Brandon sat up, and I caught a glimpse of his swollen red eyes and tear-streaked face before he wrapped his arms around me. He leaned his cheek against my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around his back.
“Can we go to bed, James?”
“Yes, pup. Let me get you out of these clothes, and I’ll get out of mine. Then I’ll hang onto you all night if you’d like.”
“Yes. I would like that.”
I helped him out of his clothes and left him lying naked on the bed when I went into our walk-in closet and dumped the clothes in the hamper. Quickly, I removed my clothes, and when I went back out to our room, I caught a glimpse of his firm naked ass heading into the bathroom.
“I have to brush my teeth,” he hollered.
Brandon had always been adamant about brushing his teeth before bed and as soon as he woke up. I was sure that stemmed more from his years in captivity. I joined him in the bathroom and brushed my teeth as well. I before we left the bathroom, I soaked a washcloth in cool water and held it against his face for a few moments. I thought that after he cried to himself for a few hours in our room that a cool cloth would feel a little refreshing.
“Does that feel better?”
“Yes, thank you,” he said as he lightly held onto my wrist. He was still so nervous when it came to water or a washcloth near his face. I understood his fear and knew that he couldn’t control feeling as though he needed to do things to help himself feel safe.
“Relax, pup. I’m not going to hurt you,” I said calmly. Vocal reminders soothed Brandon.
“I know,” he whispered.
I pulled the cloth away, kissed his forehead, and set the washcloth over the towel rack. We settled into bed, and I knew it wouldn’t take me long to fall asleep. It had been a very long day. This morning as we played around in bed, I would’ve never guessed that by the end of the day I would have learned that it was a psychologist who had sold my pup.
I woke up around 1:45 a.m. to the sounds of Brandon in a nightmare. I brought the lights up from their dim setting and gently shook his arm to wake him. Broken fragments of pleas tumbled from his mouth as his hands clenched the sheets and his bear blanket.
“Brandon, pup,” I said calmly. I repeated it a few times while I gently shook his arm.
He finally jerked awake, sat up, and pressed his palms against his eyes.
“It’s alright, Brandon,” I soothed and rubbed his back. “You were having a dream. You’re safe, and it’s just us.”
“When will they stop, James?”
I pulled him closer so that I could wrap my arm around him.
“I don’t have that answer, pup. They will lessen over time. Right now, everything is still so fresh.”
“It’s been months, though.”
“I know, Brandon. You were held in a kink house against your will for years. You have to give yourself some time.”
Brandon leaned against me and took a deep breath.
“What was your dream about, pup?”
“Him.”
Him.
Many times, his nightmares were filled withthem. I presumed he was referring to this Eli guy. We’d touched a few times on Eli, but Brandon had kept much info about Eli closely guarded. Though I didn’t expect to get very far, I pushed Brandon for more. I was desperate for information regarding Eli, especially since Salem recognized him as her doctor. There was no mistake about her reaction—she feared that man.
“Eli?”
“Yes.”
“Brandon, pup, I really need for you to tell me his full name and exactly in what facet you knew him.”
“I don’t want to see him again, James.”
