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 his past and

pretending, to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to

Maybe he hated me.

The girl in pink

was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then

He led me to an adjoining room,

a suit hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you

the man, who nervously backed

an exception,”

course, sir.” The man bowed twice as he

forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in

be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially not like

had no idea what even to say. What would he think of me, to see me as

his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling.

stepped forward toward Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes

stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more protectively around

hide my

of my thoughts skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

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

memory. We’d been so young then,

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

certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was

mistaken,” I said, hoping to give him some

a child from him would have been a

That’s her name. But she’s not

a moment, before

wanted to say, he seemed to struggle to

between me and Elva. “She looks like

to Nicholas. Elva

answer some unspoken question for him, and he

startled. What could

he immediately cut

gently, he lowered Elva down onto one of the plush

Mommy,”