The Luna Choosing Game

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?

I had changed, sure, but not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past and moved on, never once looking back.

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

Maybe he hated me.

The girl in pink motioned

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

Elva, so I followed him. He led me to

please remember that

look at the man,

is an exception,”

The man bowed twice

A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in a

stomach churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet

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?

chest. She must have cried herself

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

hands stayed gentle on Elva,

hide my child from me?”

a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

three years old. That lined up with our breakup three

to recall the memory. We’d been so young

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

seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was trying

hoping to give

to hide a child from him would

her name. But she’s not

widened a moment, before

struggle to get it out. He

glanced between me and Elva. “She

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

to answer some unspoken question for him, and

straightened, startled. What

stirred his arms, and he immediately cut off the deep

onto one of the plush couches

Mommy,” came Elva’s