I stood there for a long time, staring at the pit, my stomach twisted in knots. The air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat. The injured man had been dragged away, but the stain of his fight still darkened the ground.
This was Luke’s world. A world where strength was everything, where weakness was punished.
I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself. If I wanted to survive, I had to play smart. I had to be careful with my words, with my actions. One wrong move, and I would end up just like the man in the pit—broken and bleeding, with no one to help me.
Turning away, I walked back toward the camp. My mind was racing. Evelyne had told me to make myself valuable, but how? How could I make Luke need me when all he valued was power and control?
I needed to find her.
The packhous
