The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0577 Nicholas, even with his eyes blazing with Alpha rage, had no other reaction while we remained in the water. He held onto me, kicking forward. I'm not sure how much help he was being with the strength of the merfolk tail driving most of our speed. But | imagined the exercise was still good for him.

Perhaps if he worked off some of his anger before we reached the boat, he wouldn't be quite so dangerous once we were upon it.

During our journey, a feeling of safety slowly returned to me. Between the merfolk soldier and Nicholas, Ronan would never be able to reach me here.

‘When we finally reached the boat, Bridget had already been lifted up onto it.

"Tell that fishman to keep his hands to himself!" she snapped at the attendant on the boat trying to assist her.

Julian himself pushed her to the side, making room for my arrival. As | came near, he reached down for me. Nicholas

"Thank you," | made sure to tell the soldier, especially seeing how Bridget treated him.

The salt water, it seemed, had rubbed away Bridget's veneer. Maybe fear helped too.

I wondered what she would be like when she realized the ass she was making of herself. | looked forward to seeing her face when she understood that she would not be getting away with her lies this time.

| knew what happened. The memory was burned onto the forefront of my mind. And nothing would make me forget it.

At the boat edge, | grabbed Julian's hands and he yanked me up onto the boat. He didn't care that | was soaked down to the bone, Julian pulled me into his arms and held me tight as together, and we waddled away from the railing of the boat.

‘When we reached the benches, he helped ease me down so that | could sit. Veronica stood nearby. Even Jessica had sat up to watch me.

"I'm okay," | told all of them, though the salt water still

burned in my throat.

Nicholas emerged from the water next. He walked over to me. His eyes were still red. Julian did a double-take when he saw them.

"Nicholas? You okay?" "I... can't..." His voice was low and dangerous, with a grow underlying his words.

"It's okay, brother," Julian said in the calmest voice | had ever heard him use. "Whatever it is." "Bridget... pushed... Piper...

Julian growled on reflex. His eyes didn't turn red, though he was still raging. "Where is she?" Bridget was nearby, sitting on the ground halfway between the bench and the railing. When Julian spotted her, he rushed toward her. Nicholas followed.

| was too tired. Every muscle ached from the strain of keeping myself above the water. | was jelly form. | couldn't move even if | wanted to.

Fortunately, | didn't have to. Julian seemed determined to be my mouthpiece, and Nicholas, my muscle.

They both stood over Bridget, who lifted her head away from the towel she was dabbing her face with to look up at them. "Nicholas... your eyes..." "Explain to us," Julian said through gritted teeth, "exactly what happened before you two fell over.” Bridget would have had to be blind not to notice the tension in their bodies and the utter seriousness to this conversation. Even if she had been blind, she should have

heard Julian's barely concealed rage.

"Piper and | were just messing around," Bridget said. She laughed a little, nervously. "Then Piper slipped. | reached for her, but | wasn't strong enough to pull her up. So we both toppled over the rail." Julian let her tell her lie without interruption. When she had finished, he said, "You pushed her." Bridget paled. It was clear as day without her typical makeup. "Piper shouldn't take it so seriously. She knows it was an accident.” "So you did push her?" Julian asked.

"We were playing around," Bridget said. She seemed panicked now. Her nervous smile slipped away. "I didn't mean for her to actually fall into the water." "If it was a joke," Nathan said, approaching, "it was a tasteless one. You should have known better, Bridget.

Especially with Prince Ronan lurking around, waiting for the opportunity.” "An opportunity that you nearly handed him," Julian added.

It was a strange sight to see: Nathan, Nicholas, and Julian a united front against Bridget. More so that they were standing up to Bridget for me.

"We were just having fun," Bridget said.

*Should we ask Piper if she had fun?" Julian said.

Nicholas growled.

"There's a fugitive on the loose, Bridget," Nathan scolded.

"This is no time for foolishness."

Nathan looked over the lot of them. When he looked closely at Nicholas, he sighed.

"Prince Nicholas," he said. "Go sit with Piper and calm yourself down." The remark startled me. For one, Nathan, even as the King's Beta, was in no position to order the prince around.

And two, for him to insist Nicholas come and sit with me seemed beyond the pale.

Maybe | had died in the water. Maybe this now was my afterlife.

Nicholas, despite so near Alpha rage, did as he was told.

He left Bridget to Julian and Nathan's interrogation and ‘came over to me. Veronica made room, and Nicholas took her place, sitting directly beside me.

"Piper..." he growled, turning toward me.

He needed my scent. My closeness. | didn't know how | knew that, but | did. | would not deny him. So | leaned into

him. His arms wrapped around me at once, boxing me against the wide expanse of his muscled chest. His shirt was cold and slimy from the ocean, but | didn't care.

I needed his scent and closeness too.

| clawed at that damp shirt, clinging to him as much as | could. He lowered his nose to the space near my ear and hair and breathed me in.

"Piper," he said. The growl was gone now. He was more like himself. Thank God.

I'd never seen anyone lose themselves to Alpha rage before. | had heard that a thing like that could only happen with true mates. But Nicholas didn't have any mate, let alone a true one. The only person in danger had been me? And perhaps Bridget, but he did not seem overly concerned with her.

| wondered what could have caused such a strong reaction.

He breathed me in for a long moment, just as | did him.

Then he raised a hand to cup my cheek. He coaxed my

gaze upwards, tilting my face until | was looking straight up at him.

Then, gently, as if | was the most precious thing in the world, he leaned down and kissed me.

It was a soft, lingering kiss that did not press for more.

Anyone who looked could see. All they had to do was turn their heads.

But | trusted most of the people here. And those | did not trust, already knew.

Except perhaps Jessica, but... | didn't think she'd be all that bothered about it.

Nicholas pulled back slightly, but only so much as he tilted his head, repositioning. Then he returned for a second kiss. And then a third. None were deep, but all felt intimate.

My heart was warmed by each press of lips. | felt like | was coming alive again.

"From now on," he said, when we broke, "I will never leave you alone again."