Chapter 38

Jason stared, completely aghast. He was so shocked that he didn’t know what to do - everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Emma reached out and delicately picked up the glittering silver band from his mother’s upturned palm; holding it up in front of her face as though she was transfixed by its power. Jason’s gaze was also fixed upon the ring as Emma extended a small finger and slid the ring on. He wanted to scream in rage as he watched his girlfriend’s face go slack and blank as it overwrote her fundamental understanding of what was right and wrong - leaving her open and malleable for whatever was implanted in her.

Helen had a look of satisfaction on her face as she stood before the young girl. She didn’t come across as cruel or sadistic; if anything she looked happy. She turned to face her son with a warm smile - a smile that faltered and died when she saw the rictus expression that he wore. Helen took an apprehensive half-step backwards when Jason entered the room.

Jason padded silently forward towards Emma - trying to ignore his mother. He had felt a white-hot flash of rage suffuse his entire body when she’d had the nerve to actually smile at him - like he would have somehow been pleased by what she had done. But he couldn’t react - he couldn’t explode with all the anger and frustration he was feeling right that second; he couldn’t risk doing anything that would lock in an attribute for Emma.

His mind was whirling non-stop - it was all so obvious now what had happened. Jason had already realised that the women under his control weren’t mindless automatons; their personality was still there and they could still function almost as normal. What he had missed - what hadn’t occurred to him - was that the same still applied to his mother.

Jason had been so caught up in somehow changing her back - to undo the ‘damage’ he had inadvertently caused in her psyche - that the ramifications had slipped by him. If Sarah could be concerned for his well-being even after he had abused and used her, then that said independent thoughts and feelings were still there. If Karla could still joke, tease, and support him through his efforts to be with Emma, it was clearly apparent that forming opinions and acting on them was possible. What Helen had done was little more than a continuation of what she had always told him.

His mother was only looking out for what was best for him. Jason had explicitly told her that she wasn’t able to comment or judge his relationship with Emma - and so she had gone the other way. She had manipulated him to regain access to his room all so she could manufacture this very moment. To ‘solve’ the problem of Emma - an uncontrolled wild card in her efforts to make sure he was happy - she just had to add her to the fold.

Jason’s chest felt tight as he came to a stop a few steps behind Emma. She wasn’t aware of his presence yet; she blinked her eyes rapidly as she came out of the fugue state that came with putting on a Silver Ring. Now that she wore one she was already behaving uncharacteristically; it was after midnight and she was dressed only in a pair of panties and one of Jason’s shirts - she was standing in front of his mother and didn’t freak out in the slightest. No one could be that confident.

“Hi.” Emma said to Helen, giving her a small smile. She fidgeted a bit on the spot. “Jason said you were away for the night.”

“ ... I came back early.” Helen said faintly. Her eyes flickered behind the young girl to where he son stood. That he was standing there silent seemed to unnerve her.

At seeing Helen glance behind her, Emma turned and brightened up to see Jason.

“Jason!” Emma grinned at him. “Look; your mother’s home.”

“I see.” Jason said neutrally. He swallowed hard - scared to do anything that would influence what the Bindings were. Just to be safe he glanced down at the ring on his finger and was relieved to see that the gems signifying Emma were still clear.

“It was lucky were we upstairs, right?” Emma giggled. “And that she didn’t get home earlier.”

Jason felt sickened as he watched his girlfriend joke relaxedly about them being together right in front of his mother. She was already under the effects to the extent that her moralistic barriers were pretty much gone. He hadn’t wanted this - he hadn’t wanted to change her. And for it to happen now - right after they had finally been together - was like a bad joke. And what was worse was that he had to make a decision - he had to choose what bindings to use on Emma before it was too late.

A memory flashed through him of how he had accidentally locked in Fear for his aunt when he hadn’t known what the Rings could do - he didn’t think he could ever forgive himself if he ever caused Emma to look at him in fright. Likewise, Obedience wasn’t an option either. There was only one combination that he could even begin to live with, but he found it impossible to start. Jason didn’t know how long he would have stood there, but his indecision was broken by the sound of the front door crashing open. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Karla and Sarah burst in through the door, looking around worriedly for the house inhabitants. Emma looked startled at the sudden intrusion, and Jason took that moment to act before anything else happened.

