Beast shook his head. “Should have thought about it before getting into my bed if I offend your ears so much.” With that, Beast put on his boots and stormed for the open door of the bedroom.
The ‘tap tap tap’ of Laurent’s feet behind him followed. Beast couldn’t believe they were about to go dig in the ground in the middle of the night. If they found the body of the ‘Fane’ who Laurent killed, it would sure as hell be a rotting mess, not bones.
The supplies closet offered high-beam flashlights and shovels, so they took what they needed and walked off toward the lone rock, picking up Hound from his pen on the way. The dog was ecstatic about the unexpected walk and led the way, enjoying himself as if he hadn’t noticed the sour atmosphere.
Beast just wanted to get this over with. He was so angry he didn’t even want to talk anymore, constantly reminded that either he could only be of interest to someone who wasn’t in their right mind, or he’d been lied to for weeks.
Laurent turned the beam of the flashlight to a spot by the rock. “It’s here,” he mumbled. “Unless the rock was moved, but it’s too large, so I doubt it, and it’s still aligned with the well. Beast… I don’t know. Maybe we should leave the body in peace?”
Beast’s chest tightened, and he flung the shovel like a pike, stabbing it into the ground. “Oh, so you don’t want to deliver proof after all? What are you going to tell me next? That you’ve come from the dark side of the Moon?”
He noticed with irritation that Hound approached Laurent and sat by his feet, as if taking his side!
“Fuck you!” Laurent hissed and stuck his shovel into the ground as well. He rarely swore this way, and it gave Beast a sense of dark satisfaction. Laurent was not such an innocent after all.
“Now we’re getting somewhere. I’ve been through too much shit in my life to just accept this. I won’t be played with, no matter how sweet or handsome you are.” He deserved respect too, and he could hardly muster any for himself right now.
But Laurent didn’t answer, digging with that annoyed pout on his face even when rain started drizzling from the sky. He pulled on his hood, digging the shovel into the wet ground time and time again. Their flashlights gave just enough illumination to provide lighting adequate for a horror movie, and the smell of damp ground that usually made Beast want to take a deep breath seemed to be choking him now.
At least they were hidden beyond the trees, which made it unlikely for anyone to notice them from the house. Still, the drizzle covered every inch of Beast’s bare skin, making the joints in his hands stiffen with cold and clouding his eyes with the rain smacking his face whenever the wind changed direction. But he wouldn’t give up, no matter how uncomfortable all this was.
Beast had no idea how long they’ve been digging by the time Hound decided it all wasn’t worth it and went off to hide beneath a tree, but Beast couldn’t put off this task until tomorrow. Without definite proof, he wouldn’t be able to even look into the treacherously pretty eyes.
Bitterness was choking him as he worked, sneaking its way into his bones and muddling any positive thoughts he had left. He didn’t want to discover that there was nothing sinister hidden here, but he still dug despite the ache in his muscles and the cold that made him shudder more violently with each passing moment. He should have grabbed a rain coat.
He glanced toward Laurent, who worked just as tirelessly, grunting when he pushed the shovel into the ground with force, and despite the resentment growing its roots in Beast’s heart, he still worried about Laurent catching a cold as a result of this.
Three feet into digging, and neither of them said a thing, neither suggested giving up. Beast could blame Laurent’s stubborn nature, but he wasn’t any better himself. He rammed the shovel into the ground, ignoring the cold mud that clung to his shoes and the downpour that soaked through his clothes, making him shiver as if he were naked. It felt like he was digging his own grave.
“Wait. I think I see something.” Laurent pushed Beast aside and forced him to pull the shovel away.
Beast sighed, leaning against the tool and watching Laurent dive his pretty hands into the wet dirt. He was so tired. All he wanted was to take a long bath and go to sleep. And tonight, he didn’t even want Laurent in his bed anymore.
Laurent was like a worm in the ground, frantically pushing through mud with his fingers. Was he seeing things in the slush but was unable to reach them because they didn’t exist?