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?

not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away

to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to him, showing

Maybe he hated me.

girl

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

led me to an adjoining room, separated

remember

at the man, who nervously

is an exception,” Nicholas

sir.” The man bowed twice as

servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving

I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d

what even to say. What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here, as part of the selection? And with

who seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to

forward toward Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He

on Elva,

dare you hide my child from me?” he

blinked once, twice,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

was three years old. That lined up with our breakup

recall the memory. We’d been so young then, too eager and excited

both finished in clumsy haste. I couldn’t remember where he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t

certainty that fueled it seemed to

I said, hoping to give him some

that Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a

her name. But she’s

moment, before the anger returned

to struggle

me and Elva. “She looks like

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

to answer some unspoken question for him, and he started

straightened, startled. What could cause

he immediately cut off the deep

down onto one of the plush couches in the

Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet