The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

It had been three days since Boss made his proposition: either I sleep with him or I get fired.

I needed one more day’s pay to cover Elva’s most recent bill. Once I had that, I could resign and hopefully find something else.

Boss trailed his eyes down the length of my body. Staring openly at my breasts, he licked his lips. “Don’t think I won’t, Piper. I’ll be waiting for you.”

In the restaurant, all of the female patrons talked excitedly about the selection. To cater to them, Boss turned all of the televisions on the walls to the royal consort ceremony broadcast.

“Which one do you think is the most handsome?” asked one patron to her friends.

They’d ordered a plate of loaded nachos to share. I carefully placed it in the center of their table.

Another girl spoke quickly. “Are you kidding? The others are cute, sure, but Nicholas is obviously the hottest.”

The other girls quickly agreed.

Startled, I hovered at their table. They were right, of course. Nicholas was the most objectively attractive, but to hear people talk about him so casually still surprised me.

For three days, I’d tried to reconcile in my mind that the Nicholas I had known was also the eldest prince of the kingdom. But I still couldn’t quite manage it.

Nicholas had always been proper. But a prince?

“Piper, is it?” one of the girls at the table asked me. I jumped, realizing I was still standing there. Yet before I could apologize, she asked me, “Which one do you think is the most handsome?”

“Nicholas,” came my automatic answer. “Excuse me.”

Embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming, I forced myself to focus on work. And I succeeded – until I heard Nicholas’ voice come from the speakers.

“The kind of woman I’d prefer?” Nicholas said. “Someone loyal. Strong. Even tempered. And she has to like to children.”

“Check, check, and check,” came a voice from the table of girls. “He’s describing me! It’s meant to be.”

“Dream on. He’s clearly describing me.”

“You don’t even like kids!”

well, we’ll see which of us make it through the

we

panned back to Nicholas. He gave a small smile, but his eyes were guarded. “It’s my duty as a prince to continue the lineage. But, yes, I’d like to have a

squealed in delight. “He’d make such a good

the camera, and for a moment, it seemed as if he was staring straight through it. I froze in

My heart ached.

the interviewer, and immediately, I felt

of me at all

my hand over my heart, hoping to soothe away the touch of pain

I couldn’t still be hung up on him. Sure, I hadn’t dated anyone else since, but that didn’t mean anything. I’d been too

I had Elva, and I had Anna. I

dinged in the kitchen, signaling a meal was ready. I went back to retrieve it. When I returned to the dining room,

is investigating with the utmost seriousness. This illegal trade of wolves and their gifts

dropped the plate of food in my

silenced at once, all eyes on

one wolf, weakens the whole

hissed at me, waking me

ruined food. “I’m sorry.” I quickly set to cleaning it. As I did, I cursed myself so loudly in my thoughts, I couldn’t hear any more

worn down and exhausted. After my accident, I pushed

not once lift my eyes to the television again, not even when the table of girls bemoaned their disappointment with the

wouldn’t be on the list.

a particularly stubborn clump of food from a plate, I noticed how quiet

clean the stove, or prep for tomorrow. Almost always, he was the last to leave at night. But

waitresses, who had said they would clean the dining room. The lights in

I was alone.

hot air brushed the back of my exposed neck. The stench of

swung around, ready to knock Boss

moment too late.

onto the floor, where it smashed to

my waist, he pressed his hips hard to mine, wedging me against the lip of

I was trapped.

free hand ripped open the buttons of my shirt, revealing my lacey white

swelling within me, I struggled against him. He

I didn’t have

to my cheek. I felt him smile against my jaw. “You have a child,