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.”

you have footage of the dinner.”

the timeline, skipping back to the dinner, where there was

him about Terry’s behavior toward Piper, but I had failed to mention Susie’s

progressed, Mark began to growl low in his throat. Mark was usually quiet and reserved. I had never seen him lose his patience or his temper. With Susie, he seemed as protective as I

down,” I whispered to Mark. Mark looked at me, searching. Whatever he saw in me helped calm him down. My sincerity, perhaps. Or my

“I need

rushed to

of it to my phone, and the rest to a flash drive. Then I split with Mark and walked to the King’s personal

were sitting at their table,

the King said when he saw me. “You

I walked to him and showed him the

all with

inappropriate,” I said. “He made Piper, Susie, and many

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

tried to feel up Piper under the table,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady and calm. Losing my temper never worked with

of that?” the

caught Terry’s movements under the table. I grit my teeth, holding

“Piper said ”

we accept the word of a commoner over that

gripped the back of the chair I stood behind. Anything to keep

across the room.

to my cell phone still

breakfast so hard her knife scraped across the plate. “She’s that quiet one, right? I imagine she’s much the same. A Luna would have to be able to reject men’s

just advances,” I said, my voice lowering despite my best efforts. “Terry

making a clatter. “Don’t you dare bring

said to her and she huffed out a breath. To me, he said, “That is

wrists and ankles speak for themselves. And

when you caught them in the act, she had to pretend

the chair under my hands began to splinter. “That

Luna said. “You are conspiring with that brat against him.”

said again,

lowered her fiery gaze back to

said to me. “You must know that I need more than this to accuse my wife’s

has done,” I said. “This is only the beginning.”

“Oh?”

to Terry. I passed

read through

say?”

he passed it to my mother.