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

Chapter 59

CHAPTER 59

Aefre

I watch Ash and Ember warm-up. Their movements are stiff at first, likely still feeling the strain of yesterday’s challenges. But there’s something different in the way they carry themselves this morning. A steadiness that wasn’t there before.

Last night was what we all three needed. When I returned to my room, I checked their collars' readouts as a precaution. Cortisol levels were a steady baseline, heart rates were stable, but slightly lower indicating calm. A new rise in dopamine confirmed contentment, while a subtle increase in oxycontin told me there was an emotional closeness between them, perhaps even trust between all three of us. And their endorphins were elevated, indicating satisfaction. The balance I sought between them and me is solid for the moment. But, I’m going to keep monitoring them and making adjustments until I am certain their bond is unbreakable.

I study their synchronization as they move through the warm-up drills, noting the way Ash glances at Ember more often now, as if seeking silent confirmation and Ember gives her more assurance that what she’s doing is right. This is exactly the kind of progress I had hoped for after our session last night.

Kaelin enters followed closely by two other trainers. Their skepticism is evident in the way they linger, watching Ash and Ember with scrutinizing eyes.

“A bold gamble,” one of them remarks. “Allowing them to have sex with each other as well. Are you that confident, Aefre? Or are you experimenting with breeding them already?”

The bait is obvious, and I don’t bite. My gaze remains fixed on the pair below. “They needed to connect and it was completely supervised.”

“Connection?” the second trainer echoes. “With that female? I wouldn’t risk my prize male even with a muzzle and a leash. She’s dangerous.”

“She was dangerous,” I retort. “But I’ve trained her now. She’s no longer that human animal. And Ember doesn’t need protection from Ash. Their bond is strong.”

“Didn’t Ember have a strong bond with your last female?” the first trainer asks. “What was her name? Fifi?”

The mention of her reminds me of what I lost. Fifi, the one who slipped through my fingers. “Ember won’t make the same mistake twice,” I say quietly, though the weight of that statement is directed inward. Neither will I.

“You’re certain you’re not letting sentiment cloud your judgment?” the second trainer presses.

“It’s not sentiment,” I counter, turning to face them fully. “It’s strategy. They’re both progressing exactly as I intended.”

“It’s still a risk,” the first trainer says. “Calculated or not, you’re betting everything on a pet who was forced on you. Let’s not forget that the Octopods practically shoved her into your hands.”

I allow myself the faintest smirk. “And how lucky I am they did. Thank you for reminding me, I’ve been meaning to send them a bottle of their finest nectar as a ‘thank you.’”

Kaelin breaks his silence then. “Ash and Ember are the strongest pair on this circuit. Aefre’s training has taken Ash from a liability to a contender. If anyone doubts his methods, they haven’t been paying attention.”

The trainers exchange glances, their skepticism thinning, but not disappearing. They leave shortly after.

“They’re different now,” Kaelin says quietly looking at Ash and Ember below.

“If they weren’t, I wouldn’t be standing here defending them.”

Below us, Ash and Ember tackle the coordination drills. Their movements require precision and trust through an intricate sequence of mirrored actions that leave no room for error. Ash hesitates at a particularly complex turn, but Ember adapts instantly, guiding her with a subtle shift. They finish the drill flawlessly.

“Good,” I murmur.

“Fifi had potential too,” Kaelin says carefully, testing the waters.

“She did,” I admit. “But her bond with Ember was fragile. I’m not making the same mistake with Ash.”

I bring up my control ring, subtly increasing their oxytocin levels through their collars. They won’t notice, not consciously. But the connection they feel, the trust that grows between them, will solidify even further. They’ll attribute it to their own bond, their own effort, and that’s how it should be.

Kaelin gives me an anxious look. He thinks it’s too much, but he’s not as experienced as I am.

“Go on. Just say it.”

“You know what I’m going to say. If they start believing it’s actual love…they can behave erratically. You know what happens when pets imagine themselves in love.”

I wave a hand dismissively, gesturing down at the training floor below, where Ash and Ember are exchanging smiles during a short break. “They have no reason to do anything drastic. Their lives are comfortable on the Luminous Arc . You saw them last night. They enjoyed themselves.”

“Comfortable, yes, but they might still be seduced by the idea of freedom.”

“Rubbish.” I face him. “Look at Ember. He’s been with us since he was practically a boy. He knows he wouldn’t last a year on his own out there. And Ash—” I pause, watching her brush a lock of pink hair behind her ear as she leans in to say something to Ember. “She’d do anything he wanted, the moment he asks. They complement each other perfectly. Ember was shaped by a matriarchal system, always waiting for a woman’s lead. Ash, coming from a patriarchal world, subconsciously defers to male authority, especially a man she loves, even if it’s artificially induced. They’re caught in this loop, neither one truly leading nor even noticing they’re in it.”

Kaelin arches a brow. “But what if they break that loop? Share decisions as equals? Agree on something like… running away with Gael? Two pets who believe they are in love and working together is risky. Even you can’t deny that possibility, Aefre.”

My gaze drifts downward again. Ash and Ember are back at their drills, moving in flawless tandem. I feel a surge of satisfaction. My training and meticulous planning are finally bearing fruit. They’ll be unstoppable if they perform at this level in competition. Why would they ever want to leave?

“Ash and Ember have no reason to throw away everything they’ve worked for. If they win, they’ll have status and comfort beyond anything they’d find out there. Ember knows that. I even allow him to use his UCs to pay off the attendants in the cleansing room. He’s got the best pet life any human could ask for.”