Chapter 0404


    I bullied myself for a good long while after that. I tried to push back against my wolf that wanted to


    distrust Bridget at every turn. Jealous was what drove these feelings, I just knew it.


    Nichs and Bridget had a past, but that didn’t mean they had a future, right? I needed to get myself


    under control or I risked potentially losing what could be a very nice friendship. Bridget must have been


    great for both Nichs and Julian to think so highly of her.


    I needed to give her a chance. But it was a struggle.


    The only person in the whole world who might understand what I’m going through and who might have


    answers


    –


    was Veronica.


    So I searched. It didn’t take long. I knew exactly where she would be. Same ce she’d been since the


    night of the happiness ball: in the library, researching.


    She didn’t seem at all surprised at my arrival. She didn’t even look up as I plopped in the chair opposite


    her at her little wooden table covered in old books and tomes.


    We sat inpanionable silence for a while. It was rxing, being surrounded by the smell of old


    books and parchment, with the only sounds my own breath and the rustling of pages.


    “You want to ask me something,” Veronica said. She still didn’t look up from her book, though she


    ced her finger down onto the page as if to keep her spot should she be distracted.


    “I don’t trust Bridget,” I said.


    Veronica hummed in response, like she already knew that.


    “But it makes no sense. I have no reason to distrust her. She’s never personally treated me unfairly.


    And Nichs trusts her so much that he told Elva she can trust her too.” I drop my elbows onto the


    table and then bury my face in my hands. My next wordse out muf fled. “I don’t know what’s wrong


    with me.” “She is a woman from the past of your current lover,” Veronica said. She turned a page. “You


    will, of course, feel some difort being around her, even if she’s an absolute saint. In fact, that


    might make your feelings of hatred worse, since they have nothing to focus on.”


    “But it feels like more than that. Even if I feel threatened in my rtionship, I


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    shouldn’t personally distrust her. The thought of leaving her alone around Elva


    “Prince Nichs should have consulted with you before telling that to Elva.” “Yeah…” I would have to


    speak with him about thatter. Though I wasn’t sure how, without revealing my nonsensical distrust,


    which I doubted he would understand given his deep friendship with Bridget.


    I peeked at Veronica through my fingers. “Could it be rted to me adjusting to my wolf?” I asked


    “It’s possible. It could at least be exemplifying your feelings, as it has before. Jealousy could lead to


    distrust.”


    The wolf did make me feel everything so much worse. Forget jealousy. Maybe my feelings of distrust


    were being amplified too.


    “I am not to me,” Miracle grumbles in my head. “That one smells… wrong… “Perhaps you should


    speak with Prince Nichs,” Veronica said. “He is not an unreasonable man. He may be able to quell


    some of your worries. At the very least, you can reaffirm your feelings. I take it you haven’t been alone


    since Bridget’s arrival.”


    That was true.


    “You should speak with him,” Veronica said again. “See how he acts around you now that Bridget is


    here.”


    That made sense. If I truly had no cause to be jealous, then Nichs would act the same as always.


    And if Nichs acted the same as always, then there likely wasn’t anything to worry about with Bridget.


    I hoped.


    “But what if she -” I started.


    “Piper?”


    My mouth immediately shut.


    Nichs stood in the doorway of the library. When he spotted me, he came closer with a tiny hint of a


    smile.


    “There you are,” he said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Veronica, good to see you, too,”


    “Prince Nichs,” Veronica said politely. Finally, she looked up from her book, but not to properly greet


    Nichs. Instead, she set me a t look.


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    I got the message loud and clear.


    “Did you need something from me, Nichs?’ I asked him.


    “No,” he seemed surprised by the question. “I just wanted to see you.”


    My heart filled with warmth. Maybe things weren’t so different after all.


    “I’d be happy to take a walk with you,” I said and stood from the table. Veronica’s eyes dropped back


    down to her book.


    Nichs held out his arm for me, and Iced mine through his.


    For the length of our walk, everything seemed normal. We chatted about this and that. Nichs


    squeezed my arm and made me blush.


    The moment was so perfect that I didn’t know how to bring up Bridget. I knew that I needed to, as


    Veronica suggested, to clear the air between us. And I wanted to speak with him about what he had


    said to Elva.


    But I struggled to find the words. I knew I had to be brave, but it just felt so good to spend time with


    Nichs, that Bridget felt like the furthest thing from my mind.


    Still, I know what I have to do, so during a lull in our conversation, I open my mouth and say, “Nick, if=”


    “Nichs!” Bridget came walking down the hallway toward us,ing from the other way. Julian was


    two steps behind her. Her eyes were only for Nichs. ” I have something I need your help with.”


    “I can help you,” Julian said.


    “I told you, Julian,” Bridget said. “This is a distinctly Nichs task.”


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    Julian’s jaw tightened.


    “Well, I was talking with Piper,” Nichs said. He looked at me, as if he needed my permission. “You


    were about to say something.”


    Well, I couldn’t very well say it now! Bridget was standing right there, and now she was looking at me


    too. Go d help me. I had to hold my tongue.


    “It’s fine, Nichs,” I say. “Go help Bridget. We can talkter.”


    “You are so sweet, Piper,” Bridget said. She smiled brightly at me.


    I smiled a little in return. It was entirely fake. She didn’t seem to mind. Instead she looked again to


    Nichs,


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    “Shall we?”


    Nichs gave me a brief goodbye and then followed Bridget as she started back down the hallway, the


    way she came.


    Julian, not acknowledged by Bridget, stopped to stand by me. He was usually so good at hiding his


    features, but like this right now, I could see his anger.


    I hated seeing him like this, so unlike himself.


    “I have something you can help me with, actually, Julian,” I said.


    Julian nced at me, a quirk in his brow. “What is it?”


    I smiled. “Something only you can do.’


    Finally, his harsh mood cracked and I started to see some semnce of the man I knew from before


    Bridget’s sudden return. His eyes were bright.


    “I like the sound of that,” he said.


    “Come back to my room with me,” I said.


    His grin grew wider, more devilish. “Oh, I definitely like the sound of that.” I rolled my eyes.