Chapter 0398


    That night, the King and Queen finally made an appearance at the night’s formal dinner. They greeted


    Bridget like a doting set of parents would, hugging her and kissing her cheek. Nichs and Julian were


    right there with them.


    The rest of us candidates were already inside the dining room waiting and forced to watch.


    “God, I’m going to be sick,” Tiffany said. She put her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her


    hands.


    Veronica awkwardly patted her shoulder.


    Bridget and the royal family entered the dining room like some kind of royal parade. The King and


    Queen took their usual seats. Nichs and Julian stayed standing as they counted the chairs. None of


    us candidates had made room for Bridget to sit down.


    It seemed that was to be decided now.


    “Where should I sit?” Bridget asked with innocent wide eyes. There were plenty of empty seats at the


    table. She could just as easily take one as her own.


    She batted her eyshes at Nichs and Julian.


    Both men moved at once. They personally asked each girl to move down one seat. When Julian came


    to me, he didn’t even have the nerve to look apologetic.


    “Please move, Piper,” Julian said.


    “But Julian…”Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    “No time for arguments,” he said. “Everyone’s hungry.”


    It felt strange getting the brush off from him. I wanted to snap back and maybe wake him from whatever


    witchcraft might have ensnared him, but with so many people and cameras watching, I didn’t dare call


    him out here and now.


    Later, I vowed in my head, as I begrudgingly rose from my chair. With all the girls shifted; the only open


    seat now was on the other side of the table, which meant I would have to watch this terrible show of


    Nichs and Julian falling all over themselves to keep Bridget’s attention.


    My jealousy buzzed under the surface of my skin. Nichs hadn’t looked at me since Bridget stepped


    out of that car.


    I lowered myself into my new seat and tried to withhold my growing anger. I felt


    +15 BONUS


    like I was holding a wolf back with only a paper chain.


    Bridget found her seat directly between Nichs and Julian. She smiled at them both, they both


    couldn’t seem to stop looking at her.


    Susie, dear friend that she was, moved from her previous seat to sit beside me.


    She leaned in close to whisper, “You look like you need a friend.”


    “I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered back, careful not to catch the attention of the cameras.


    This truly was my worst nightmare. Bridget was here, like she had walked out of my worst, darkest


    dream.


    If only Nichs would look at me once, maybe I could endure. As it was, I felt alone. Abandoned.


    What a foolish notion. This was just a vision of how things were always going to be. Thepetition


    wasn’t going tost forever. Eventually I would have to leave Nichs behind and return to the diner


    and my apartment. Two jobs to pay for Elva’s medical bills.


    A curse that still hasn’t been cured..


    A sister that was still on the run.


    A life full of hardship and loneliness.


    Maybe this wasn’t as bad, considering. At least while I was here, I had three steady meals for me and


    Elva, as well as help with Elva’s medical bills.


    Even if Nichs left me early, abandoning me to thepetition, I could endure.


    For Elva, I could endure anything.


    “We should run,” my wolf whispered, and I felt the itch of it deep within me.


    Yes, a run would feel so good right about now. I could let loose and be free, without these worries and


    hurts hounding me so closely.


    No. I had to hold myself back.


    We promised Elva we wouldn’t disappear again, I replied in my mind.


    Miracle quieted then, not wanting to hurt our pup.


    Nichs proposed a toast, and stood up to deliver it. “It’s a wonder,” he said, holding his drink aloft,


    “what life hands us when we least suspect it.” He lifted his drink higher. “To old friends.”


    The royal family replied right away. “To old friends!”


    +15 BONUS


    The candidates were slightly slower. “To old friends…”


    Olivia didn’t say anything, she just drank.


    Tiffany covered her eyes as she said it.


    Susie kept her eyes on me.


    I whispered, “To old friends,” but I wasn’t saying it to mean Nichs and Bridget. Instead, I meant


    Nichs and me.


    Nichs returned to his seat. Bridget gripped his arm.


    “A wonderful toast, Nichs,” she said.


    I carefully lowered my drink down to the table.


    Our sds came and I thanked the server as they lowered mine in front of me. I picked up my fork.


    Across the table, Bridget let her hand linger on Nichs’s arms. Slowly, she traced her fingers down


    from his elbow to his wrist.


    He nced at her, a bit of surprise in his eyes.


    “Piper,” Susie said in a whisper–yell.


    I looked down at my hand. I had bent my fork straight in half.


    I quickly lowered it down into myp before the cameras could catch it.


    Susie gave me a worried look. It was one that I mirrored as I looked back at her.


    Again, Miracle whispered, “Run.”


    God, I wanted to so badly, even more than before. I did my best to hold it in.


    I somehow mad it through dinner, but at the end of the meal, I felt like I was at the end of my rope. I


    had to get away. I had to run. I…


    I had to speak with Nichs.


    He had told me, if the urge got too overwhelming to find him, to speak with him and he would help me.


    Maybe he would kiss me until I felt like myself again.


    I waited outside the dining room. Blessedly, he came out first on his own.


    “Nick,” I said, and my voice cracked.


    He looked down at me with sudden urgency. “Piper?”


    “Nick, I need –”


    +15 BONUS


    “There you are, Nichs,” Bridget said. She stepped out of the dining room. I’m hoping you weren’t


    nning on running away before we could finish reminiscing?” She came to stand at his side. “Oh,


    Piper. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. You don’t mind if I pull him away for a moment.”


    “Actually,” I started to say.


    “It’s been so long. You understand. It’s important to Nichs that we rebuild all the bridges lost to time


    between us.


    I looked up at Nichs. He wasn’t disputing her words, but he was looking at me with concern.


    “Are you alright, Piper?”


    What could I possibly have said? No? I needed him to help keep me level, my returned wolf was pacing


    so wildly within me I felt I might jump out of my own skin. But I couldn’t say any of that in front of


    Bridget.


    If she knew about my weakness, would she use it against me?


    I didn’t trust her. I couldn’t trust her..


    So I offered a tight–lipped smile. “Of course, I am.”


    Nichs didn’t seem convinced, but Bridget was pulling on his arm.


    “If you are sure,” he said.


    “I am,” I lied.


    I watched as Bridget pulled Nichs away. He looked back once, twice, but didn’te back to me.