Page 143 of Scavenger's Oath

They told me this was coming. “For morale,” they said. “To keep me satiated.”

My nostrils flare and my blood runs hot as I pace in the pit. I’ve been waiting for tonight, needing an outlet, a release. Whimpers come from the cages nearby as they pick out a girl for me to ruin. And it’s like music to my ears.

But then I hear a familiar cry.

My eyes flash to the other side of the Pit where they’re dragging a skinny dark-haired girl. She’s trying her best to fight them despite the cuffs on her wrists, but they trudge forward, unaffected.

Then I catch a look at her face as her hair flies back.

Sasha?

My stomach heaves, and I stare, shellshocked, as they take the ball gag out of her mouth and uncuff her.

My hands clench, nails biting into my palms until they sting, but it does nothing to cool the heat flooding low in my gut.

She’s not one of the broken girls from the cages. One who stopped talking weeks ago, who doesn’t even cry anymore.

Sasha is one of our cooks. A valued member who keeps usall fed.

We had become friends in the past few weeks. Given each other a safe place to survive… they obviously noticed.

Why would they pick her? Are they punishing her? Testing me?

Now I watch as they shove her through the gap in the fences, too scared to step in themselves.

She stumbles and falls before glancing back just in time to see them locking the chains back in place around the two fences.

I can’t do this.Not to her.

But I know we have no choice. If we don’t play along… they have plenty of other games—far more sadistic than this—that they can force us to play.

She’s barefoot, filthy, bruised… and I know this one’s going to cut deeper.

Sasha climbs to her feet and adjusts her torn singlet. Then glances across the pit at me before looking down at her feet, chest heaving, thin arms hugging herself. Her nails scratch at her own arms, leaving fresh lines in bruised skin.

Something in me roars to life at her frail appearance. She looks far more broken than last time I saw her, hair tangled, knees scraped.An easy target.

The men on the scaffolds are already riled up.

“Oh shit! Zane’s gonna destroy her.”

“Fuck yeah, let’s go!”

“Reckon this bitch is gonna cry or scream? Ten credits says scream.”

Rolling my shoulders, I try to ignore the roar in my head as I begin circling her. My fists tighten, jaw locks. I don’t let myself look Sasha in the eyes until she’s close enough to touch.

I see it in her eyes right away. Full of fear, but no blame.

Her lips are pale, eyes wide, she’s shaking but stays rooted where she is. She knows what this is. How dangerous it is to beinside this cage right now. And that running would make it worse.

“Hey,” she breathes, hoping to reach me past the monster driving me.

She’s the first to succeed.

“Why?” I growl through gritted teeth.

Sasha shudders, eyes glassy. “Better you than one of the others.” Her breath fans over my chest, warm despite the tremor in her voice.