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

1/6

L10

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.

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

stands. The chair drags back with a sound that

down at me like I'm the thing

And maybe I did.

wasted my time there-with you-while you wrote about my life like I was your next fucking exposé, I could've stopped it.

Then he's gone.

Just like that.

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

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 I met her.

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

like lavender oil and lemon balm. I grab a bowl of

she looks," the healer told me last week. "She just

2/6

450

leverage."

I believe it.

grandson's an ass," I mutter as

cracks one eye open. "My grandson thinks he's clever.

escapes me-part laugh, part disbelief. "You

girl. That's rare in this cursed house." She eyes me closely. "You're

"No shit."

hand like she knows it's the only thing holding me together right now. Then the air

in my hand,

doorway. Silent.

cruel smirk. Just that unreadable, unreadable

he's waiting for something he doesn't even believe

pats the bed beside

"You. Come here."

in. Doesn't

stares up

an idiot. Don't hurt

the back of his

glares at her like he's five years old and just got scolded in front of

fucking court.

snort. "Guess she's on my

eyes snap

to be

work this

his stare, toss the cloth into the bowl, and

the girl he left behind in

be the one he breaks without bleeding

at my lips as I hover in the hallway, debating whether I should wait or just disappear into the nearest broom closet and hope no

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

3/6

Chapter 96

not to worry about

slapping, my head against

sleepover. It's a

and brooding Lycans. You'll get

Beuer than attending his wedding next week and

each him screwing her

No drama. No chaos.

there in an hour.

get a chance to

emotionally stunted Alpha, Might as well

goblin to the

phone into my back pocket and turn-straight into

hallway. He doesn't move. Just raises a brow like I'm the

back and rubbing my nose. His stupid lapel pin

with me," he

"Where?"

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

at him.

journalist, right? Take notes. Smile. Don't say anything

love to be seen as the King's representative." Jacob

of the year. Put that

Majesty's journalist. You've got

back of a sleek black SUV, still adjusting

shirt. My hair's a mess, my boots don't match, and I'm 90% sure there's toothpaste on

slides into the seat beside me

like secrets, jaw tight

glass.

doesn't look at me. Not

rage beside me. "Why aren't we

Wouldn't that be faster?"

"It's in the city,