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.

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

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl

said, and even his voice was monotone. Another moment

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

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

the man, who

is an

sir.” The man bowed twice as

I went inside after them. A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in

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

to say. What would he think of me, to see me

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

once, his perfect façade cracked.

gentle on Elva,

my child from me?” he

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our breakup three

We’d been so young

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

anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like

mistaken,” I said, hoping to give

from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the

name.

eyes widened a moment, before the anger returned tenfold.

say, he seemed to struggle to get

glanced between me and Elva. “She looks like

twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I would not have her seen as

unspoken question for him, and he

What could cause that

stirred his arms, and he immediately cut off

Elva down onto one of the

be mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s