Babysitting The Amnesiac Lycan King

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-

deep and

leaves my

grip tightens around the

My breath sucks in.

continues. "You want access to the archives, to your parents' records?" A pause. "Find something on the Alpha King while you're still there. Big and

grip tightens around the phone.

something controversial. Make it big." His tone leaves no

"Give me something I can use,

going to ruin

media, Taryn. Get

to

The call clicks off.

heartbeat is a deafening thud in my

in front of my

I don't move.

I just lost everything.`

Or-

one

Fuck.

shaking. Screaming. Throwing something at the wall. But I'm just...

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Chapter 79

feels like it's buffering, stuck in a loop of

everything. My job, my shot at the truth,

bile rising

snapping me out of it. "Taryn? What did

mind scrambles for a response. Lying isn't my strong suit, but

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

knit

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

Then I smell him.

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inevitable, all-consuming. His scent-dark woods and power-wraps around me before his arms do. His chest presses against mine, solid and unyielding, caging me against

I freeze.

his breath fanning

fucking thing keeping him

shifts uncomfortably

the door like she's escaping

her. He's too busy branding

tightens. "No one will hurt you again," he breathes against my skin, his voice low and edged

like a second

No hint of gold, just obsessive, all-consuming

you do?"

my shoulders. "Should we

in-fuck off into the sunset and pretend none of

already decided. Like nothing else matters except

And that's dangerous.

under my touch, muscles taut like a wire about to snap. “You're a King now, Enoch. And a

his

"You think I give a fuck about

fucking matters if it

I swallow hard. "Enoch-"

Chapter 79

53

he's trying to keep

it." His voice is rough, frayed at

I wasn't-" His breath shudders. "I

Fuck.

wolf-would rip apart everything for me,

a safe

"How about we don't set the world on fire and

just a fraction, his eyes narrowing like he's trying to

"A vacation?"

I nod, keeping my expression as nonchalant as possible,

Roulette with

unemployed. Why not?"

A long, heavy silence.

Then-