rd of Ceres House whether they actually believed it existed or not. It was said to be a secret p

ody was a little too lean from missed meals. The thick, dark hair that flooded around her shoulders in messy wa

details delicate, with

undersized next to the graying Alpha who seemed to have experienced

eated like

who traded in fantasy. The money she could make with o

s hands were clenched in his lap with legs crossed neat

ld get half of

n of the contract. To protect a

ainst the knot of fear tha

ould I

light when he bared them in

o night lik

y as she would earn in a year working at the Diner. She momentarily entertained the fantasy of going back to the college, maybe even getting a job for Central Command after graduating. There was nothing ele

ars were enough t

it worth

ave that

at seemed starkly clean against her much grubbier hands. The tips of thei

preying. “You

gnore. There was no other legal way for her to earn an amount

through her ears, loud enough that she couldn’t hear the Whoremonger’s words as he contin

as she slid the stylus across the g

as she made the last little flourish, and the

at was in mockery of a smile, equ

Ceres Hous

ed

ndow. She had been watching the encroaching darkness of sunset

oice drifting over her, even though it h

m were not enough to eradicate the raspy quality of his breathing, but they were the only thing that relieved the pain enough fo

eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell

the obvious disapproval

f that’s eve

still can’t believe

glass of the window, Leda sighed. “I

a glowered out into the ni

k me in

e from the beginning. She had been the one to present herself at the medical

ppended to the contract t

ayments in some other way. Maybe

he continued to stare out the window but shifted her gaze to take in her sister’s reflection

staken for one another as children. But Cythia was damaged. An accident

beauty and covered the

her to be the face of their business. Nerve damage to her hands from the fire made manual labor impossible, and that was the only other kind of work available in the hovels. So it was left to Leda to support them. Only the three of them were left now, a family half-formed. Alphas were res