Chapter l404

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.

Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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 place 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 in companionable silence for a while. It was relaxing, 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 placed her finger down onto the page as if to keep her spot should she become 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 Nicholas 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 words come 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 discomfort 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 relationship, I

+15 BONU

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

“Prince Nicholas should have consulted with you before telling that to Elva.” “Yeah…” I would have to speak with him about that later. 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 related 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 blame,” Miracle grumbles in my head. “That one smells… wrong… “Perhaps you should speak with Prince Nicholas,” 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 Nicholas would act the same as always. And if Nicholas 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.

Nicholas 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 Nicholas,” Veronica said politely. Finally, she looked up from her book, but not to properly greet Nicholas. Instead, she set me a flat look.

+15 BONUS

I got the message loud and clear.

“Did you need something from me, Nicholas?’ 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.

Nicholas held out his arm for me, and I laced mine through his.

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

“Nicholas!” Bridget came walking down the hallway toward us, coming from the other way. Julian was two steps behind her. Her eyes were only for Nicholas. ” I have something I need your help with.”

“I can help you,” Julian said.

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

Julian’s jaw tightened.

“Well, I was talking with Piper,” Nicholas 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, Nicholas,” I say. “Go help Bridget. We can talk later.”

“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 Nicholas,

+15 BON

“Shall we?”

Nicholas 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 glanced 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 semblance 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.