Page 14 of My Wild Pet (Whispers from the Imperial Cage #2)

CHAPTER 14

Aefre

I watch Ember stalk away, noting an evident shift in him. He rarely fraternizes with other pets—certainly not in a forbidden tongue—yet he chose to speak to Ash extensively in the cleansing room yesterday, and now he’s publicly challenging my methods. Perhaps her untamed nature has captivated him.

Ash continues the obstacle course, and I turn my gaze to the collar’s readouts hovering beside her. They provide real-time statistics on her physical state:

Heart Rate: 168–172 bpm and climbing

Oxygenation: 95% RBC saturation

Lactic Acid Threshold: 43% above baseline

Cortisol & Adrenaline: Elevated

Her heart rate and temperature are inching toward dangerous levels, as lactic acid is building in her muscles. Her stamina is impressive for a first day—better than the typical human directly from Earth.

Ember sees only her exhaustion and failures, but I recognize her determination. She refuses to give up to me or let the course best her.

Ember doesn’t realize that without my interventions, he’d be a pale reflection of what he is today.

Stepping over to the console, I increase the difficulty. Platforms tilt, drones hiss closer, and lights strobe like a living maze. Ash falters, sweat cascading down her shaky arms, but her collar feed shows she’s still pushing her aerobic capacity—and that pleases me. The same fire that caused her to harm another human is what is keeping her legs moving when any lesser pet would fail.

Ember doesn’t see what I see: potential.

My hand hovers over the console, instinct urging me to flood her body with regenerative nanites , but I hold back. I want to see if she will rise on her own.

Slowly, Ash pushes herself to her feet, unsteady but upright. Her body is a trembling testament to her effort. As I brush damp strands of hair from her face, I allow myself a rare moment of softness. “That’s enough for today.”

“Today,” she repeats in her heavy accent, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes, today.” I attach her leash as I lead her to the gymnasium exit, steadying her as she wobbles. “Good girl,” I murmur.

Inside the cleansing room, I hand over Ash’s leash to the young attendants. “Keep her away from Ember. He’s... drawn to her.”

One of them nods. “Yes, Master Aefre.”

Satisfied, I leave to find Kaelin. We need to discuss Ember’s behavior and what it might mean for the training ahead.