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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She leans in until I can smell her goddamn perfume, cheap vanilla. and panic. "He

dropping low and fierce. "He can take it. You hear me? That

the edge of the chaos, eyes locked on Enoch as if he's daring him

on, Zo," Jacob mutters.

go, brushing a trembling thumb over the back

"Rip his heart out

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 a way, maybe he has.

Then he does something I'm not ready for. He drops to his

the floorboards, rattles something loose

his forehead presses against my thigh, and his whole body shudders as though he's fighting not

scent slams into me-pine needles, smoke, home- and it physically hurts how much I

wanna know my fucking weakness?" Enoch rasps against my skin,

move. I barely

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

wrecked.

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

slowly, I feel Eris dropping her walls inside

She's slowly calming down from the angry bust

apart, shattering like

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CHAPTER 114

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 believe every fucking

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

falling to his sides, palms up, wide open. Vulnerable in a way that's so unlike him it makes

or the weapon or

raw and laid out

builds and builds

me.

that feels heavier than anything Brooke

a breath so shaky it rattles my

finally-finally-my voice claws its

it comes out small.

His whole body locks up like

my

next word.

will wreck us again," I whisper. "I'm scared of trusting this bond... and it not