“You look so sexy in that outfit, Em.” He said, his voice cracking a little when he said her name. He was aware of the other two women approaching the kitchen but he ignored them for the moment. After taking a deep breath to fortify himself he continued. “Your legs ... I can’t wait to have them wrapped around me again.”

Emma - her mouth partly open to speak - paused, her face going slack and blank. She stared at nothing while taking a slow and deep breath. A flush of colour began to appear on her cheeks and a shiver ran through her body as the Binding took hold.

Slowly - as slow and smooth as he could so as not to startle her in any way, shape, or form - Jason covered the remaining distance between them before Emma completely came back to herself and enfolded her in a gentle embrace.

“I love you, Emma.” Jason whispered with his lips pressed into her vibrant red hair - trying not to sound as lost as he felt. He hadn’t wanted this. As soon as he uttered those words Jason realised that he truly meant them - and that realisation sent crippling bands of guilt throughout his body. He wished he’d had a chance to say those words to her genuinely. “I love you so much.”

Again Emma froze - the second Binding laying its claim to her. Jason could feel her slender body tense against his and he buried his face in her hair. The first he knew that she had come back to herself was feeling her small hand press itself against his cheek.

“Oh, Jason.” Emma breathed out. “I - I love you too. I have for a long time.”

Jason pulled back and gave her a watery smile - he felt so torn with conflicting emotions that he didn’t know what to think. He checked his Ring and sure enough Emma’s gems were shining with he colours of red and green; Emma was bound with the attributes of Love and Lust. The Lover.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his mother and she actually looked like she was touched by the scene in front of her. That she had the audacity to feel that way sent yet another flash of rage throughout Jason - even though he knew on some level she couldn’t help it and that he had played no small role in influencing her into the person she was now, he couldn’t bring himself to overlook what she had done. Now that there was no risk in inadvertently Binding Emma with a negative attribute, he could address his mother’s actions properly.

That said, he still didn’t want to do this in front of his girlfriend.

“Emma.” Jason said softly, choosing his words carefully. “Could you wait for me up in my room? I’ll be up to join you in a few minutes.”

“Oh. Um, of course.” Emma said, slight confusion evident on her face. Then she seemed to brighten and stood on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t take too long though.”

Jason assured her that he wouldn’t be too long and Emma walked past him and out of the kitchen. He kept his eyes firmly on his mother and was somewhat gratified to see that she squirmed under his regard. Jason heard Emma’s footsteps pause momentarily when she reached his aunt and teacher - she exchanged uncertain greetings with both women before continuing on her way towards his room.

“Jason, I -” Helen began once Emma had disappeared upstairs.

“Shut-up.” Jason said coldly, cutting her off. He began pacing aimlessly back and forth in the kitchen - shaking his head as if to dispel the reality of what had just happened. Even if intellectually he knew it wasn’t entirely his mother’s fault he just couldn’t let go of his anger. “Why the fuck did you do that? What were you thinking!”

“What’s wrong, baby?” Helen asked her son, confusion and hurt on her face.

“What? Did you just fucking -” Jason began incredulously, managing to rein in his temper with effort. “How can you say - you gave Emma the Ring!”

“I did it for you, Jason.” Helen entreated her son. She reached out her hand and looked hurt when he took a step back from her. “This was the only way - the only way you could have what you wanted.”

“It was up to me to decide -”

“But you weren’t deciding, baby.” His mother said softly. “You told me yourself what you wanted - to get a house where we could all live together. I know you and Emma want to go to the same college. I know you planned to have her in your life as well. How did you expect to make that work?”

“But -” Jason began, and then stopped. He was a little derailed by the fact that his mother had used Emma’s name for the first time in a very long time. Apparently the fact that she was now Bound to him the same as everyone else meant something profound to his mother. And on top of that she had thought about his situation far deeper than Jason had himself. He had expected to hear easily dismissed excuses from his mother - not evidence of the fact that she seemed to have truly acted in his ‘best interests’.”

“This way we can all be together.” Helen said. Her eyes looked watery and a single tear trailed down her cheek. “It’s what’s best for you, Jason. Can you honestly tell me different?”

Jason looked at his mother for a good long moment. He still wanted to yell - to rail against what she had done - but it was impossible to do so against her earnestness. It wasn’t her fault.