Hound whined from his bed, his massive body hunched over in fear, but when Laurent called for him, the dog joined him and pushed his head under Laurent’s arm, as if he were seeking protection.
Laurent gave himself a moment to calm down, petting the shivering dog. But as soon as his breathing was back to normal, he rose to his feet, grabbed an empty backpack, and stuffed a blanket into it before carefully placing the egg inside. He burst through the door without bothering to lock it, with Hound on his heels.
Laurent's legs burned with each step, as if someone were pressing needles into his muscles. The threats Baal voiced were still a visceral presence in his heart, and he couldn't shed the fear they'd instilled in him. No matter how fast he ran through the corridors, the fear followed, attached to him like a night terror, sitting on his chest and preventing him from breathing.
He'd grown accustomed to living in a building inhabited by ghosts, a demon, and an unsavory past. The interiors that belonged in a horror movie had become familiar, something he passed every day on his way to the communal kitchen. Even the old medical equipment, left here after the asylum had been closed down, didn't bother him much anymore.
Yet now, after facing Baal once again, nothing seemed comfortably dusty. Shadows took on shapes he didn't want to notice, and he stopped in the corridor, afraid to pass a room where he knew a leather medical chair stood covered by a sheet. Laurent's imagination told him that some hellish creature released by Baal could be sitting in it, waiting to rise as soon as it spotted Laurent in the doorway.
The egg was safe in the backpack, and Laurent felt its weight, but it could still be taken from him, and it was up to Laurent to never let that happen, to keep their son close. He needed to be brave.
Laurent took a deep breath and, in one desperate sprint, dashed forward, ignoring the room with the old chair. It felt like dealing with a basilisk—all would be well if he managed to keep his curiosity in check. So he sped forward, never looking back, half-afraid to face what could be chasing him, half-confident that if he did, it would eat him alive.
He almost cried with relief when he heard voices ahead, close to the area for common use and the new club meetings room. Regardless of their little spat before, hearing Beast's voice somewhere in the far-off distance made Laurent's heart beat faster. He considered himself independent and brave, but he couldn't deny that in this moment of terror he yearned for nothing more than the safety of Beast's arms.
When they were close, no demons could reach him, and even the concept of fear itself became obsolete.
"Beast!" he yelled before even spotting any of the men he’d grown to consider family.
"Laurent?" came the hesitant voice from just beyond the corner, and Laurent collided with Beast’s firm chest the moment he took the turn.
But while he hoped to see a smile, Beast offered him a deep frown. The other club members were already packed inside the room behind him, but their silence was unnerving. What could have happened to cause this upset?
Beast put his hands on Laurent's shoulders, ignoring Hound, who tapped his paws against the floor impatiently. "What are you doing here? Go back to our apartment right now."
In other circumstances, Laurent would have been hurt by Beast's tone, offended even. But this wasn't a time for petty arguments.
"I can't. Beast, Baal paid me a visit. He threatened us, threatened our child," Laurent didn't even know why he was whispering, but his voice wouldn't get any louder.
Beast's blue eyes burned, and the grip of his fingers on Laurent's shoulders tightened. "Are you hurt?"
"No, but—"
"We've got urgent business. Remember Baal can't physically influence our world. He can only frighten us with illusions. If you're not hurt, I need you to go back and wait for me."
Laurent's heart beat faster, and despite annoyance bubbling up inside him, he still put his forehead against Beast's chest, hugging the backpack. "I'm afraid to go back. Afraid of what I might find there." Shame flooded him at this admission, but who could he be honest with if not with Beast?
"You've got… the egg, right?"
Laurent looked up at Beast in frustration. "Of course I've got the egg. It is my first priority. You think I would just run off—"
Beast cupped his face. "Laurent. Please. If you don’t want to be alone, go to the common room and wait for me. Someone will be there to keep you company."
Laurent stepped back. "Don't speak to me as if I were a child."
Beast closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath through his nose. "I'm not. I just don't have time to deal with this right now. We have a meeting."