The Luna Choosing Game

This type of scenting felt too intimate for our audience, but I supposed there was no real harm in it. Julian knew of my affections
for Nicholas, and his for me. If anything, Julian might give me a high five afterwards. He’d say something like, If he’s jealous, it
means he cares.
But then, I look to the side and realize that Julian is not our only audience. A few feet to the side, watching us from the wall of the
plane interior, stood Bridget. Her expression was carefully blank, but even that was alarming, given that she usually sported a
smile no matter the occasion.
I didn’t know my place here. With Bridget’s presence and everything that
had happened since her arrival, I felt on uneven ground. And I heard her voice, remembered her words, when she told me that
she and Nicholas were together now, and I needed to back off and leave him alone.
This was not leaving him alone.
Since Nicholas wasn’t touching me, his arms down straight at his sides, I faced no resistance when I placed a foot behind myself
and took a large step backwards.
Nicholas didn’t give chase. He simply raised his head and looked at me. His expression was mostly unreadable, as if he was still
half-lost to the instincts of his wolf. But the human side of him seemed like he had a question.
He probably wanted to know why I backed away.
I wasn’t about to tell him it was because of Bridget, especially with her close enough to hear.
“Ineed to get back to Elva,” I said. It wasn’t a lie. I had left Elva alone too long. But it wasn’t the full truth either.
For now it would have to do. “If you’ll excuse me.” I turned to leave, but that was when Nicholas reached out and snagged my
arm. I looked behind me, up into his face. Was that reaction from the human side of him, or from the wolf? Slowly, the human
side of him was returning fully to the surface. But he still didn’t release my arm.
“I'll go with you,” he said. His voice was deep and rough, remnants of his wolf nearly overtaking him.
“T’1l be okay,” I said.
“There might be turbulence,” he said.

“Or you might panic when we land.
You shouldn't be alone.” I'wasn’t entirely helpless. Yes, I did have a panic attack and I didn’t want Elva to see, but I felt okay
now... I think. At any rate, I couldn’t ask Nicholas to abandon his other guests, aka Bridget, to sit next to me just in case
something might happen.
He was determined though. And when Nicholas was determined, there wasn’t much that could change his mind.
“Okay,” I eventually caved. “Thank you.” As we began to walk away back to my seat, Nicholas loosened his hold on my arm but
didn’t release me.
Behind Nicholas’s back, Julian flashed me a smile and a quick thumbs up. I knew he’d be supportive. I couldn’t help but wonder
now too, if he had purposefully matched Nicholas’s aggression instead of backing down just to force me into intervening myself.
Had he predicted this outcome? I wouldn’t put it past him. In all other areas except those relating to Bridget, Julian seemed to be
six or seven steps ahead of anyone else.
Then, my gaze slid past him to the other observer. Bridget continued to watch the scene unfold. She still wasn’t smiling, though
now her face wasn’t entirely blank either.
In fact, it almost looked like she was glaring straight at me.