Chapter 1

Tears scratch the back of my eyes, but I blink them away as I dip the misshapen spoon back into the battered cup and feign a smile.

"Take just one more sip, omma. It will help your stomach," I plead.

She turns her head away.

"Appa will be home soon. What will he say if he sees you like this?"

When she responds with only a slow blink toward the wall, my heart lurches in my chest.

"He'll think I'm neglecting you. Just one more sip. Please."

My desperate words bounce off the walls before the rush of water against the hull drowns out the sound. Shouting and stomping vibrate the ceiling, but the near constant sound of fighting barely registers.

Living under the gambling pits is inherently dangerous, but it's the safest place for us. Even now, leaning over my omma, the scents of gasoline, aggression, blood, and unwashed human bodies overpower my omma's floral omega markers. My own budding pheromones barely reach my nostrils through the stench.

It isn't safe to venture beyond our little cubbyhole. I could weave through the crowd in my dirty, oversized men's clothing and probably fight off any beta who took an interest in me, but even though my father—who used to be a guard for the toughest alpha on ship—has trained me in basic fighting skills my entire life, I'd stand no chance against an alpha.

Especially the alpha he betrayed before I was born. Like a ghost constantly hovering nearby, I can't escape the male's malevolence.

I suck down a fortifying breath and touch the spoon to my mother's lips. Her brows scrunch before she swings glazed eyes my way.

"Vynn?"

"Neh,omma. I'm here," I manage through the lump in my throat.

"Your appa hasn't returned yet?"

Her dry lips threaten to split, so I pull the spoon away and dip my clean finger into the cup before gently smoothing it over her lips as I respond.

"He'll be back soon, don't worry. Sip some broth."

"I can't."

"You must. For the baby's sake."

Despite my attempt to firm my voice, my words emerge full of fear.

My appa leaves our hideaway every day to barter for food and supplies, but he always comes back for dinner.

Except it's been four days since we've seen him.

No one else has come by, which is good, but as the hours pass and we remain isolated, my apprehension grows. I curl my toes in my oversized boots and take comfort in the latches securing the springs for the hidden blades within the soles.

"It hurts," she whispers.

I would do anything to take her pain away, but I don't have what she needs. Only my father can save her from withering away.

"I know, omma, but we can do this. If you take a few more sips, I'll wash your hair the way appa does. I bet he'll be back before I finish."

Tears glisten on my mother's lashes, but she nods her head and closes her eyes. My heart lurches in my chest.

"I love you, Vynn," she whispers.

Her words sound too much like a farewell, so I tsk, balance the cup on my thigh, and dip my finger and spoon into the cloudy broth.

"It isn't as strong as when appa left, but it should settle your stomach," I say with as much assurance as I can muster.

It's a lie. My father left an emergency stash, but it wasn't meant to last beyond a day or two. Without proper storage, the effectiveness of his offering diminishes with every passing second, but omma refused to drink it when it was most useful. Now, all I can hope for is a boost to her morale when she tastes him.

Pregnant omegas need a steady supply of their mate's seed to survive the rapid growth of their offspring. I wouldn't have dipped my finger into the cup if I wasn't so desperate, but I'll do anything—anything—to get nutrients into her.

She obediently parts her lips and accepts a spoonful, but the color drains from her face. I lean forward and roll her onto her side just in time to prevent her from vomiting all over herself.

The cup teeters off my leg and splashes the last of the broth onto my side and over the floor.

I rub my mother's back and make little hushing sounds as hopelessness sweeps through me.

Her arms look more like flesh stretched over bone than the healthy, vibrant woman of three months ago. When she lifts her head, her sunken eyes focus on the hole in the wall. Hidden from the outside world by a massive, broken generator, our tiny hideaway has such a narrow opening my appa can barely squeeze through sideways.

I understand why my father chose this location as I find what holds my mother's attention.

A giant stands on the other side. His body blocks the entire opening, revealing only a strip along his leather-clad torso. His muscular neck and sharp chin support a mouth curled in a cruel smirk. A vicious scar mars his lips and travels up his cheek to cut through his eyebrow and end on his forehead. At the top of the hole, a single grey eye peers through and traps me in place.

Liquid terror flows through my veins, turning my blood to acid.

Even without the scar on his face, I'd know who he is by the animalistic fury in his gaze.

He's the monster my appa has been hiding from my entire life. The alpha who lords over the entire ship.

The Destroyer.