Babysitting The Amnesiac Lycan King

CHAPTER 114

The walls of Enoch tilt, the ceiling stretches out like it's trying to crush me, and my hands... fuck, I can't even feel my hands anymore.

I can't hear anything.

Not Enoch shouting, not the pounding of my own goddamn heart. Nothing but this high-pitched ringing that scrapes the inside of my skull raw.

My wolf slams her walls up so fast it sucker punches me in the ribs. Cuts me off. Leaves me choking on this panic with no way to shift, no way to fight, no way to scream. Just frozen. Burning from the inside out.

Across the room, Enoch's chest heaves like he's about to break something-me, the walls, himself, maybe all of it—but he doesn't move toward me. Maybe he knows if he does, I'll shatter. Maybe he doesn't give a shit.

I can't fucking tell anymore.

Then-

Bang.

The door swings so hard it bounces off the wall.

Zoe barrels through first, hair a wild mess, cheeks flushed like she sprinted up five flights of stairs just to get here. Jacob's right behind her, way calmer, but the tension snapping off him could slice a damn jugular.

"Taryn!" Zoe shrieks, her voice slicing through the fog clouding my brain.

I blink. Once. Twice.

I must look bad because Zoe's whole face crumples as she runs to me, grabbing my hands-to which I immediately hisses to as she looks down on it. It's burnt crisp. "Holy

shit, how did this happen?"

1 flinch. My fingers twitch. That's about all I can manage. "H-how..." She turns to Enoch. "She must have touched something far too hot." Jacob answers in his stead. We can't afford Zoe knowing about our species.

"Hey. Hey. Look at me," she says, voice low and sharp enough to slice me out of the freeze. Her brown eyes are wild, scared, furious. "It's okay to be mad. It's okay to be messy. Just say it. Say what's choking you."

I try.

I swear, I fucking try.

But my throat closes up. I can't even make a sound. My lip trembles instead- pathetic and furious all at once. Who did Brooke put to ruin us again? Why is she so adamant? Just why can't we live peacefully?

1/4

CHAPTER 114

goddamn perfume, cheap vanilla. and panic. "He can take

grip tightens. She leans in, voice dropping low and fierce. "He can take

the edge of the chaos, eyes locked on Enoch as if he's daring him to make one wrong move. His hand brushes Zoe's

Zo," Jacob mutters. "Let her

Zoe lets go, brushing a trembling thumb over the back of my

cracked chest. "Rip his heart out

The man who could kill armies without blinking. The

he just got out of a fight-and in a way, maybe he has. With

Curl again. Then he does something I'm not ready

impact shakes the floorboards, rattles something loose

whole body shudders as though he's

breath. His scent slams into me-pine needles, smoke, home- and

Enoch rasps against my skin, voice raw and

don't move. I barely

He doesn't wait for me to answer. "It's

to look at me-and fuck, his eyes are wrecked. Bloodshot, glassy, like he's

when you pull away," he says, voice breaking down word by word. "It fucking dies when

tremor goes through his chest and slowly, I feel Eris dropping her

She's slowly calming down from the angry bust out I

would die, Taryn." His voice finally snaps apart, shattering like a brittle

2/4

CHAPTER 114

leans back on his heels, palms up as if he's baring himself for an execution, as though I'm the one

worst part is I believe him. I

a goddamn crown." His voice cracks, and for once, he doesn't try

back on his heels, hands falling to his sides, palms up, wide open. Vulnerable

warrior or the weapon or

him. Stripped raw and laid out

builds and builds

me.

that feels heavier than anything Brooke or the goddamn world could throw

so shaky it

finally-finally-my voice claws

scared too." it comes out small.

locks

my

next word.

scared she will wreck us again," I whisper. "I'm scared of trusting this