Babysitting The Amnesiac Lycan King

Chapter 73

The moment Enoch steps into the room, the air shifts.

Silence clamps down so hard it's suffocating. Even Celeste, ever the performer, straightens as if instinct tells her to shrink under his presence. But Enoch doesn't spare her a glance. His dark eyes sweep the room, landing on me.

There's no recognition. No warmth. No hesitation.

Just cold, imperial authority.

"Clean it up," he says flatly, not even directing it at anyone specific.

Celeste twitches like she just got slapped. "Enoch—"

His head tilts, the slow movement an unspoken warning. "Now."

Damn. It's as if the man getting beaten by Kallias back in the Riverstone pack has disappeared. This guy is on another level. He's a king.

The Lycan King.

She swallows. Her face remains poised, but the tension in her jaw betrays her. Slowly, she turns and signals one of her women to fix the mess.

A sick sort of satisfaction curls in my stomach. For months, I imagined this moment-seeing Enoch again, throwing all my anger, pain, and questions at him. But now that he's here, so close I could reach out and touch him, all I can do is stare at the stranger in front of me.

Because he is a stranger.

This isn't the man who once pulled me against his chest in the dead of night, whispering secrets he didn't even understand yet. This isn't the broken boy I cradled in the forest, patching up his wounds and feeding him soup like some stray.

This is the Lycan King.

And I'm nothing to him.

I lift my chin, refusing to cower. "Always so charming," I say, forcing my voice to stay even. "I missed that about you."

A muscle in his jaw ticks, but his expression remains unreadable. Then, without another word, he turns and walks away.

I don't know what I expect-maybe for him to say something, acknowledge that I'm here-but the dismissal stings sharper than I care to admit. He's already heading down the hallway when he speaks over his shoulder.

"Come with me."

I blink. For a moment, I think I imagined it, but no-his voice is firm, commanding.

He doesn't wait to see if I follow. He just expects me to.

Prick.

I glance at Celeste, who is staring after him with barely concealed rage. Her hands are curled into fists at her sides. I smile sweetly at her as I pass. "Guess I do belong here after all."

Then I follow him.

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The walk is silent. The palace corridors stretch endlessly, dark and grand. I reallyy think this place is aklive. There's only so much the modern renovations have rwached, and they kept its ancient look at some of the most restricted areas.

Like where we're going right now. Each hallway is flickering with torches and casting long, eerie shadows. His strides are toc long for me to keep up as I stumble around, hitting drawers. He doesn't look back.

Asshole.

Finally, he stops at a large wooden door and pushes it open, stepping inside. I hesitate. The room beyond is dimly lit, the glow of a fireplace casting golden light across towering bookshelves and dark leather chairs. His study.

exhale and step inside.

The door clicks shut behind me.

For a long moment, neither of us speak. He stands by the desk, arms crossed, head tilted just slightly as though he's waiting for me to break first.

Not fucking happening.

"You know," I start, forcing a casual tone, "if you wanted a private moment with me, you could've just asked nicely. No need for the silent treatment."

His lips press together. "You shouldn't be here."

I arch a brow. "Funny. The guards let me right in."

"Because they didn't know better."

"Well, they do now." I lean against the desk, matching his crossed arms. "You gonna throw me out yourself?"

Fucking eat my attitude Enoch. You abandoned me like a whore and I'm not gonna cry about it like a bitch.

A flicker of something-amusement? Frustration?-crosses his face. Then, he exhales sharply and runs a hand down his face. "Taryn."

And just like that, my bravado cracks.

that's the first time he's said my name in

the inside of my cheek, locking my

him. "I go by Miss

darkens. "You don't

shrug. “I'm just a journalist. Reporting

being

lips

now you do remember

closer, and I hate how my body reacts.

His voice is lower now,

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Chapter 73

lift my

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flare. He takes another step,

of him-smoke, leather, something deeper and more primal-wraps around me

were smart, I'd

I never

wrong, Your Majesty? Afraid I'll

secrets?"

a hand, and for

me.

He doesn't.

curl into a fist, and he steps

A win.

Or maybe not.

again, his voice is

in my way, Sinclair, I won't

my spine, but I don't let it show. I force

King might not be

take

mine, unreadable and

off. The part where I let it go and walk away before I

But I can't.

mask he's wearing. Something that flickered

curls in

me to know,

Regret. But it's gone in

empty. "It's

A challenge.

in, my breath brushing his jaw. "Then neither will

His eyes darken.

My pulse skitters.

And then-

knock rattles the

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mask slipping back into place.

stands there, his

twitches,

comment.

says, "There's been

Enoch's face hardens. "Where?"

tightens. "North

once, then turns to me. His expression is unreadable.

“You really think I'm just going

He's already gone.

leaving me alone in the

anger, the pain, the distance-one thought hammers in my

wasn't just a

That was my mate.

I just stepped into something much bigger than

palace at night feels like it's breathing. The air is thick, the corridors dimly lit by sconces, casting flickering shadows along the polished floors. Everything about this place is meant to intimidate, to make anyone who doesn't belong feel that much smaller. And guess what? I don't belong.

Celeste is right.

I should be locked in my ridiculously oversized suite,

my brain won't shut up, my body won't settle, and the second I realized how many locked doors I passed on the way to my

a parasite.

it. I just

1

nothing but instinct and the occasional whisper of wind that slips

takes me through the east wing, a place

and doors older than

Then I see it.

larger than life, draped along the stone wall at the end of the hall. It's thick and velvet, depicting some grand battle with wolves and Lycans, but the bottom edge is slightly curled. Like someone forgot to pin it

closer, pulse

second I brush the fabric aside, I see