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.

I blink, I'll fall apart. And I don't fall apart for men who lie to me, fuck with me, and then act

chair drags back with a sound

down at me like I'm the thing that ruined his

And maybe I did.

wasted my time there-with you-while you wrote about my life like I was your next fucking

Then he's gone.

Just like that.

with nothing but cold toast, broken silence, and the worst fucking ache I've ever felt

The maybe- fiancée I never asked about. The girl I didn't hate, but probably would've if I met her. Now

food untouched and head to the Dowager's wing before I can talk

closed, skin pale against the cream-colored sheets. The room smells like lavender oil and lemon balm. I

the healer told me last week. "She

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450

leverage."

I believe it.

an ass," I mutter as I wring

"My grandson thinks he's

me-part laugh, part disbelief.

laugh, girl. That's rare in this cursed

"No shit."

only thing holding me together right

dripping in my hand, and there

doorway. Silent. Arms

cruel smirk. Just

he's waiting for something he

Dowager pats the bed beside

"You. Come here."

walks in. Doesn't

grabs his hand and stares up at him. Her voice is

idiot. Don't hurt this

the back of his

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

fucking court.

snort. "Guess she's on my

snap

to be

work this

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

the girl he left

I sure as hell won't be the one he breaks without

at my lips as I hover in the hallway, debating whether I should wait or

and sigh as I see Zoe's name. Zoe: "LET ME CRASH THERE FOR ONE NIGHT.

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Chapter 96

told me not to worry

slapping, my head against

“Zoe, it's not a sleepover. It's a palace. With guards. And paychotic

and brooding Lycans. You'll

is fine. Beuer than attending his

her

drama. No

"No promises. Be there in an

even get a chance

I'm already babysitting one emotionally stunted Alpha, Might as well

goblin to

and turn-straight into a wall of

Beta Jacob's dry-as-dust voice cuts through the hallway. He doesn't move. Just

stepping back and rubbing my nose. His

me," he says

"Where?"

Alpha Blackwell can't make

blink at him. “I'm sorry,

notes. Smile. Don't say

Like, say, Brooke. I'm sure she'd love to be seen as the King's representative." Jacob smirks, deadpan. "Exactly. You're the only woman in

"Wow, Compliment of the year. Put that shit

Majesty's journalist.

into the back of a sleek black SUV,

boots don't match, and I'm 90% sure there's toothpaste on

the seat beside

cufflinks glinting like secrets, jaw tight like he's

glass.

at me. Not

rage beside me. "Why

Wouldn't that be faster?"

answers instead. "It's in