Will opened his eyes but made no other movement whilst he waited to see what would happen next. He could hear Angelus prowling around somewhere behind him, making low growling noises that did not sound promising. The air was rank with the sulphur tang of roused demon. A hand shot out and twined its powerful fingers into his long hair, yanking his head back viciously. A voice hissed next to his ear. ‘And if you so much as think about doing that ever again, I will take you apart one piece at a time, d’ you hear?’
Very original, Will thought, at least come up with some new threats, Angelus. ‘Yes Sire.’
‘I will not allow my property to be damaged.’
‘No Sire.’
‘You don’t touch it, you don’t ask for it, you don’t think about asking for it.’
‘No Sire.’
‘Obedience, boy, obedience to my will, that is all you have to learn. And you will learn it. You do not dispute and I do not explain. You… will… learn.’ Angelus waited for a torturous second or two before thrusting his hand forward and letting Will’s head go with a jerk. ‘Go to bed.’
Will carefully pushed himself up off the table he had been stretched across and forced himself, moving stiffly, over to the bed; until he was lying face down with his head pillowed on his arms. He kept very still, eyes shut, hoping Angelus would think he had fallen asleep. He could hear Angelus undressing and then the whole bed shook and sank as the master vampire settled down on it. Will risked a glance and found himself gazing straight up into his sire’s eyes. He snapped his own shut again and then tried to still a shiver as a strong finger brushed across the nape of his neck, traced about the ridges of his spine and then worked its way up to entangle itself in his tousled locks. The hand started to unpick the blue ribbon that clung on stubbornly despite the violence of the last hour or so. It slid free at last and the clever fingers combed out the soft strands, splaying them out in a wide fan, brushing low across his lacerated shoulders.
Will winced as the bed shifted again as Angelus slid across closer and parted the mane of hair, stroking each half aside. Then he tensed up as his sire moved right over him and he suddenly felt a cool wet tongue lick at the top of his spine. The sensation moved down to flick gently over the smarting cuts that criss-crossed his back, cooling the burning flesh and soothing them into closing and healing. Surprised, but certainly not objecting, Will began to purr quietly and heard an answering rumble deep in his sire’s throat as Angelus worked lower, his tongue cleaning and easing each cut in turn. Will squirmed slightly and felt a warning pressure between his shoulder blades and a reproving growl, he froze and the soft lapping began again. Then without any notice it stopped. Angelus pulled back and cuffed him lightly across the head, ‘Go to sleep, boy,’ then rolled away and turned his back on him. Leaving Will frustrated and even more furious with his sire than he had been before.
When he awoke he was gazing at an open window where the orange and red flushed sky showed the sun had only just set. He was alone in the room.