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 even. "This is your last

air leaves

grip tightens around the

My breath sucks in.

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

around

Make it big." His

me something I can

ruin his

the media, Taryn. Get

doesn't need to finish

The call clicks off.

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

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

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Chapter 79

it's buffering, stuck in a loop of

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

stomach twists, bile rising in my

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

response. Lying isn't my strong suit, but

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

brows knit

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

Then I smell him.

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me before his arms do. His chest presses

I freeze.

back, his breath fanning

only fucking thing

shifts uncomfortably

doesn't finish her sentence. Just awkwardly inches toward the door like she's escaping

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

a second

hint of

you do?" I

my

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

Determined. Like he's already decided. Like nothing

And that's dangerous.

to stay on mine. He stiffens under my

his eyes. Guilt. Blame.

fuck about that?" His

think any of this fucking matters if

I swallow hard. "Enoch-"

Chapter 79

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grip on me tightens, like he's

voice is rough, frayed

I wasn't-" His breath shudders. "I would burn this whole fucking world

Fuck.

man-this wolf-would rip apart everything for me,

a safe

don't set the world on fire

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

"A vacation?"

expression as nonchalant as possible, even though

Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. "You're King.

unemployed. Why not?"

A long, heavy silence.

Then-