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

could be a great embarrassment to

Maybe he hated me.

girl in pink motioned

his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring

so I followed him. He led me

Royal Highness, please remember that per

to look at the man, who nervously

is an

sir.” The man bowed twice

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

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

what even to say. What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To

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

once, his perfect façade cracked. He

hands stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped

you hide my child from me?” he

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

She was three years old. That

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

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

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

hoping to

to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled

name. But she’s

moment, before the anger returned tenfold.

to say, he seemed to struggle to get it out. He swallowed it

me and Elva. “She

birth mother was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas.

seemed to answer some unspoken question for him, and

straightened, startled. What could

he immediately cut off

onto one of the plush

mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s