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 can

can take it. You hear me? That big scary asshole can fucking take it. Say

as if he's

Zo," Jacob mutters. "Let her

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

not before she leans in one last time, her whisper punching straight through my cracked chest. "Rip his heart out if

who could kill armies without blinking. The man

a fight-and in a way, maybe he

curl. Uncurl. Curl again. Then he does something I'm not ready for. He drops

shakes the floorboards, rattles something loose inside my

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

suck in a shaky breath. His scent slams into me-pine needles, smoke, home-

know my fucking weakness?" Enoch rasps against my skin, voice raw

move. I barely

my skin. He doesn't wait for

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

voice breaking down word by

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

from the angry

snaps apart, shattering like

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CHAPTER 114

his heels, palms up as if he's baring himself for an

is I believe him.

goddamn crown." His voice cracks, and for once, he doesn't try to hide it. "I'm scared of losing you. So

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

the King right now. He's not the warrior or the weapon or the boy I nursed back to health

just... him. Stripped raw and laid out for

and builds until

me.

between us. Ugly, living silence that feels heavier than anything Brooke or

suck in a breath so shaky

then, finally-finally-my voice claws

too." it comes out small.

whole body locks up like a

my

next word.

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