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

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Briar

The Imperial language simulation still haunts me, even after all these months.

I hated it, but I can’t deny that I learned. The grammar, the vocabulary, and the subtle semantics, they all still surface in my head almost as naturally as my own mother tongue.

Occasionally, when I speak these words out loud, I’m back in those simulations for half a breath. The fear, the love, the humiliation, the pure desperation… you name it, Aefre put me through all the paces of life to force the language in. But now I understand a lot, enough to use it and easily pick up new words and grammar.

And now I also understand what Gabriel meant when he said, “ It could be worse.” Every now and then, new pets arrive for a short amount of time. Apparently, Aefre does some side consulting.

Most of these transient pets on the Luminous Arc only speak Spanish or Imperial so I communicate with them in the alien language.

Not long ago, I spoke with a woman who’d been captive for so many years she’d lost count. She told me she’d spent most of that time on military ships until her master couldn’t afford her anymore, so now she’s been sold again. Her new owner is a different class of Imperial man and she struggles to know what he wants. He’s some kind of galactic trader and says that she’s been sent to be trained by Aefre because he wants her to be “better behaved in public.”

When I asked her what that meant she told me that he has a fetish of wanting to parade her around naked and allow all kinds of aliens to touch her. “And I don’t like it,” she said. “Grey hands, okay, but not tentacles or mandibles. An Octopod put its tentacle up my ass and I screamed like I was dying. It was so disgusting and humiliating. My old master would have never done that.”

So Aefre was going to use the Luminous Arc’s holographic training center to retrain her.

And this woman wasn’t even shocked by it. She was resigned to it. Gabriel was right—some fates are worse than being a show pet. But it’s cold comfort all the same.

Just last week, Aefre began training me with Gabriel. And I’d be lying if I said, I wasn’t excited by this. Just to be next to him makes my heart beat a little faster and my eyes linger just a little bit longer on his perfect muscular body and the golden hair covering his chest. Sometimes I imagine him, holding me, or pumping into me, that hair against my breasts. It’s a fantasy. But one I hope someday I’ll be able to make a reality. For now it’s all training.

Aefre’s voice brings me into the present, “Ash, pay attention.”

I nod and focus on the holographic obstacle course ahead of us, towering walls, swinging ropes, shifting floors, and dizzying drops. We’ve already tackled it once, and I’m exhausted both physically and mentally. I don’t want to do it again. And apparently this is only Level Two and Aefre wants me to get to Level Eight.

Aefre hovers on his flying pedestal off to the side, silently observing. At least it’s him today and not Kaelin. Kaelin never hesitates to use his ring to issue a punishment of jolting pain through my collar whenever I make a mistake.

Gabriel stands beside me. He’s so focused and ready.

Even though we’re not allowed to chat, I’ve gotten to know Gabriel better through his interactions with me and our trainers. For starters, his grasp of the Imperial language is perfect—better than his English. But is it really a surprise? He’s spent his entire adult life in this alien world, for which I pity him. But I can’t tell how upset he is by it because on the day-to-day he seems mostly content. Nothing like the man I met on my first day here.

Next, his patience. Despite being an expert show pet and now my partner, he never races ahead. He not only waits for me, he reassures me with small words of encouragement in Imperial, but he’s stayed true to his word about my name. It makes me wonder how many other female partners he’s had in his show pet career.

And he never has ever called me Ash. And that just makes him all the more attractive to me. He calls me Briar if he must use my name and Aefre and Kaelin punish him for it every time with their rings.

We are in the middle of the obstacle course now. Gabriel is showing me how to handle the next challenge: a rope swing over a gaping drop. If I fall, I’ll die.

Aefre calls out rapid-fire commands. Imperial words I recognize, but they’re unintelligible to me right now, looking at that long drop, I’m so scared of falling.

Gabriel, seeing my confusion, murmurs each phrase again, slower and quieter, his tone gentle—so different from the artificial voice of the language harness or Aefre’s commanding tone.

“Climb,” he says in Imperial. Then, in a much softer tone with his accented English, “You can do this, mon c?ur .”

I’m not sure what that French phrase means. Gabirel’s English is infused with French and I wonder sometimes if I spoke French I’d know him better. But there’s hardly any time to convey basic information, let alone have a language class.

I watch him jump easily, the rope swinging with effortless grace, and he lands on the next platform like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

Aefre’s voice commands me to move, “Ash. Jump. Swing. Release.”

Gabriel motions to me, repeating the Imperial commands more slowly.

I grip the rope and jump. It vibrates causing me to almost lose my grip. Panic rips through my body. I’m so focused on holding on I don’t even realize I’ve made it to the other platform.

