Chapter 1

Pearl

I tuck my sister's hair under her collar and squeeze her hand before pulling my cap down tighter on my head and weaving deeper into the crowd.

We keep our heads lowered as we duck under arms and dart around the bigger groups. My father's wiry frame guides us through the busy market while my mother follows half a dozen steps behind us. As betas, they blend in better than my sister or I ever could, but there's no guarantee they'll make it to our destination without being targeted by pickpockets or an alpha on a power trip.

A light drizzle patters our heads and shoulders and small puddles form on the deck. The scent of wet copper and unwashed bodies drowns out the pheromones leaking from my disguise. My heart pounds against my sternum as people throughout the crowd shout and argue.

I glimpse a sliver of horizon between the stalls and note the waves churning under the stormy sky. Dread sits like a rock in my stomach, but difficult waters mean we'll have a better chance at escaping unnoticed.

We can make it.

My sister flinches when a man to our right yells, but I tighten my grip on her hand and tug her along after me.

Less than three years younger than me, Gem's cheeks still hold the roundness of youth, but her haunted eyes hold more trauma than any child should have to face. I pull her closer, wishing I could take her pain away, but knowing nothing can heal her wounded heart.

My father stops at a stall and exchanges a few words with the shopkeeper. I slow my steps and dodge a drunk woman as I wait for the signal. When the shopkeeper nods, I dart forward, push past my dad, and tug Gem around the back of the stall.

We jump into the half-empty barrel of fish guts. I pull my sister into my arms and meet my mother's eyes. The turmoil in her gaze matches the stormy sky .

"I love you, my girls," she whispers before closing the barrel.

The wood vibrates as she hammers the lid into place. Gem tucks her face into my neck and clutches at my jacket. I open my collar, hoping my scent reaches her through the stench, and tighten my arms around her.

"It's okay, Gem. I'm here," I whisper.

She trembles. I pull her hat up and kiss her forehead before settling in for the long wait. My legs and back cramp, but I curl myself around my sister, protecting her from the hard wood of the barrel as best I can.

Two male voices bicker back and forth as the workers arrive. My sister stiffens. Neither of us dare move.

We listen as the crane gives an ugly mechanical screech before chains thump against the outside of the barrel. Fish guts squish around us as we're lifted off the deck. My heart leaps in my throat and nausea swirls in my stomach as I imagine the barrel hanging over the open ocean as they transport us from the main deck to the small fishing boat.

I exhale in relief when the bottom of the barrel thumps down onto a solid surface. My father's voice a few feet away as he speaks to someone assures me we're on the right vessel .

Despite the stench and cramped quarters, I take a deep breath, relax my shoulders, and give a small, fleeting smile as Gem follows my lead. Her muscles relax. After a few moments, her deep, even breaths wash over my neck.

Tears slip down my face, but I don't wipe them away.

She hasn't slept for longer than a few minutes since the attack. We're not safe—far from it, actually—but with the world blocked out and my arms wrapped around her, she falls asleep.

Her trust in me fills me with bittersweet emotions. I wish she didn't have such a heavy burden to bear, but I'm glad she feels safe enough to sleep in my arms.

As time passes, my legs go numb and my arms cramp, but I don't move. Guts slosh around us as the deck rocks back and forth. The swaying worsens as the waves grow from the storm.

A man's voice jolts me into the present.

"We ain't no raiders! We's pirates, an' since we kilt them fuckin' idiots, you owe us fer safe passage through these waters."

My sister jerks awake and clutches at me. I whisper in her ear, begging her to stay quiet.

The sounds of fighting twist my stomach. More voices join and the violence grows. A woman screams .

The deck pitches. An explosion rips through the boat. We freefall. I slap a hand over Gem's mouth, muffling her scream and preventing her from eating fish guts.

The barrel lands on its side. Pain streaks through my hip, shoulder, and head, but I wrap myself tighter around my sister.

My mother's scream echoes in my ears.

Another explosion. Heat scorches my back. Air whistles over the lid as the barrel flies. Gravity pulls us into a freefall.

Wood splinters and pain blasts through my entire body. Frigid salt water invades my lungs and chills my flesh.

The only warmth in the world is my sister's limp body trapped in my arms.

I kick against the current, but the relentless pounding of water destroys my sense of direction.

A flash of light blinds me. I point my shoulders toward it. My thighs burn, but I kick harder. Disbelief spears through me when my head breaks the surface of the water. Stars burst in my vision as something solid smacks the back of my head, but I tighten one arm around my sister and use the other to latch onto the object.

Realizing it's the bottom half of our splintered barrel, I shove my sister's head and shoulders up onto it and scream her name. She doesn't respond. I pull myself high enough to rest my belly beside hers, but the waves test my balance, and I struggle to keep us both afloat. As precious seconds tick by, I keep my eyes trained on my sister, silently begging her to take a deep breath. Her blue lips and pale skin terrify me.

Heat blasts across my back. Fire rains down on us. I scream and throw myself over my sister.

She coughs up water and weakly fights against my weight. I sob in relief.

Another explosion sends debris raining down on us. Pain slices through my shoulder.

We can't stay here.

I hook my arms under Gem's armpits and grab the edges of the barrel. Splinters dig into my hands, but I tighten my grip and kick away from the wreckage. With her head above mine, I only get glimpses of our path on the swell of each wave.

I choke on saltwater and spit out what I can. My lungs burn and my legs feel like rubber, but the pain in my shoulder and head urge me to push harder.

