✫ 𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂

19

silas grabbed alaric by the collar, his face twisted in disgust as he dragged him behind the trees, away from where connor lay unconscious. "you are not a provider, not without my supervision," he growled, his voice a low snarl. "when are you going to grow up and realize that everythin' the family—especially marlow and i—are doing is for your own good? for your prosperity?" he interrogated.

alaric opened his mouth to protest. "but i thought—"

"but you didn't," silas cut him off sharply, yanking him forward by the ear. alaric winced, his face contorting in pain as silas twisted harder. "that's the problem with you, alaric. you never think. you act impulsively, like some dumb animal. and then i have to come and clean up your mess." he stated.

alaric's hands shot up instinctively, clawing at silas' grip on his ear. his nails scratched against silas' skin, but it was futile. silas was stronger and older, and he wasn't letting go anytime soon. "let me go!" alaric hissed, his voice straining as he twisted in silas' grip, trying desperately to free himself. "you're hurting me!"

"good," silas spat, his voice dripping with venom as he pulled alaric closer, bringing their faces mere inches apart. "maybe the pain is what you need to finally start listenin'. i've had it with your childish antics. you think you can handle things on your own, but every time you do somethin' without guidance, you screw it up. royally."

alaric whined, his body squirming as he tried to pull away, but silas held firm. the older man's grip was unrelenting, and the searing pain in his ear made alaric's eyes water. his breath came in short, ragged gasps, his face flushed with a mix of pain and frustration. "silas...please," he whimpered, his voice cracking. "i didn't mean to...i thought i was helping..." he quietly admitted.

"helping?" silas barked out a laugh, cold and mocking. "you think this is helping? you can't even get rid of one simple problem without turnin' it into a disaster." he glanced back at connor, still lying motionless in the dirt. "what were you going to do next, huh? drag his body back to the family? bring the cops down on us? you're a liability, alaric. always have been."

alaric's frustration boiled over, his hands now pushing against silas' chest in a futile attempt to break free. "will you quit it?!" he snapped, his voice high-pitched and desperate. "i can handle this!"

"no, you can't," silas said, yanking him closer. his face was red with anger now, his teeth bared in a sneer. "because you're nothing but a spoiled child. you've never grown up, never taken responsibility for anythin'. you think you're some big, bad provider? you're a joke, boy. you couldn't provide for yourself if your life depended on it."

alaric's cheeks burned with shame and rage. his body trembled in silas' grip, his eyes wet with the sting of humiliation. he hated how small silas made him feel, how powerless. "i can provide," alaric muttered, but his voice lacked conviction.