Chapter 79

Chapter 79

"I'm coming back."

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Kallias goes silent. I hear a sharp inhale, followed by a static crackle like he's covering the receiver. Then his voice comes back, tight with disbelief. "Taryn, what the fuck are you talking about?"

I don't answer. I don't have to.

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"You fought like hell to get out of this pack," he presses, his tone edging toward desperation. "You worked your ass off for this job, for your future-"

"I don't have a future here anymore." My own voice doesn't even sound like mine. It's flat. Distant. Like I've already left.

"The hell you don't," Kallias snaps. "You think quitting is gonna fix anything? You think crawling back here is the answer? If you-"

"I'm fired."

The silence this time is heavier.

Then, slower. "What?"

I drag a shaky breath in, gripping Zoe's phone tighter. "They're going to fire me, Kal. I just lost everything."

"Shut up

and turn on the TV," I cut him off, voice flat.

A pause.

Then the sound of rustling, a remote clicking. Silence.

It stretches long enough that I almost think he hung up. But then Kallias exhales sharply. "Shit."

Yeah. No kidding.

"This is bad," he mutters, his voice lower now, serious. "Like, really fucking bad." No shit, Sherlock.

open my mouth to respond, but before I can, Zoe practically yanks me off balance. "Taryn," she hisses, her grip tight around my wrist. "Liam's calling."

I shake her off. "I'm on the phone-"

"Liam. Is. Calling."

The words sink in like a cold slap.

Fuck.

I tighten my grip on Zoe's phone and exhale through my nose, steadying myself. "I gotta go," I say quickly into the receiver.

He exhales hard. "Taryn, you-"

I hang up.

Zoe shoves the phone at me like it's about to explode. "Answer it." Chapter 79

I do.

Zoe is vibrating with barely contained curiosity as she watches me swipe to answer. "Holy fuck, what is happening?" she whisper-screams.

I ignore her.

Press the phone to my ear.

Silence.

For a long, suffocating moment, neither of us speaks.

The tension stretches, thick and suffocating, wrapping around my throat like a noose.

The line is silent for a solid thirty seconds. I can feel Zoe's' stare boring into me, her mouth half-open like she's trying to eavesdrop through sheer willpower.

Then, finally-

cuts through it, deep and even. "This is

leaves

grip tightens

My breath sucks in.

he continues. "You want access to the archives, to your parents' records?" A pause. "Find something on the Alpha

grip tightens around the

Make it big." His tone leaves no room

"Give me something I can use, and you stay. If

I'm going to ruin

Taryn. Get used

doesn't need to

The call clicks off.

stand there, frozen. My heartbeat is a deafening thud in my

waves a hand in front of my

I don't move.

I just lost everything.`

Or-

have one

Fuck.

But I'm just... numb. Staring at the phone in

2/5

Chapter 79

mind feels like it's buffering, stuck in a

lose everything. My job, my shot at the

twists, bile

me out

My mind scrambles for a response. Lying

not fired." My voice is too controlled. Not a lie, but definitely

knit

she can push, the air shifts. A weight settles in the

Then I smell him.

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around me before his arms do. His

I freeze.

into my back, his breath fanning against my neck,

fucking thing

shifts uncomfortably beside

inches toward the door like she's escaping a crime scene.

acknowledge her. He's too busy branding

will hurt you again," he breathes against my skin, his voice low and

against me like a second skin. "Enoch," I murmur,

are dark-too dark. No hint

did you do?"

on my shoulders. "Should we

stutters. Leave? As in-fuck off into the sunset

Determined. Like he's already decided. Like nothing else matters

And that's dangerous.

face, forcing his eyes to stay on mine. He stiffens under my touch, muscles taut like a wire about to snap. “You're a

flickers in his eyes.

fuck about

any of this fucking matters

I swallow hard. "Enoch-"

Chapter 79

53

me tightens, like he's trying to keep himself

voice is rough, frayed at the edges.

shudders. "I would burn this

Fuck.

to think fast. This man-this wolf-would rip apart everything for

a

about we don't set the world on fire and take a

just a fraction, his

"A vacation?"

my expression as nonchalant as possible,

with

unemployed. Why not?"

A long, heavy silence.

Then-

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