Babysitting The Amnesiac Lycan King novel Chapter 23

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Chapter 23 

Chapter 23 

The air is buzzing with energy as the Mating Pall finally kicks off. This shit is barely starting and I’m already exhausted. The hall is dripping with elegance–golden chandeliers throwing a warm glow over the sea of expensive dresses, silk ties, and overly polished smiles 

It clearly differs from my simple black dress and apron that scream. Omega on fucking duty. 

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1 dodge a group of giggling she wolves, balancing a tray of champagne flutes as I walk through the crowd. My feet ache from running around all day, and my patience is thinner than the fake smiles plastered on Seraphina’s face. 

“Lea” I call at one of the Omegas stationed by the dessert table. “Can you fix the arrangement over there? The guests—* She cuts me off with a sharp laugh. “Seraphina didn’t say anything about fixing it, so no, thanks.” 

I blink at her, momentarily stunned by the audacity. Im not asking. I’m telling you” 

“And I’m telling you,” she snaps back, dripping with smugness, that I don’t take orders from you. You’re not Seraphina. you’re not the leader of the planning team anymore” 

Of course. Because why would they bother respecting me when Seraphina’s shadow is always looming over everything I try to do? Fucking actual bitch. 

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to chuck the tray at her head. “Fine. Leave it then. When the head maid finds out- 

The mention of the head maid makes her flinch, but she recovers quickly, shrugging as if she doesn’t care. I suppress a sigh and move on, but something nags at the back of my mind. 

Where is the head maid? 

The thought sticks with me as I make my way toward the ballroom entrance, scanning the crowd. My eyes catch on Kallias and Seraphina near the dance floor. She’s clinging to his arm almost like a leech, her laugh loud and fake enough to make me cringe. 

Then, Kallias looks up. 

His eyes lock on me, and for a second, I swear the entire room goes quiet. 

“Taryn.” He mutters my name and starts walking toward me, shrugging off Seraphina’s grip. Oh no. 

She scowls, clearly unamused, but doesn’t follow him. 

I don’t have time for this. I turn on my heel, ready to disappear into the kitchen, but his hand closes around my wrist before I take two steps. Goddamnit. 

“Taryn, wait.” His voice is soft, but his grip is firm. 

I glance at him, my heart sinking at the look on his face. Concern, guilt, and something else I don’t care enough to name. 

“Kallias,” I say, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. “What do you want?” 

“You disappeared,” he says, his voice low. “After the infirmary–I didn’t see you. Are you… okay?” 

My chest tightens with annoyance. Now he cares? 

“I’m fine,” I say curtly, trying to pull my arm away, but he doesn’t let go. 

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Chapter 23 

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” His jaw clenches, and there’s venom in his tone. “That rogue. Enoch. He’s been trying to take you away from me- 

I short, cutting him off. “Take me away from you? Kallias, I’m not yours. I never was. You rejected me, remember?” 

His grip falters for a second, and I take the opportunity to pull free. 

“There wasn’t a ritual,” he says, his voice tight. “It wasn’t official-” 

“It doesn’t need to be official. I accepetd your rejection without another word.” My voice is sharp, and for a moment, I feel a small flicker of satisfaction when his face hardens. “Move on.” 

The words hang in the air between us, and I can feel all the curious eyes from the crowd. Whispers ripple through the room as people realize the Alpha’s son is arguing with an Omega. A stupid Omega stray. 

This sure won’t be good for the tabloids tomorrow. 

Kallias glances over his shoulder, his eyes darting to Seraphina, who’s already moving to distract the delegates looking at him. She’s good at this–keeping up appearances. 

But Kallias doesn’t let it go. His hand darts out, grabbing my arm again. “Come with me.” 

“What-?” 

Before I can protest, he pulls me through the crowd, ignoring the stares and whispers as he drags me toward the balcony. 

“Kallias, stop,” I hiss, trying to wrench my arm free. “You’re making a scene.” 

He doesn’t stop. 

The cool night air hits me as we step outside, and I stumble slightly when he finally lets go. The balcony is quiet, far enough from the ballroom that the music is nothing but a faint hum. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap, rounding on him. 

“You,” he says simply, his voice strained. “You’re what’s wrong with me.” 

I stare at him, dumbfounded. “That’s not my problem.” 

“It is when you’re letting that rogue come between us!” His voice rises, and I take a step back, suddenly hyperaware of how close we are. 

“There is no ‘us,‘ Kallias,” I inists, my voice cold. I’m fucking tired of doing this all over again. It just doesn’t register in his head. “There hasn’t been for a long time.” 

The words seem to hit him harder than I expected, and for a moment, he just stands there, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. I could see his knuckles turning white. 

Above us, the sky darkens, and a cold wind sweeps through the balcony. I shiver, but I don’t move. It’s going to rain soon. 

“No, that’s not tru.” Kallias walks over to me, his eyes darkening and my pulse hasten twice its speed. Shit. 

Kallias’s grip tightens on my shoulders, his fingers digging in just enough to make my skin sting. His eyes are wild, tinged with desperation that borders on madness. Or maybe he’s already crazy. 

“You’re mine, Taryn,” he growls, shaking me slightly as if I need the words hammered into my skull. “You’ve always been mine. No one–not even that bastard Enoch–is going to take you away. Do you hear me?” 

I jerk my shoulders, trying to break free, but his hold only tightens. My pulse is pounding so hard it feels like my head 

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Chapter 23 

might explode. 

“Kallias, let me go,” I call, low and steady, though every nerve in my body is screaming at me to knee him in the groin. I honestly would if he’s going to continue doing this. 

He doesn’t budge. Instead, he leans in closer, his breath hot against my face. “You owe me. You owe this pack. My father took you in when no one else would, Taryn. Do you think we forgot? My family even buried your rogue, dead brother’s corpse like he mattered. We gave you a life!” 

That was it. His words ignited the fire I have long buried to embers—stealing the air from my lungs. My brother’s corpse. My brother. 

I freeze, my body going rigid under his hands. The world tilts for a second, a wave of nausea hitting me so hard I nearly stumble. Kallias doesn’t miss a beat, taking my silence as some kind of victory. 

“That’s right,” he says, his tone softening, almost coaxing now. “You owe us everything, Taryn. You owe me everything.” 

Rage bubbles up, white–hot and unrelenting. My palm connects with his face before I even realize what I’m doing. The sharp crack echoes in the cool night air, and Kallias staggers back, his hand flying to his cheek. 

For a moment, there’s stunned silence between us. His lip is split, a thin line of blood trickling down his chin. He wipes it away with the back of his hand, smirking as if the slap was some kind of foreplay. 

What the fuck? 

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away furiously. “You don’t get to do this,” I snap, shaking with barely- – contained fury. “You don’t get to act like you care now. Not after everything.” 

His smirk falters, and I take a shaky step back, my chest heaving as the words spill out as a dam breaking. 

“I did everything, Kallias. Everything. I spent years trying to make you see me. To make you care. To make you love me.” My voice cracks, and the tears I’ve been fighting finally spill over. “I gave up pieces of myself for you. Do you have any idea how humiliating it was to keep hoping, to keep trying, while you paraded Seraphina around like she was the damn Moon Goddess herself?” 

“Taryn-”