He shrugged. “Whisper had to learn it from someone.”
I laughed quietly, grateful he’d switched the atmosphere from tense back to tipsy.
My mind filled with happy reunions.
Once Laura was back home, I’d fly to see her. I’d offer to take her on holiday somewhere—to make up for the months in captivity.
“Thank you, Lucien.”
He grunted and topped up our glasses.
“Or should I say, Xiao Lu.”
His eyes flared. “You’ve figured out what that means?”
“No. Auntie Mei told me.”
“Ah.” He lay back down, his hand dangling off the side so he could trail his fingers over Whisper’s back. The panther purred like a broken chainsaw.
“I have to say...Furnace Heart is ridiculously perfect for you.”
“It’s a bit too perfect though, isn’t it?” He stopped stroking Whisper and balled his hand. “Was it just ironic coincidence or did they know my fate, even then?”
I didn’t answer right away. My mind slipped back into the past, through memories and lab notes, doing my best to recall something from my childhood that would hint at Lucien’s origins. But...as far as I knew, my parents had only ever experimented on animals. And not just the typical lab creature but beasts such as oxen, bears, and even a Komodo dragon.
I hadn’t been allowed into that part of the lab after I’d burst into tears seeing a snow leopard being—
I sat bolt upright; the terrace wobbled a little thanks to the wine. “Where did you say you got Whisper from?”
Lucien frowned at my sudden upright position. “Marcus threw him into Cinderkeep when I had my first mental breakdown. Why?” He didn’t sit up but his entire body tensed.
I eyed the sleepy predator sprawled between us. “And how old is he?”
“Fifteen or so.” He watched me carefully, waiting for me to explain my sudden interest. “Why?”
“Pretty sure big cats in the wild only live ten to twelve. And maybe upward of twenty in captivity.”
“So?”
“So...Snowflake Corp has a history of experimenting on predators and large mammals because their genetic makeup was better able to withstand the immortality trials.”
He shot upright. “You think he came from your labs?!”
“I’m thinking...it might be possible?” I shrugged as Whisper raised his head and looked at both of us. “I mean...he’s always been a littleextra, hasn’t he? What if they made you and then made you a special kind of pet...”
“I think the wine has gone to your head.”
“God, I agree,” I groaned. “It all sounds crazy.”
“More than crazy.”
“Just ignore me.”
But Lucien never took his eyes off Whisper. Either he had to face facts that his beloved panther only had a few years left...or he accepted that Marcus had been working with someone in my company and Whisper wasn’t just a random kitten tossed into Cinderkeep when Lucien needed him the most.
“You keep driving me to drink, woman,” he finally muttered, tossing back the rest of his cup before reaching for the rapidly diminishing collection of earthen jars on the side table. Shaking an empty one, he scowled before finding one still with alcohol.
“You know...” I said, doing my best to change the subject. “Those little earthen jars were my favourite part of being thrown in Cinderkeep. If I could’ve bought them at a supermarket, I would’ve had a drinking problem.”
