I gathered her into my arms and lifted her up, carrying her out of the closet. Keeping her in there with whatever happened wasn’t the answer. I took her to her room instead, finding one of her favorite blankets and settling on the window seat with her. I purred, keeping it steady and soft.
It was clear that Trinity had things in her past that weren’t resolved. We’d been patient with her about telling us, because forcing a person to relive bad memories was rarely helpful. But this was so far beyond that. She needed to tell us what the hell happened. Becausethis? This was terrifying.
Her body became a little less rigid as I stroked a hand over her hair and down her back. Slowly, she pulled my shirt away from her face—just enough for me to see her eyes bloodshot from tears, and those same tears dried on her face. Her scent still contained the rancid elements of true terror.
“You came back.” The tiniest croak.
“I was upstairs in the office,” I told her. “I didn’t go anywhere.”
“You left.”
Something about the hollow words shook me. The finality in them. Like me leaving was a foregone conclusion.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your prank,” I said softly, keeping my hand moving. “Theo told me that’s what you planned. Why did you stay in the closet the whole time?”
“Doesn’t open,” she whispered.
I froze. “What do you mean?”
“I couldn’t get out. I can never get out.”
Holy fucking hell. Did the closets lock from the inside? It wasn’t something I’d ever thought to check on. You didn’t usually close yourself inside a closet.
“You couldn’t open it?”
She shook her head.
Gathering her closer, I kissed her temple, struggling not to crush her to me. Now her terror was mine. What did I cause? “I’m sorry about that. I had no idea they locked like that. I never would have shut the door if I’d known you were inside.”
“I’m sorry I threw up. I’ll clean it.”
Trinity’s voice still came from a million miles away, which was how I knew this wasn’t about being locked in a closet. Or notonlyabout that. Was being locked in a closet for that long fun? No. Was it scary? Probably yes.
But it wasn’t the kind of fear that caused someone to hurl up theirguts and end up in the fetal position. So what the hell caused this reaction? What could I ask?
“I’m not worried about that,” I said softly. “I’m worried about you. What made you throw up?”
I shifted us just enough to grab my phone out of my pocket so I could text the group chat.
Logan
Whoever’s in the apartment, I need you in Trinity’s room NOW.
Aiden
I’m on my way back.
Aiden had gone to pick up some extra things from where he’d been living and his warehouse. Brooks and Bastian appeared in Rin’s doorway. Theo wasn’t far behind them. Their faces told me they scented the same awfulness I did.
I stroked a hand over her hair again. “Do you want to wash your mouth out?”
Trinity took a deeper breath and opened her eyes again. There was more life there than had been before. “That would probably be good.”
I glanced at Brooks as he came closer. He was still sweaty from the gym and must have gotten my text as he got back. He looked down at our Omega. “How about we take a shower?” Brooks asked. “Not a sexy shower, just a shower. You might feel better.”
She stared through me for a few seconds. “Okay. That’s fine.”
Slowly, I helped her sit up, and when she finally dropped my shirt I saw the bits of sickness still clinging to her lips and the way it had stained her shirt. This was so much more than accidentally being shut in a closet. This was a trigger that I’d shoved right at her.
