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?

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goddamn perfume, cheap

voice dropping low and fierce. "He can take it. You hear me? That big scary asshole

locked on Enoch as if he's daring him to make one wrong move. His hand brushes Zoe's shoulder lightly. A

Zo," Jacob

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

whisper punching straight through my cracked chest. "Rip his heart out

it's me and him again. Enoch. The man who could kill armies without blinking. The man who can't touch me now

breathing like he just got out of a fight-and in

fists curl. Uncurl. Curl again. Then he does something

shakes the floorboards, rattles something loose inside my

his whole body shudders

into me-pine needles, smoke, home- and it physically hurts

know my fucking weakness?" Enoch rasps

move.

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

me-and fuck, his eyes are wrecked. Bloodshot, glassy, like he's bleeding on the inside where no one

voice breaking down word by word. "It fucking dies when

his chest and slowly, I feel Eris dropping her walls inside

calming down from the

snaps apart, shattering

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CHAPTER 114

up as if he's baring himself for an execution, as

the worst part is I believe him. I believe

once, he doesn't try to hide it. "I'm scared of losing you. So please-please, baby.

his sides, palms up, wide open. Vulnerable in a way that's so unlike

He's not the warrior or the weapon or the boy

and laid out for

in my chest builds and builds until it

me.

feels heavier than anything Brooke or the goddamn

in a breath so shaky it rattles my

finally-finally-my voice claws

scared too." it comes

whole body locks up like a loaded gun waiting

my

next word.

whisper. "I'm scared of