The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0278

Nicholas

My mind would not let me rest at all that night. My body was at rest, finding comfort in knowing Piper was safe and within reach. But my thoughts constantly reminded me that soon, when the competition ended, Piper would be gone from my side.

Soon, I wouldn’t be able to protect her.

Tonight had just been a shadow of that future. I had very nearly been too late. If Julian hadn’t given Piper that pendant… If she hadn’t been able to press it…

How close we came to disaster.

A pendent like that wouldn’t matter soon enough. When Piper was gone from the palace, neither Julian nor I would be able to come to her rescue.

I had to make sure she was in a position to properly defend herself. I had promised to help restore her wolf to her, which would help her defend herself. But I had to do one better.

I had to take down Terry, to make sure he would never be able to hurt Piper or anyone else ever again.

All night, I stayed up and plotted. We had the letter that implicated Terry was directly connected to the underground organization. But that might not be enough.

Before I went to the King, I needed as much evidence as possible.

At the first sight of the approaching dawn, I carefully rolled Piper away from me and slipped out of bed. With luck, I would complete my task and be back before she would wake. She had a long day the day before. I imagined she would sleep for a long time.

I quickly dressed then left my rooms. I walked down the hallways to where I knew the camera crews and producers gathered each morning. I asked Mark to meet me on the way.

Mark was exhausted, but obliged. He left Elva’s protection in the hands of our most trusted guards and met me in the hallway.

I had text him updates sporadically the night before. From that, and our friendship, I had no doubt he could discern the seriousness of the situation.

When we met, he didn’t say anything, didn’t even greet me. He just nodded. I nodded in return, and we continued on together.

We entered the crew’s room without knocking. Everyone startled, seeing me, and rushed to bow and show deference.

I waved away their concerns. “I’m looking for the footage from last night.”

One of the producers helped me. They had set up a series of monitors in the corner of the room where they always reviewed the previous night’s footage the next day. Most of the event was shown live to the public, but they were collecting the best moments to be released in a future compilation.

Unfortunately, they had not collected footage of Terry’s private tour with Piper.

“Terry had very specific rules about what we were allowed to film,” the producer said. “I felt we were walking on eggshells all night.”

assume you have

the timeline, skipping back to the dinner, where there was direct evidence of Terry’s

about Terry’s behavior toward Piper, but I had failed

quiet and reserved. I had never seen him lose his patience or his temper. With Susie, he seemed as protective as I was

I whispered to Mark. Mark looked at me, searching. Whatever he

the producer, I said, “I need a copy of this footage. Now.”

rushed to

I split

Queen were sitting

said when he saw me. “You look like

him and showed him the footage on my

King watched it all with

last night was beyond inappropriate,” I said. “He made Piper, Susie, and many of the other girls uncomfortable.”

flirt, Nicholas. You know that. I’m sure those girls are being oversensitive.”

the table,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady

you have footage of that?” the Luna

camera angles caught Terry’s movements under the table. I grit my

“Piper said ”

the word of a commoner over that of

the chair I stood behind. Anything to keep me from throwing

across the room.

I said, gesturing to my cell phone still

cut into her breakfast so hard her knife scraped across the plate. “She’s that quiet one, right? I imagine she’s much

said, my voice lowering despite my

abruptly, making a clatter. “Don’t you dare bring such vulgarities to my breakfast table.

to her and she huffed out a breath. To me, he

themselves. And

caught them in the act, she had to pretend otherwise, lest she be

hands began to splinter.

uncle,” the Luna said. “You are conspiring with that

said again,

gaze back to her breakfast.

King said to me. “You must know that I need more than this to accuse my wife’s most admired brother.”

done,” I

“Oh?”

Terry. I passed it to him. My mother looked up from her breakfast

read through

say?”

he had finished reading it, he passed it to my