My Wild Pet (Whispers from the Imperial Cage #2)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

Aefre

The language harness is an ingenious device. Humans could never grasp our language without it. Their minds, their neural pathways, are too limited. But this harness bridges that gap, reshaping their brains with precision.

I position Ash in the center of the room. Her arms are crossed, her green eyes darting from the harness to me, suspicion and unease written all over her face. It didn’t help the other pets took one look at her clothing and looked at her with fear.

“Sit,” I command, gesturing toward the small seat mounted on a pole in the center of the room.

Slowly, she lowers herself onto the seat.

I move to the console to begin the set up. The harness clicks into place on Ash’s back, its metallic straps locking over her shoulders, her chest, and through her legs. The buzz of its systems activating fills the room. Tiny tendrils of tech climb up her, molding to her body, connecting to her spinal cord and collar with a soft, mechanical hiss.

She flinches at the sensation and looks over to me with terror in her eyes. I check her collar:

Heart Rate: 142 BPM.

Adrenaline: Elevated.

Cortisol: Spiking.

She’s paralyzed by fear, her pupils are almost fully dilated. She’s ready. Her terror will serve as a potent accelerant for what the harness is about to teach her. Imperial linguists say, the more terrified the human the faster they learn.

“Have courage, Ash,” I say. “The Imperial language is not something humans can grasp naturally. This device will give you what your mind cannot achieve on its own.”

“What?” she asks, her voice shaky with fear.

“It bypasses your natural limitations,” I explain even though she can’t understand me, yet, while adjusting the settings on the console nearby. “It replicates the sensations a child experiences when learning a language—fear, love, excitement. It forces connections in your brain where none exist, embedding the language deeply and permanently.”

She stares at me. “Ash is a good girl.”

I pause before starting the first lesson. “Yes. Ash is a good girl. This isn’t a punishment.”

The console notifies me that I’ve forgotten to equip her with something to catch her bodily fluids. Humans, when placed in this state, often lose control of their bodily functions. The fear and disorientation overwhelm them. So I retrieve the small discreet device and attach it beneath the harness. It connects seamlessly to Ash’s groin. I make sure that her tail is above it and she shifts uncomfortably.

I kiss each one of her nipples and say, “It won’t be as bad as that.”

Now she’s confused. I answer her silent question, “To prevent unnecessary interruptions.”

The console beeps softly, signaling that the system is ready. I turn back to her. “Let the language system guide you.”

She doesn’t respond because she doesn’t know what I’ve said. Poor Ash , she so frightened, she’s trembling in the harness. “ZZzzz,” I comfort her. “You’re safe. I will always take care of you.”

Then, I activate the language harness and its tendrils begin to glow faintly.

She gulps as the first wave hits her and her body jerks against the straps.

“Stay focused,” I say, serenely. It’s important that I stay calm, no matter how uncomfortable it is to watch my pets go through this, it must be done. “This is the Foundation Course. Commencing in three, two, one, now begin.”

Her breaths come in uneven pants as the device begins its work. The harness moves her subtly, her muscles twitching as it guides her body into the rhythms of speech, and the patterns of movement associated with the Imperial language.

I step back, observing her carefully as the session progresses. Her body stiffens, relaxes, stiffens again. Her mind is fighting it, resisting the unfamiliar sensations and the forced linguistic connections. This is the most difficult part watching her and not being able to coach her through it.

I’ve put more than two hundred human pets through this process, but I’ve never felt this concerned about any of them before. There’s something very special about Ash. When I bought her I knew she was a fighter, what I didn’t realize was that her fight comes from determination to win, which is a good quality for a show pet, but even more than that, she’s curious, and sensual. She’s going to have a good long life with me and I may even breed her myself. I’ve not had children since Mags bore me a child twenty years ago.