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Balthazar sat in the seat, crossed his legs, and leaned back in the chair. He arched an eyebrow at the Beta interviewer opposite him and waited for her to gather herself after the opening small talk comments he had flirted his way through.
The flirting was probably what was getting him the askance looks, since his mating marks were visible above the v-neck t-shirt he wore under the blazer.
He could smell Benny’s amusement in the audience and fought the urge to roll his eyes. When he hadn’t been allowed to bring Growley on set with him, Benny had stated that he would be accompanying him instead. He wanted to tell him where to shove it, but it just made him warm inside so he had rolled his eyes and left.
“So what do you think of your husband’s...platform? Isn’t it a bit..”
“Noble? Good? Human?” he finished dryly for her.
She smiled awkwardly. “Something like that… They’re saying he doesn’t have the support, kicking against traditional moral values and all that – what are your thoughts, Mr. Crowley?”
“Shurley.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s Balthazar Shurley, darling, and I think there are many races who would disagree with the bit about ‘traditional morals’.”
“Oh well, this is different-”
“Is it?” he leaned forward sharply, putting both feet flat on the floor. “Do you know what twelve years of slavery will do to a person?” he barely paused for an answer. “It doesn’t matter if they are bought to clean a house, or be raped ten times a day – after twelve years, it’s hard to remember that you were once the same as the people beating you. It’s hard to remember that you ought to have the same rights, that you were born the same way, that you...you’re the same. Its...and after twelve years – hell, after three – there is no end.”
“Yes, well-”
“I got lucky.” he said softly, looking out into the audience for his husband. “Lucky to survive as long as I did, and lucky that the right man came to the right auction at the right time. So very lucky, darling.” he breathed in to steady himself and then looked back to the interviewer, who was looking sick. “I still get nightmares. I still have days where I kneel on the floor and wait to be raped. I still get sick at the thought of saying ‘no’. I still have days that you will never, ever have to worry about having because you are not an Omega. And you’re not poor.” he tacked on. “My husbands could have left me like that. They could have treated me well, had me tidy up, and decided rehabilitating a broken, wreck of a creature wasn’t their problem.” he chuckled. “they could have even found me a kind owner and sold me on, retired me.” his humour vanished. “Or they could have shot me in the head and never even gotten fined for property damage.”
She swallowed. “...but. You’re free now – that was quite-”
He interruped her by laughing, a touch bitterly. He pulled out his necklace, and pulled the ID plate away from the rings. “I’m not free.”
She froze, eyes darting to her producers off stage.
“they aren’t allowed to free me. I’m not even allowed to marry my husbands – my mates. I am a piece of property still, because the laws governing slavery are so...grey.” He ran a light touch over the rings before dropping his necklace back down his shirt. “So to cut to the point, honey. Crowley isn’t running on some gimmick platform, and he isn’t running to upset the status quo. He is running to free me.” He smirked. “That will be all.”
Benny was waiting for him when he was released, and he wrapped an arm around Balthazar’s waist. “I’m sorry, cher.”
“What for?” he let himself lean slightly against the larger Alpha.
“That you had to get up there, remember all of that…”
“...I love you, you hairless ape.” he twisted and pulled him down to kiss him, exasperated.
“...I love you too, cher?”
Balthazar shook his head. “Take me home, darling. I’m quite done with attention."
"All attention?"
"Don't test your luck." he retorted, sliding into the passenger seat of the car with a smirk. He touched the rings on his necklace and relaxed.
A very lucky man indeed.