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?

truly had sealed me away in his past and

pretending, to save face. I 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 motioned to

his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring

Elva, so I followed him. He led me to an adjoining room, separated

Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to

to look at the man,

an

sir.” The man bowed

carried Elva into the room. I went inside after them. A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in

sick. I had never imagined I’d meet

What would he think of me, to see

who seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling.

and at once, his perfect façade

stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

hide my

a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense of what

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

three years old. That lined up with our breakup

the memory. We’d been so young then, too

haste. I couldn’t remember 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

said, hoping to

hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would

name. But she’s not

moment, before the anger returned

say, he seemed to struggle to

between me and

would. Her birth mother was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I would not have her seen

question for him, and he

startled. What

immediately cut off the

one of the plush couches in the

at Mommy,”