Babysitting The Amnesiac Lycan King

Chapter 79

Chapter 79

"I'm coming back."

.97%

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.

11

"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-

through it, deep and even. "This is your

leaves

grip tightens

My breath sucks in.

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

grip tightens around

Make it big." His

"Give me something I can use, and

to ruin his reputation..." I

is the media, Taryn. Get used to

to finish

The call clicks off.

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

waves a hand in front of

I don't move.

I just lost everything.`

Or-

have one last

Fuck.

should be shaking. Screaming. Throwing something at the wall. But I'm just... numb. Staring at the phone in my

2/5

Chapter 79

stuck in a loop

Enoch or lose everything. My job, my shot at the truth, my

stomach twists, bile

my arm, snapping me out of it. "Taryn? What did

blink. My mind scrambles for a response. Lying isn't

me a damn professional. "I'm not fired." My voice is too controlled. Not a lie,

knit

weight settles in the room, thick

Then I smell him.

11

around me before his arms do. His chest

I freeze.

my back, his breath fanning

thing keeping him sane.

shifts uncomfortably beside me.

her sentence. Just awkwardly inches toward the door like

her. He's too busy branding me

"No one will hurt you again," he breathes against my skin, his voice low and edged with something primal. Promise or

his authority pressing against me like a second

dark. No hint of gold,

you do?" I

tighten on my shoulders. "Should we

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

he's already

And that's dangerous.

He stiffens under my touch, muscles taut like a wire about to

his

fuck about that?" His voice is a low

this fucking matters if it

I swallow hard. "Enoch-"

Chapter 79

53

on me tightens, like he's trying to keep himself from breaking

don't get it." His voice is rough, frayed at

you're going through this shit. If I wasn't-" His breath shudders. "I would burn this whole fucking world

Fuck.

wolf-would rip apart everything for

not a

"How about we don't set

instant. The tension in his shoulders eases just a fraction, his eyes narrowing like he's trying to figure out

"A vacation?"

as nonchalant

I'm playing Russian Roulette with a loaded

unemployed. Why not?"

A long, heavy silence.

Then-