Babysitting The Amnesiac Lycan King

Chapter 96

Chapter 96

The silence is the first thing that pisses me off.

No scratchy paper petals crumbling under my shoes. No sickly-sweet rot clinging to the base of my door. No reminder that someone out there has a death wish and thinks I'm dumb enough to play scared little Omega about it.

Huh.

I stare at the floor outside my quarters. Just polished marble. No bouquet of shriveled-up flowers this time.

Guess whoever's been leaving them finally got bored. Or they're cooking up something worse. Because that's what silence is here-it's not peace. It's the inhale before the scream.

I rub my eyes and glance across the hallway. His doors are still closed, like the pompous Alpha King is too fucking royal to wake up before noon. Must be nice. I mutter, "Still sleeping off that bitchy little tantrum, huh?"

No response. Of course.

I drag myself into the bathroom, splash water on my face, stare into the mirror like I'm waiting for her-the version of me that's supposed to be over this. Over him. Over the way his voice still cracks like thunder in my bones.

Yeah, she's not showing up today either.

Whatever. I've got shit to do and coffee to drink.

The dining hall is halfway across the palace, but I've walked longer stretches with

a twisted ankle and a leaking heart, so I put one foot in front of the other and try not to think about anything except how empty my stomach feels.

I'm almost at the hall when I hear them.

Maids. Whispering. Like they always do. But this time...

"Poor Lady Camille, I remember her." one says, voice low but clear enough to knife through the air. "I really thought she'd be Queen by now."

My body freezes mid-step.

Another maid scoffs, her tone heavy with regret. "They found her body in the-"

Footsteps. Heavy ones. Clean. Confident.

They all shut the fuck up at once.

I already know who it is.

Enoch enters from the far end of the dining hall, and it's like every breath in the room gets sucked out of the ceiling.

The maids practically break their spines bowing, and one of them drops a tray. Clatter. Awkward laughter. Silence again.

I step forward like nothing's wrong, even though my brain's glitching. Camille. Her name's not a ghost anymore. It's a

corpse.

And apparently... she's a real one.

Enoch doesn't look at me when I sit. He just stabs his eggs like they insulted his bloodline and chews like he's punishing

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Chapter 96

them for it.

Typical.

+50

I pick at my toast, but it's like chewing ash. My mouth's dry. My fingers won't stop twitching. And the words are clawing their way up my throat before I can even stop them.

"What happened to Camille?"

I say it quietly. Too quietly.

His fork halts mid-air. His jaw ticks once.

"Eat your food."

The way he says it-it's not a suggestion. It's an order.

I don't move. "Last time I saw her was before the Maldives. I just thought... she was still... around."

He slams his fork and knife down so hard the porcelain cracks.

"She's dead."

His voice is flat. Like he's reading it off a fucking script. Like it doesn't matter. "Her body was found in this palace after we got back from that fucking island." Everything inside me goes cold.

I don't even blink.

fall apart for men who lie to me, fuck with me, and then act like I'm the problem. for not being loyal to

stands. The chair drags back with a sound

me like I'm the thing that ruined

And maybe I did.

my life like

Then he's gone.

Just like that.

at the table with nothing but cold toast, broken silence, and the worst fucking ache I've ever felt that doesn't come from blood or

there for another full minute. Maybe two. Staring. Breathing. Not breathing. Thinking of her. Camille. The maybe- fiancée I never asked about. The girl I didn't hate, but probably would've if

and head to the Dowager's wing before I can talk myself into

the cream-colored sheets. The room smells like lavender oil and lemon balm. I grab a bowl of cold water, dip the cloth, start wiping her

she looks," the healer told me last week. "She just likes pretending she's dying.

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450

leverage."

I believe it.

ass," I mutter as I

cracks one eye open. "My grandson thinks

laugh, part disbelief. "You

rare in this cursed house." She eyes

"No shit."

it's the only thing holding

still dripping in my

In the doorway. Silent. Arms crossed.

cruel smirk. Just that unreadable, unreadable face of

he's waiting for something he

Dowager pats the bed

"You. Come here."

in. Doesn't hesitate. Doesn't

and stares up at him. Her voice is

idiot. Don't hurt this

back of his

her like he's five years old and just

fucking court.

"Guess she's on my

eyes snap to

be

doesn't work this

cloth into the bowl, and sit back like I'm

he left

I sure as hell won't be the one he breaks

grin pulls at my lips as I hover in the hallway, debating whether I should wait or just disappear

phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and sigh as I see Zoe's name. Zoe: "LET ME CRASH

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Chapter 96

told me not to worry

my head against the

It's a palace. With

and brooding Lycans. You'll get

fine. Beuer than attending his wedding next week

her

No chaos. No lingerie,

Be there in an

a chance to argue before

already babysitting one emotionally stunted

chaos goblin

my back pocket and turn-straight into a wall of muscle wrapped in a suit. "Ow, what

through the hallway. He doesn't

stepping back and rubbing my nose.

coming, with me," he says without

"Where?"

meeting, Alpha Blackwell can't make it. You're going in his

at him.

right? Take notes. Smile. Don't

other people here who'd gladly do it. Like, say, Brooke. I'm sure she'd love to be seen as the King's representative." Jacob smirks, deadpan. "Exactly. You're the

of the year. Put

your Majesty's journalist. You've got

the back of a sleek black SUV,

shirt. My hair's a mess, my boots don't match,

worse? Enoch slides into the seat beside me without a word. Dressed in

cufflinks glinting like secrets, jaw

glass.

doesn't look at me. Not

of broody rage

Wouldn't that be faster?"

driver answers instead. "It's in