Laurent took a few steps toward the door, considering going after Martina, but he wasn’t as close to her as he was with Nao. He didn’t want to pry. It left them all standing there uncomfortably, with no music to kill the silence, and only the awkward sound of skin slapping against skin coming from behind the curtain where Knight was having sex with someone.
Lizzy went to the middle of the stage and looked around, briefly skirting his yellow gaze over Laurent. “Okay. So it seems one contestant isn’t participating after all. As for the bands, we will need a few days to make up our minds, but you are all invited to stay for the party and have fun.”
King grinned widely and walked into the bright light, so that he’d too be visible. As if on cue, Lizzy pointed his hand toward him. “King’s orders!”
The clapping to that was somewhat flaccid, but when King added that he was bringing up a free keg of beer, everyone cheered with more enthusiasm.
Lizzy’s eyes settled on Beast, and he smiled widely, even sticking out his split tongue that never failed to give Laurent the shivers. “Ah, one more thing. I’ve heard someone prepared something special for their boy tonight, and I bet everyone will want to see that.”
Laurent glanced around, unsure who Lizzy might be talking about, but then, the light around him became brighter, and he caught Beast frowning at the stage, somewhat tense. Lizzy didn’t seem to worry much about the murderous stare and sent Beast a kiss before moving back to his bandmates.
The room became much quieter, and Laurent could actually hear people shushing each other when Beast slowly turned his massive body to face Laurent. The pale light made the imperfections of his skin stand out more, but his blue gaze was so soft Laurent wanted to cuddle up to his lover and stay in his arms.
Beast cleared his throat and reached inside his cut where a black packet was attached with straps. Slowly, he looked into Laurent’s eyes, and the tension around them was so obvious Laurent could sense people’s stares licking at his skin.
“Oh.” Laurent’s breath caught in his throat. “Um… what is it?” he asked as he accepted the neatly folded bundle of soft black leather. He wasn’t comfortable being the center of everyone’s attention.
Beast licked his lips, just as unsure about everyone watching as he was. “This is for you. I had it made to fit your taste.”
Laurent slowly unfolded the leather, realizing it was a vest, very much like the ones worn by bikers and their women, but with a shorter front and two tails in the back. It bore resemblance to the style of coat worn in Laurent’s own time, but adapted to modern fashion sense, and with tails that wouldn’t be long enough to get into the wheels of a motorbike during a ride.
He smiled and held it up, but the wave of tenderness going through him went cold when he turned the vest around and saw the well known patches.
Kings of Hell MC.
An intricate skull in a crown.
Property of Beast.
Laurent’s mind galloped as if a gunshot exploded nearby.
“W-what is this?” Laurent said in a hushed voice, already balking at the word ‘Property’. He’d made a pact with the devil, and escaped through time two hundred years to not be anyone’s property.
Martina was also a property, and now she couldn’t even perform a song on stage without her man’s permission. Why would Beast offer him this? Was his intention to also exert such control over Laurent? To make him perform services like Jake and enforce his authority over Laurent whenever they didn’t see eye to eye? Had their time together only been an opportunity to woo Laurent before the real relationship began? On Beast’s terms?
Beast exhaled and pushed back his hair, watching Laurent intensely. “This is so that everyone knows you belong to me.”
“So this means I will belong to you?”
The pressure of the decision scrunched Laurent’s lungs. He felt like everyone was waiting for his answer, and each whisper was like a prying hand. Nao with the bearded man, King, Lizzy… Panic began clutching at Laurent’s limbs and wouldn’t let go.
Beast nodded, stepping closer and almost reaching out, as if he wanted to put shackles on Laurent’s hands already, despite the soft, pleasant expression on his face. “Yes.”
Laurent thought back to Marcel, who spent the final months of his life as the property of William Fane. He stepped closer to Beast, increasingly shaken.
“Forever?” he asked in a weak voice, gripping the vest as if it were a noose the hangman expected him to put around his neck himself.
Beast’s shoulders relaxed, and he leaned closer, as if he couldn’t stop himself from touching Laurent. This time, the soft glide of his fingers burned.