Chapter 60

Our game of tag lasted for another twenty minutes or so before Elva finally tired and wanted to pick flowers instead. Susie sat with her, teaching her how to make a flower crown with her gathered collection. Mark stood nearby, watchful.

Nicholas and I sat in the grass a few yards off. I’d been pleased when he chose to sit beside me. I felt like there was much regarding his conversation with Julian that he had been keeping from me.

He was relaxed, resting back on his elbows with his long legs stretched out in front of him. His typically perfectly styled hair was a bit windswept from running.

He looked perfect and comfortable, and in another life, I would have stretched out alongside him and buried my face into his neck.

Now, I maintained my careful distance.

I teased, “I hope you were too tough on Julian.”

At once, I regretted the words. The softness in Nicholas’s face hardened. He pushed himself into sitting upright.

“He’s still in one piece, don’t worry,” he said gruffly.

I tried to quickly think of a different topic of conversation. The weather, perhaps? It was pleasant today.

“You must care for Julian deeply,” Nicholas said, causing my thoughts to stutter.

Did Julian’s lies truly work on Nicholas as well?

I knew I should probably correct him, but I wasn’t sure. Julian had said we should keep the truth from Nicholas. Maybe this lie was an extension of that. I wanted to protect him.

But this felt too far. It didn’t seem right.

“I wouldn’t say it’s all that deep,” I said, trying to reveal just enough truth without entirely showing my hand. I hated lying. I really wasn’t built for the deception Julian wanted.

“Oh, no?” Nicholas raised a brow, acting casual. But his grip on his knee had tightened, giving him away.

I didn’t know why he cared so much about this. He’d already told Julian, flat out, that he was not jealous.

Yet he was acting for all the world like a man who was.

I must have been imagining it. But I still wanted to put him at ease.

“I’m not serious about Prince Julian,” I admitted. “We’ve had our dates, but they don’t mean anything.”

He loosened the death grip he had on his knees, and nodded. He didn’t say he was relieved, but I could see it in the way his features smoothed out.

For a time, we silently watched as Elva worked on a flower crown. It fell apart almost instantly, but with Susie’s gentle encouragement, she began again.

And in that time, I felt a sense of peace. I still felt loss from the gain and absence of my wolf, but to have felt it, even for a fleeting moment, gave me a sense of comfort. I had thought it totally lost. Yet it was still out there calling to me.

Julian had tracked it down once. I had to believe he could do so again. Next time, I wouldn’t let it get away.

“Have you thought about Linda’s deal?” Nicholas asked me.

My pleasant mood instantly shifted, sinking down. “You mean, her blackmail?”

Of course I wanted to keep my previous relationship with Nicholas a secret, since the King had made threats against my life if it were to be exposed. But that wasn’t the only reason.

“I’m torn,” I said. “I want to make sure I can stay for Elva’s sake. If I’m disqualified –” or worse, “—who knows what will happen to her. But, at the same time, I hate the thought of you forced to be with someone for my sake.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll do whatever it takes to help Elva stay healthy and happy.”

He glanced at me, golden eyes warm in the sunlight. I felt like there was more to what he was saying, beyond just his words, but we’d spent too much time apart. I couldn’t read him as easily as I used to.

Even so, the words at face value were still enough to make me melt. Nicholas wanted to protect Elva, almost as if she was his own. I almost couldn’t believe my good fortune, in having such a kind man in my life, in whatever capacity I had him.

“Things haven’t been easy between you and me,” he said. “But I’m thinking that should change.”

“What do you suggest?”

He glanced back to Elva. Her flower crown stayed together this time. Smiling wide, she placed it on her head.

“Let’s be friends,” he said. Surprised, I looked at him. He watched me a moment, before adding, “For Elva’s sake.”

“I’d like that.”

Just then, Elva ran over to us and offered her flower crown to Nicholas. He dipped his head low to accept it.

Later that afternoon, the other girls and I were brought into the parlor for an announcement regarding the next challenge.

I had been in the room for approximately two minutes when the snickering began. It seemed, from what I could overhear, that the girls had found out about my secret rendezvous with Julian and were most displeased.

As someone walked by me, they nudged me hard with their elbow.

“Hey!” I said.

“Oh,” said the girl. “I didn’t see you there. You really should be more careful where you stand.”

I rubbed my sore arm. “You could watch where you’re going.”

“I only notice important things.”

“Careful,” said another girl. “Apparently she is Prince Julian’s favorite. Though who knows what she had to do to earn it.”

“Not to worry,” said a third. “Prince Julian doesn’t take seriously the girls who put out right away. He’ll play around with her, have his fun, and cast her aside. The girl he marries will be of more virtuous stock.”

The first girl chimed in, “Aren’t we supposed to be virgins?”

The second girl laughed. “Can’t expect the girl with the kid to abstain from sex.”

I wanted to defend myself, but I didn’t want to make things worse. I didn’t think there was anything I could say that would get them to stop. They were mad and jealous, and would twist everything to fit their own agenda.

Linda glanced at the group of us, then surprisingly moved away without a word. Of anyone here, I thought she for sure would want to take a stab at me.

Instead it was Olivia who came to stand before me. The crowd parted for her like she’d already been chosen Luna, and all deferred to her as she spoke.

“I have some friendly advice for you, Piper, and I suggest you take it.”

“That really isn’t necessary,” I said.

“It is, actually. If you want to be taken seriously as a contender in this competition, then you really shouldn’t keep doing things that make you look like a slut.”

My eyes went wide at such a blatant, derogatory term.

“Listen to her, Piper,” said another girl.

“You are embarrassing yourself,” said someone else.

Olivia flipped her perfect hair over her shoulder and continued, “Not even Prince Julian will respect you if you give everything away so easily.”

They had it all wrong. I could only allow them to push me so far. “Julian and my relationship is entirely innocent.”

The girls stared at me for a moment, then erupted into a roar of laughter. Even Olivia chuckled, though she covered her mouth with her hand.

“I’m serious!” I insisted.

“Julian? Innocent?” Someone snorted.

“Honestly, Piper,” Olivia said. “Do you think we are so gullible? Everyone knows Prince Julian is chasing you because you are the easy lay. You’re the only one here who isn’t a virgin.”

I was a virgin, but they didn’t deserve to know that. I lifted my chin up high, attempting to cling to my sense of dignity.

But then Olivia struck a lethal blow. “You walk around like you belong here. But we all know you are here for ratings only. Why would a girl like you ever think she could deserve one of the three princes?”