I must protect Gem.

Lightning flashes across the sky. Thunder booms. My calves cramp and toes go numb. Gem shivers so hard her teeth chatter.

Remnants of the fishing boat flame in the distance. A second vessel lists helplessly nearby. Large holes in the hull pull it into the sea. Men scramble to remain on deck, but their bulky frames denote them as alphas.

Sorrow tightens my throat. I can't breathe.

Gem's lashes lift. Her brows scrunch.

"Pearl?"

"I'm here, Gem."

"Where's Mama?"

I swallow and shake my head.

"Papa?" she asks.

My fingers cramp and refuse to release the barrel. She twists to look at the wreckage. I struggle to keep us upright.

Her gasp pierces my heart. As she screams and fights against me, silent tears stream down my face. My heart splinters as she calls for our parents.

A figure stands at the top of the sinking ship. Even though we're too far away to see his features, I know without a doubt he looks straight at us.

I clamp a hand over Gem's mouth. She flinches. Blood seeps between my fingers. I lift my hand in horror. We tip sideways. I grab the barrel and fight to keep us upright.

"I'm sorry, Gem, I didn't mean to hurt you. I—"

"They're gone, aren't they?"

I don't know what to say.

She breaks down into gut-wrenching sobs. I keep her head above water and kick farther away from the wreckage, unsettled by the feeling of eyes on us.

Without warning, a massive wave smacks into us from behind. By sheer force of will, I keep my sister pinned between me and the barrel as water batters us from all directions. When we finally reach the surface, we both gasp and choke.

Darkness hovers along the edge of my vision. I study Gem's features as lightning streaks across the sky.

No blood seeps from her lips.

I didn't hurt her. The blood came from my hand.

She gives a weak cough and closes her eyes.

"Stay awake, Gem!"

"I'm tired," she murmurs.

Panic grips me.

"Me too, but you can't sleep right now. Stay awake. Help me swim. Kick your legs," I demand.

For hours, I cling to the barrel and encourage my sister, but when the sea calms, her eyes slip closed. She passes out. Unable to risk tipping us over, I keep my frozen fingers clamped over the splintered wood.

"Look, Gem. The sunrise is so pretty," I say through a tunnel of exhaustion.

She doesn't respond, but her chest expands underneath mine, so I continue muttering nonsense. Brilliant colors streak across the sky. The sun heats the top of my head.

Something brushes against the back of my leg. A fin breaks the surface.

I freeze.

We may as well be chum in the water.

At least with our shoes still on, I know fish aren't nibbling at my sister's toes, and her hands float along the surface of the water near my shoulders, but the blood oozing from my fingers will call every shark for miles.

In desperation, I scan the horizon for the millionth time and blink in disbelief when a massive rectangle disrupts the waterline. The current pulls us toward it. I look down and decide I must be hallucinating.

Vibrant colors line the sea floor. Teeming with life, the crystal clear water makes determining the depths impossible. It could be ten feet. Twenty. Fifty.

Time distorts.

A shadow spans over my sister's face. I look up—and up—into eyes as clear and bright as the shallows. Flecks of gold and green shine from his otherwise dark face as his silhouette blocks the sun.

With broad shoulders and a towering frame, he's the largest alpha I've ever seen. Either that, or he's a god stranded in this cruel dystopian world. Or the first mountain to sprout from the depths of the ocean in centuries. Or —

My mind splinters as the behemoth leans down and proves his strength by pulling me, my sister, and the broken barrel out of the water in one smooth motion. He doesn't groan at the weight of our waterlogged clothes or hiss at the awkward tangle of limbs. He strides over a net made of thick rope as though it were a solid surface and steps onto a silvery deck. I marvel at the rust-free surface as he drops into a squat and sets us down.

For a moment, relief steals my strength. My head swims and phantom currents tug at my legs. I can't release the barrel. Can't roll off Gem. Can't breathe.

I give in to the darkness hovering along the edge of my vision, only to snap awake in panic.

Sharks. Blood. Fire. Screams.

Agony lances through my fingers as gigantic hands pry them off the barrel. Scarred knuckles fill my vision, but saving my sister is more important than protecting myself, so I shove the male away and throw myself over her in an uncoordinated heap.

"Don't touch her," I snarl. My voice doesn't sound like my own after countless hours of choking on saltwater .

Hard hands grab me and the world shifts. My head spins long after my back hits the deck, but I scramble upright, sink my nails into his leg, and hold on with every ounce of adrenaline pumping through me.

Thick fingers weave into my matted hair and yank my head back.

"Don't touch her," I croak through the haze of panic as I tighten my grip on him.

"Get your hands off me, little one, before I put mine on you."

For a heart stopping moment, his voice slices through me, muddling my mind and filling me with wonderful heat, but when the meaning of his words sinks in through the fog, terror pours ice through my veins.

My heart pounds and my vision dims.

"Don't hurt her," I manage through tingling lips.

"You should worry about yourself first," he snarls.

"I am. Don't hurt her."

Thick brown eyebrows rise in surprise. Pitch-black clouds creep over the sky, narrowing my vision until all I see are his full lips, square jaw, the scar on his forehead, and his dazzling hazel eyes.

Awe and dread chase me into the darkness as I pass out .

Our parents smuggled us out of the city to protect us, but we ended up in worse danger.

We're at the mercy of this massive alpha, and from what I've seen so far, he has none.

We're doomed.