The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0554

I'd promised to be careful, and I would be. But I didn't know how careful I could be when I was swimming out in the ocean, unable to fully take notice of my surroundings.

To have a friend like Veronica, someone I trusted so implicitly, guarding my back, gave me relief without measure.

*Thank you, Veronica," I said. "I mean it."

She nodded.

Near us, about halfway between us and Bridget, Jessica was stretching alone. Watching her, she seemed to be the least flexible of the ground. Perhaps the least athletic? Her deep-set frown seemed to indicate that she was not at all happy about today's event.

"Don't be overconfident," Veronica said softly, so that Jessica would not hear. "Jessica has never flexed her wolf before. We'd don't know what she's truly capable of."

I took the words to heart. Everyone and everything felt like a wild card today. Who knew what the race might bring out of its contenders today?

What I needed to focus on was pushing my own limits and doing the very best that I could. Concentrating on myself, I push-pulled my muscles to ready them for the strain I was to ask of them today.

Truthfully, I wasn't much of an athlete myself, and my wolf and I weren't so fully in sync yet for me to be overly confident about all this. But when I had worked at the restaurant, I had pushed myself for long hours, on my feet most of the day. That combined with my days-long runs as a wolf, I thought I might stand a chance.

As I contemplating this, I didn't notice Bridget approach us until she was right at our side.

"Elva," she said, smiling.

Elva had given up on stretching and was sitting on the sand. She wasn't making a sandcastle exactly. What she was doing was more like moving sand from one pile to another and then back again. She seemed to like the way it felt slipping through her outstretched fingers.

When Bridget said her name, she dropped all the sand she'd been holding like she'd done something wrong.

"What did you need, Bridget?" I asked, standing up for my little girl.

Bridget didn't acknowledge me at all. Her smile stretched wider, as big and bright as the sun. It almost hurt to look at her.

"Elva, why don't you come with me for a minute? I have something to show you," Bridget said. Finally, her gaze slid to me. "Your mother can come too of course."

"We should be preparing for the race," I said.

"Elva's not taking part," Bridget said. "It's just a little surprise, but it will give her something to do while we're all competing. Just watching must be so dull for a little girl." Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

I glanced at Elva. She was frowning, with her brow pulled together. She wasn't very good at hiding her emotions. She was too young. Although she might have come by it honestly. Jane might have been better at hiding her true self nowadays, but I never was.

Elva seemed to be taking after me.

*You don't have to if you don't want to," I told Elva. She looked between me and Bridget.

She was troubled. She didn't trust Bridget, but I could see her curiosity flash in her eyes. She wanted to know what Bridget wanted to show her.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.

"It will be fun," Bridget said.

Elva looked at me, and I sighed. "I'll go with you."

I didn't know what Bridget wanted to show Elva, but there's no way I would let Elva go see it alone.

After everything Bridget has done, and everything I suspect she has done but can't prove yet, I'm not letting Elva go anywhere near her without me.

Bridget simply could not be trusted.