Shoulders shaking, Laurent lifted his hand to cover his face, fingers splayed, serving as a sort of mask. "Please stay," he whispered, regretting everything he'd done, everything he was, and wanting desperately to scramble for that mask, that shield, the only safety he had.

It was worth the danger, if he could keep Gansey. Beautiful, gentle, charming Gansey.

Taking a shuddering breath, muscles still tense, Laurent kept his hand up to hide his face, but didn't otherwise move. "This is why I'm hunted," he confessed, unable to bear looking at Gansey for fear of what he might see.