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?

enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in

was simply pretending, to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving him, and with a

Maybe he hated me.

girl in pink

even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at me

held Elva, so I followed him. He led me

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

to look at the man, who nervously

is an exception,” Nicholas

The

servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas,

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

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

his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep,

perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes

gentle on Elva, his arm looped more protectively around

dare you hide my child from

blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

at Elva, softly sleeping in his arms. She was three

memory. We’d been so young

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

the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into

I said, hoping to give him

a child from him would have been

That’s her name. But

moment, before the anger returned

to say, he seemed to struggle

glanced between me and

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

silence seemed to answer some unspoken question

What could cause

he immediately cut off the deep rumbling

he lowered Elva down onto one of the plush couches in

mad at Mommy,” came