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

the inside of my cheek, locking my knees to

by Miss Sinclair now.

"You don't belong

a journalist. Reporting on the illustrious Imperial Pack,

of being

His lips curl. "You're

So now you do remember

in his expression-something dangerous. He steps closer, and I hate how my body reacts. late the way my pulse stutters, the way my

what you're stepping into." His voice

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takes another step, caging me between him and

and more primal-wraps around me like

I were smart, I'd

never

smirk. "What's wrong, Your Majesty? Afraid I'll find

secrets?"

hand, and for a split second, I think he's

me.

He doesn't.

into a

A win.

Or maybe not.

when he speaks again, his voice is

you get in my way,

let it show. I force a mock

Lycan King might not be

take the

bore into mine, unreadable and void of the

part where I back off. The part where I let it go and

But I can't.

something else behind that mask he's wearing. Something that flickered when I pushed just

in

me to know, Enoch? Why did you fucking

Regret. But it's gone

slow, empty. "It's not

A challenge.

in, my breath brushing his jaw.

His eyes darken.

My pulse skitters.

And then-

sharp knock

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slipping back

open, and Jacob stands there,

twitches,

comment.

"There's

Enoch's face hardens. "Where?"

jaw tightens. "North

nods once, then turns to me. His expression

think I'm just going to sit

He's already gone.

door slams behind him, leaving

the pain, the distance-one thought hammers in

just

That was my mate.

something tells me I just stepped into something

along the polished floors. Everything about this place is meant to intimidate, to make anyone who doesn't belong feel that

Celeste is right.

ridiculously oversized suite,

up, my body won't settle, and the second I realized how many locked doors I passed on the way to my room, curiosity latched onto

a parasite.

overthink it. I

1

the corridor, following nothing but instinct and the occasional whisper

wing, a place no one directed

and doors older than my entire

Then I see it.

some grand battle with wolves and Lycans, but the bottom edge is slightly curled. Like someone

closer, pulse

I brush the fabric aside, I see the outline of