Page 66 of Luna Trials

But maybe they’d donated enough to stay in the running either way and my meager cash handoff would get me sent home. The thought of all the inmates calling in and wasting their phone cards on a vote made me physically sick.

I could never show my face in Nuva Pack again if I didn’t win and it wasn’t only because of Alpha Derek. If I went back to work at the prison, they’d never let me forget that I failed.

Could you just breathe?

I took a deep inhale to steady my nerves and raised my chin. To quote Fallon,“Screw it.”

I was proud of what I did at the hospital and I knew my papa would be proud of me too. Even if I got sent home today, I’d hold my head high and accept the fallout.

“Ready to rip the band aide off?” Molly clapped as we took our seats on the benches.

Anxious laughter came from the other Luna contestants and I looked around, noticing everyone seemed as nervous as I felt. I tried to smile, hoping it would help someone else feel more at ease.

Stef took a seat next to me on the back row of the bleachers. I faced straight ahead and tried to look confident. The fear in the room was palpable. My wolf wasn’t the only one who whined.

The lights dimmed.

Someone called, “Action.”

Jay Renfro took center stage. “Good evening Luna candidates and our viewers watching from home. Welcome to the first elimination round on the 7thannualMating Season. As you know, the trials are designed to help ensure that only the best Lunas get the opportunity to match with an Alpha who will one day lead the packs of this nation. It’s an honor to behere and have a hand in choosing which of you will go on to accomplish great things.”

A few of the girls around me sat up a little straighter and I felt myself doing the same. When he put it that way, this did feel like an honor and not just some dating show.

“And you, the viewers, get a say on which Luna stays or goes. Let’s roll some of our fan favorite clips from the show tonight.”

Just like that, I remembered why this was stupid. It wasn’t about who was best. It was who could get the most votes. This was a popularity contest. Then again, what type of election isn’t?

The video reels played on a drop-down screen beside Jay and I chuckled a little, seeing Stef scowling as she cleaned out cages at the animal shelter.

“Don’t you dare laugh,”she growled next to me.“At least I didn’t kick one of the rat dogs.”

“Someone kicked a dog?”My eyes popped wide open at the image on the screen.

There were a few gasps from the contestants as we all looked at Karen whose face was flaming red.

Jay tsked and the videos kept rolling.

Warmth filled me as I saw the clip of that two-year-old boy going through chemo who snuggled my wolf on his bed and read me the red train pop-up book at least ten times.

Totally worth it.

“Contestants aren’t allowed to fully shift during the trials for the safety of our crew,” Jay explained to the cameras.

Which was bullshit if you asked me. We were just as strong in human form and partially shifted, but I guess there was a little speciesism going on here.

I twisted my hands in my lap, preparing for the worst.

Jay smiled. “But the producers agreed that since the contestants weren’t at the resort, they didn’t break any rules.”

The sigh of relief that hissed through my teeth took me by surprise. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until Jay spoke those words.

“We have some surprising news for you tonight,” Jay continued. “It’s the first time in show history that only one contestant will be going home during the first elimination round.”

The vote tallies appeared and I barely heard Jay call Karen’s name as she was asked to leave the premises. I was too busy focusing on the screen.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”Stef rolled her eyes.

My name was in the first slot, winning the popular vote of the top twenty this round. Based on a few looks the other girls were giving me, I should have been more worried about that. But it was the Alpha votes on the side of each of our names which made a stone drop in my stomach.

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