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?

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

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

Maybe he hated me.

outsider.” The girl in

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

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

“Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to be alone with the contestants

look at the man, who nervously backed

an

Of course, sir.” The

and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas,

sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again,

to see me as I was? To see

cried herself to sleep, eyes

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

Elva, his arm

dare you hide my child from me?” he

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

She was three years old. That lined

recall the memory. We’d been so young

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

fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like

said, hoping

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

name. But

eyes widened a moment, before the anger returned

to struggle to get it out. He swallowed it

me and Elva. “She looks

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 he started

startled. What

he immediately cut off the deep

down onto one of the plush couches in

Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet