The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Nicholas held Elva safe and secure in his arms as he stood to his full height. Elva buried her face into the corner of his neck and shoulder. He gently patted her back.

He glanced down at Elva, his gaze so tender that it made my heart clench.

“There, there,” he whispered. “You are safe now.”

“Oh my God,” said one of the other girls in the room, fanning herself. “Of course he’s good with children.”

“Someone pinch me,” said another. “I think I’m dreaming.”

Nicholas’s soft expression hardened as he glared out at the rest of the room. “Whose child is this? Why is she here?”

I started forward, but the girl in the pink dress spoke before I could reach him.

“An outsider sneaked in, unless she’s a maid.”

Some of the other girls snickered at my expense.

“She can’t be a participant,” another girl fake-whispered, loud enough for half-the room to hear. “I thought we had to be virgins, and she’s got a kid.”

I wanted to disappear into a corner. Whether virgin or not, I was nothing compared to the rest of these girls.

My clothes weren’t as nice as theirs, and my figure wasn’t like what it had been at the Academy. I’d lost much of my musculature. I was skinny from too many nights of skipped dinners.

Elva’s wellbeing had always come before my own.

Her sake was the only reason I continued forward rather than hide in embarrassment. I stopped only when I reached Nicholas.

He looked at me, and I looked at him.

I’d forgotten how gorgeous his eyes were, golden brown with flakes of green. When we’d dated, I had spent hours looking at them, trying to memorize that color, but it had seemed different each time.

Before, when I’d stared long enough, I could earn a bashful smile from him. Now, his face was totally devoid of emotion. He looked at me like I was a stranger.

Did he… not recognize me?

had changed, sure, but not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away

could be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving him,

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl in pink

said, and even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he turned

still held Elva, so I followed him. He led

official-looking man in a suit hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t

stopped to look at the man, who nervously backed up a

an exception,” Nicholas

Of course, sir.” The man bowed twice

forward and closed

stomach churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially

What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here,

cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling. She seemed at

Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes filled with

his hands stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more protectively around

my child from me?”

skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

glanced at Elva, softly sleeping in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our

We’d been so

where he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing a condom

retained its anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was trying to remember

mistaken,” I said, hoping

on television. For me to hide a child from him

name. But she’s

a moment, before the anger

say, he seemed to struggle to get

and Elva. “She

mother was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered.

some unspoken question for him, and

startled. What

immediately

he lowered Elva down onto one of the plush couches

be mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s