Page 34 of Sanctuary After Dark

My voice hardened with some more authority behind it, making Elias's shoulders sag in defeat.

Luke stepped back from him, and I did the same, putting a little distance between myself and Elias, no matter how much I wanted to keep him close.

"Let's get these ropes off of you, sweetheart."

I watched as Luke started to untie the knots from his front. I helped as best I could, and all three of us were silent as we worked to get him untied. There was tension in the room now, and not one filled with lust like before. I could see that Elias was upset, but I knew we were doing the right thing.

"It's not because we don't want to, Elias."

I watched him tense at my words and the way his jaw tightened.

"Yeah..."

Luke sighed as he worked his way up Elias's chest, pulling the ropes free.

"You're too fragile right now, sweetheart. We don't want to mess anything up."

Elias's head whipped back at his words. His brow furrowed as his lips turned down into a frown. He took a few steps back from us; the rope falling away from his body to pool on the floor.

"Fragile… you think I'm… fragile."

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing, sweetheart. Just that you're still healing. We're supposed to be helping you."

Blue and brown eyes snapped to Luke as he spoke, and I could practically taste the anger that was coming from Elias as he balled his fists and clenched his jaw.

"News flash, I've been healing for a fucking year. I've been in and out of hospitals for surgeries to fix what others had done to me. I've been to specialists and dermatologists for the scars that cover my body. I've used so many different creams to stop them from itching when they tighten that I've lost count. I'm still taking supplements because of the malnutrition from when he would lock me up for days when I had been bad, refusing to give me food. I've been beaten to within an inch of my life. I've been raped by strangers and people I thought were my friends. I was so addicted to heroin because it was my only fucking escape from the hell I was living. I've gone through detox and withdrawal. I've been through nine months of rehab not just for my addiction but for my body as well. I had therapy with Alec every single fucking day for the past nine fucking months.

And you think I'm fragile?! Why? Because I want to experience a little bit of pleasure for the first time in four years?! Pleasure that I chose, not just a bodily reaction to stimuli? And I wanted it with two people that I'm starting to trust. But no. You think I'm too fragile and that I'm made of glass. That you have to handle me with kid gloves because I might break. Well, guess what! I'm already broken, and if a flagrum didn't break me more as it sliced into my back, then an orgasm won't either. So fuck you, Lucas, and fuck you, Lincoln."

Luke and I both stood there staring at him for a moment before he turned and grabbed his clothes from the dresser where I had put them. We were so in shock by his outburst, and it was a lot to unpack. He wasn't entirely wrong in what he had said, and I knew Luke felt horrible for insinuating that he couldn't handle something. But we weren't expecting him to snap like this.

"Elias, stop. We need to talk. You need aftercare. That's a non-negotiable, and you know it."

I stepped forward and laid my hand on his arm to stop him from leaving. If he wasn't dropping already, he would be, and it was something we took seriously with subs in our care.

"Don't fucking touch me."

I pulled my hand back as if I had been burned by the venom in his voice. He glared up at me as he held his clothes close to his stomach.

"I've gone four years without aftercare. I didn't need it from him and I don't need it from you. God forbid you have to look at my disgusting body for longer than you have to."

"Elias, we didn't say that. Sit down right now. You don't have to talk to us, but let us monitor you in case you drop."

I kept my hands to myself while I practically pleaded with him to stay so we could make sure he would be alright. Luke stepped over the rope on the floor and approached as well, making Elias take a step back towards the door.

"Red."

My breath caught in my throat and my limbs froze when I heard him utter his safeword. My brother was just as still next to me, and we watched as Elias watched us warily. His eyes were glazing over with unshed tears, and his hands were shaking. I knew he was wondering if we would honor his safeword because his ex hadn't. But we both stayed rooted to the floor and let him run from us, no matter how much my heart and brain were screaming at me to go after him.

I flinched when the door slammed, and a spell seemed to break, causing me to move. My hand came to run through my hair and tug on it.

"Fuck… Fuck!"

Luke stood there, just staring at the door. I knew he wanted to go after him as well, but we would honor his safeword.

"We'll stay close, Linc. I'll go down and grab some snacks, water, and juice and leave them outside his door, and you stay here if he calls out or comes to find us."

Turning towards Luke, I nodded because I knew he was right. I was going to go a step further, though, and camp out in front of his door. Any signs of distress and I was going to go in there, whether he liked it or not.