed. If Veronica hadn't joined me out here... if she hadn't heard me and dropped that vase on Ronan's head, I could very likely be dead right now.

Then, with shock, I realized I didn't know where Elva was. I glanced up at Nicholas with fear in my heart.

"Elva?"

*She's safe," he told me softly. "She found me and Julian and told us to find you. She's with Julian right now."

Relief flooded me and I exhaled deeply. Good. She was safe. I could relax now.

"Well," Zale continued. "Now that Prince Ronan is captured, I can assure you that he will never bother you or yours again, Prince Nicholas." He side-eyed Bridget. "Would you prefer we speak to his accomplice?"

An international incident could be made or lost here. It was one matter to let the merfolk handle one of their own kind, but to give them Bridget was an entirely different matter. That Bridget was a werewolf was reason enough. That she was an ultra-famous superstar only made it potentially more disastrous.

The werewolves had to handle their own, or they would lose faith on the global stage. I didn't need to know much about politics to know that

"We will take care of Bridget," Nicholas said.

Ambassador Zale gave a polite bow. "I will take my leave then. I intend to see to his return and imprisonment personally."

"I'm relieved to hear that, Ambassador. Thank you," Nicholas said.

Zale gave another bow, "I regret this incident occurred at all, Prince Nicholas. Please do not thank me for cleaning it up now, well after the fact." He looked at me. "Miss Piper."

Then, after signaling to his guards, Zale began to walk down to the beach. The merfolk guards continued behind him, after forming a circle around their prisoner. Ronan looked back twice on the way forward, once at the stars and then once at the water. Both times his gaze went straight to Bridget.

The moment they had gone, Bridget stepped forward, panic in her voice. "Nicholas, you have to believe me. I didn't have anything to do with this-

"Silence, Bridget." Nicholas's voice was flat and firm, the voice of a royal. "I am tired of your games and your lies. When we return to the palace, I will personally make sure that you are removed from the competition."

"You... wouldn't."

"You've done enough damage with your time here."

Bridget's panic shifted then into righteous anger. In a flash, she stormed forward, coming right up to Nicholas. Then, without warning, she slapped him straight across the face.

Nicholas didn't even flinch.

The guard moved forward at once, grabbed Bridget's offending hand and pulled it behind her back.

"Bridget!" Nathan snapped in surprise.

Veronica covered her mouth with her hand.

Anger flared hot within me. How dare this person touch Nicholas like that?

"You have no right!" Bridget snapped at Nicholas. "Remove me from the competition? You

are out of your mind."

"You have no right!" I shouted back. "How dare you raise a hand to your prince!"

Bridget didn't listen to me at all. "Only your parents can decide to remove me from the competition, not you! And They, as well as the vast majority of the public love me."

"Control yourself!" Nathan said.

Bridget ignored him too. "Who else in the competition is fit to be queen? Piper? Veronica? Get real. You need me. And the sooner you realized that, the better everything will be."