Book I: Burnt Bliss [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 26: Blood In The Water

Some predators eat their young, and no protection remained for either of her unsuspecting victims.

"Get your things." Margaret demanded, now shoving Augustus into Will's room.

"If he leaves, so do I!" Will growled.

"You aren't going anywhere." she shot back. Her wounded prey was helpless.

"And you're not leaving." she snarled at Augustus with faux sweetness.

"Yet."

If prey isn't immediately killed, the teeth remain until the thrashing subsides.

"Oh really." Augustus sneered. "Then why get my things?"

"Well, since there's no hope in reforming you, you clearly need someone to control you. And wouldn't you know it." she turned from Will's room and pointed.

"Our guest room is right across the hall, and it's currently empty."

"How convenient." Augustus mumbled, throwing handfuls of clothes into his trunk. He sighed sharply as he tugged it out of Will's room.

He looked back and Margaret stood between them, glowering at him.

Will was nearly crying, trapped behind his mother as she literally wedged herself between them.

Once Augustus had sadly crossed the hall, Will and his mother were alone again.

Will said nothing. He just glared.

"I am being extremely lenient with you." she claimed, staring him down, hands squarely on her hips.

"He is the problem and I think there's still hope for you. By God, how could you let him do that to you?" she snapped.

"Do what?" Will shot back. "Care about me? Listen to me? Love me?"

"You call your deviancy love?" His mother snarled.

"Why not? You call your abuse love. Do you really love me?"

Fury raged through Will once more as she stared blankly.

How much more trouble could he really get into at this point?

"Do you really think father loves you?"

"How dare you!" she growled, shoving him once more. She turned and flounced off, slamming his door behind her.

~*~

Margaret huffed her way down the stairs.

Once she re-entered the living room, she saw Lily and realised she had yet to scold her. Thanks to Will's journal, she knew Lily had lied to her.

"And you," she began in a low growl, "you've been lying to me for months!"

"What are you talking about?" Lily replied with equal aggression.

"'Extra food to keep warm'," she stalked towards Lily, who backed away in apprehension as Margaret spoke.

"'Too cold for your morning walks'? Three inches?!"

Lily chose to cease lying. "Well I'm sorry mother, but I don't want to be sold like a...damned cow!"

Her rage boiled, but looking back at her mother's empty eyes, she slowed down, her emotions pulling at her. A certain small, but painful loneliness she'd been trying and trying to ignore was now resurfacing.

"But part of me wanted to tell you. You're my mother. You should be the person to help me with that! But I couldn't," she admitted tearfully, as she sank onto the couch, looking up and feeling hopeless, tears shining on her cheeks. "Because I can't trust you to use it for your own gains. I needed you!"