Page 42 of My Wild Pet (Whispers from the Imperial Cage #2)

CHAPTER 42

Briar

The days in the Celestial Spire blur together with training during the day and talking with Gabirel in the night.

The hotel’s arena is relentless and the other competitors feel like Olympians compared to me. Every day, it feels like the obstacles grows harder, like Aefre is pushing us to the brink just to see if we’ll break. Sometimes, I think I’m close. But then I see Gabriel’s determination to win and it pulls me back.

Every night, we lie in bed holding hands under the blankets talking. I tell him about the life I had before all this and how this life feels more real than anything I had before. No computer screens, no bills, no emails, no paperwork, and yet I have a relationship with Gabriel that reminds me why I breathe.

Gabriel talks about freedom, about Gael the Returner. But what does freedom even mean? Where would we go? What would we do? This life with Aefre isn’t what I imagined I wanted in life, but neither was being a commodities trader. It was a job. I wasn’t really free. I really only feel free with Gabriel. He warns me that our time together is limited with Aefre and is adamant that we must escape to ensure a future together. But is leaving Aefre behind worth the risk? The stories I’ve heard from other pets here terrifies me. What if we escaped and were caught and bought by someone else?

But with our chastity belts fitted tight, it’s a constant reminder that we aren’t free. We are controlled and it’s clear that Gabriel no longer can live like this.