Until I hear Gabriel’s voice, “Release! Release!”

I let go just in time, stumbling onto the platform, losing my balance.

Gabriel quickly grabs my arm and holds on to me so I don’t fall off. Our eyes meet as he helps me up and for a moment, I can’t look away. There’s no disapproval in his eyes—just relief. It makes the entire course feel a little less awful.

“Again,” Aefre commands. “You’re too slow. Ember, work together faster. And, Ash, speak Imperial. The judges will want to hear you. If you’re silent we will lose points.”

Gabriel and I exchange glances. I’m not sure how I’ll ever match his skill, or how I’ll speak Imperial clearly under so much pressure.

“Next , ” Aefre says and we move to the next challenge.

“Breathe,” Gabriel says, his voice barely audible as he switches briefly to English. “You’re overthinking it.”

I nod. I’m not sure how to just stop overthinking. We’ve barely finished scaling a slick wall, and my legs feel like they’re made of rubber. But to be honest, I can’t tell if it’s from exhaustion or from the way Gabriel is looking at me right now.

“You did well,” he murmurs, stepping closer so Aefre won’t hear.

But his closeness, the heat radiating from his sweaty body and his masculine scent, is sending my body into lusty overdrive. Despite being warm myself, a tingling spreads through my body and my nipples become taut yearning for touch. Which is embarrassing because my breasts are exposed. He and Aefre can see the signs of my arousal.

Gabriel brushes a strand of hair away from my face, letting his hand linger. A shock of heat ripples under my skin—and between my legs, and it’s not my tail.

His amber eyes lock on mine, and for a heartbeat, the entire course, the commands, the weight of our surroundings… it all vanishes. His gaze drops to my lips. My heart pounds so loud it’s all I hear.

“Enough!” Aefre commands.

I draw back, but Gabriel refuses to move.

Aefre repeats himself, louder this time, raising the hand with his ring. Before I can even shout a warning, Gabriel goes down his face in agony. There’s a buzzing sound coming from his collar, from what I’ve come to recognize as a high-voltage shock.

“Stop!” I say.

“Do not interfere, Ash.”

When Aefre finally lets up, Gabriel staggers, breathing hard. He straightens, and his eyes find mine again—no anger, just something steady and shockingly authentic. So real in fact a chill runs down my spine.

“Back to the course,” Aefre orders.

But his words are background noise to us. Something just happened between Gabriel and me. Something that can’t be controlled by Aefre. I think it’s love. I search my feelings. I’ve never been in love nor loved by anyone. So I’m unsure…

Gabriel doesn’t move at first, still watching me, like whatever connected us in that moment hasn’t quite broken.

Aefre barks another command in Imperial, something I don’t catch.

Gabriel exhales, his voice low. “ Je ne veux pas que tu souffres. He’s furious and I don’t want you to be punished. Let’s finish this, okay?”

I stare at Gabriel. He’s gorgeous. His amber eyes meet mine with determination. It makes my pulse roar in my ears. I don’t know if I can finish the course. My body feels wrecked and the memory of his lips nearly meeting mine lingers like an unspoken promise. He almost kissed me. Even now, as we force our way through the remainder of the obstacle course, I can’t stop my gaze from drifting to his mouth, his strong lips, wondering if the next time he leans closer, Aefre won’t interrupt us.

Gabriel glances my way again, I think I’m in love.

The water hits my skin in a blistering rush. The attendants work in brisk, practiced motions, scrubbing every inch of my body without a shred of tenderness, as though I’m nothing more than a piece of equipment that needs cleaning.

Gabriel stands across the room, watching me. When our eyes meet, his gaze is steady, neither leering nor indifferent—just tender in a way that makes my body burn with desire.

The old me would have shriveled up and died inside at the thought of anyone—let alone a man like Gabriel—seeing me stripped bare and bathed publicly by male hands. But I’m not that woman anymore. Not since Earth. Not since I became an alien’s pet with a tail that swishes behind me and more body hair than I ever asked for. I learned quickly there’s no room for shame in the human pet world, but what surprised me most, was how quickly I shed it.

As Gabiel watches me, I wonder if he sees a mutilated human woman or a prized Imperial pet? And if it’s the latter is that why he’s attracted to me? I reckon I would rather have it be the latter, I wouldn’t want him to want me out of pity or desperation.

He shifts, stepping a little closer as the attendants step back. I see the faint glimmer of satisfaction in his gaze—not lust, exactly, more like… delight?

Shockingly, the attendants just walk out of the room, leaving us alone and uncaged for the first time.

My heart thumps hard. Is this a trap? I can’t tear my eyes away from Gabriel’s. I hope he’s going to finish what he started on the obstacle course.