Page 115 of My Wild Pet

Gael extends his hand to each of us then says to Gabriel, “You don’t owe me anything. Fifi paid three-fourths of it last year. And then, when we first met, what you gave me in good faith covered the remainder. I’m sorry for what happened to Fifi. She had already arranged it all last year, but when she died in the arena, I couldn’t risk going in for you. I didn’t know if youwantedto be rescued. And I have a policy, I never force any humans out of captivity.”

Gabriel’s jaw clenches trying to hold back the tears. “Thank you for telling me.”

Gael nods sincerely. “Fifi would have wanted to get you both to freedom. She would have wanted this for you, Gabriel. She said you were like the brother she never had.”

“I know,” Gabriel says, his voice breaking. “She was so excited at the idea of freedom. I didn’t listen to her. I didn’t believe her when she said she’d talked with you. I should have.”

Gael gives Gabriel a compassionate touch on the shoulder. “You’re not the first man to believe freedom is out of reach and you won’t be the last. But if you can promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“Don’t dwell on the past. Only look forward.”

“I promise.”

“Now, I’ll leave you both here. Haven is a good place. Prosper and make something of your freedom, you now know that it’s a gift.”

Then we watch Gael and some of his crew walk away.

A tall woman with cropped black hair steps forward, flanked by two men. The woman looks human but the other two look like hybrids between human and Imperial.

The woman introduces herself, “Welcome to Haven. I’m Anna and these are my assistants. Before we go any further, you both need to swear on pain of death that you will never leave Haven without my or Gael’s permission, that you will never have communication with anyone outside the colony, and that you will keep our organization and what you know about Gael and our mission secret, even if you are abducted and sold into slavery again. Do you swear Gabriel?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear Briar?”

“I swear.”

“Good. It’s been noted and your answers have been recorded as truthful. Now our first stop will be to the medical center. You both need full mental and physical workups. We will try to repair the immediate damage that has been done to you. Other things will take time, but we do expect you both to make a full recovery and thrive here.”

“And can we live together?” Gabriel asks tentatively.

“If you want. However, you must make a commitment to one another for at least three months. We have rules about co-habitation.

Gabriel looks at me and asks seriously, “Do you want to live together Briar?”

I’m irrationally irritated by his question. “The only thing that upsets me is that you’re asking. Of course I want to co-habitate with you.”

He smiles at my word choice.

And I have no choice but to smile genuinely back. This feels good. To be free and make choices.

“Now that that’s settled,” Anna says. “Let’s go to our first stop, the medical center. Then this evening we will welcome you into our community with a special ceremony to mark the end of your enslavement.”

By nightfall, the colony gathers in an open plaza called the Soul, where a bonfire crackles. Shadows play across the crowd’s human, hybrid, and Imperial faces, all reflecting a shared understanding of why we’re here.

Anna steps forward to address everyone, “Thank you for joining us tonight to welcome Gabriel and Briar into our community. As some of you already know, they were kept as show pets by the notorious Imperial pet trainer Aefre. They’ve been through a lot as many of you can sympathize with. But today is the last day they will ever be associated with being a show pet. From this day forward they are citizens of Haven.” Anna looks at us then and says, “The first step is letting go of what ties you to them. It’s time to throw your collars and anything else you want into the fire.”

Gabriel goes first. He approaches the fire, shoulders set, and tosses his collar into the flames. There’s a hiss of hot metal twisting, melting and burning. His jaw flexes tightly as he watches it until it’s unrecognizable. When he turns to look at me, there’s a new lightness in his eyes, like he’s shed a piece of himself.

It’s my turn now. With my collar and my severed tail in my hands I hold them up against the heat of the fire. My fingerstremble. Part of me is terrified to let these objects go, as if I’ll be in trouble for losing them if Aefre comes back. But I remind myself that I’m free now. So with a shaky breath, I throw them in. The flames leap and devour the last year of my life and I breathe easier.

Anna then ceremoniously leads us all in a silent procession to a place called the Sanctuary. It’s a small chamber, like a chapel but without an altar. And it’s lined with mementos, plaques, trinkets, and ribbons. “You can leave a name here if you want,” Anna says. “No one will judge. It’s for those who want to remember someone from their former Imperial life.”

Gabriel steps up to the wall first. He grips the small engraving tool and etches the name Fifi into a blank space. I can’t read his expression, but I see how his hand trembles slightly. I know how deep that wound runs.

Then it’s my turn. I think of all the people I’ve lost or failed, all the illusions that haunted me in the Grand Championships. One name stands out more prominently than the rest,Rebecca, the brave womanIcouldn’t save. I feel guilty for her death. Not only because I didn’t try to stop her from going out the airlock, but also because of her absence on theLuminous Arcallowed me to take her place and because of that, it was I who fell in love with Gabriel and I who am now free.

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