Chapter 78: Rejected by My Best Friend & Alpha

CHRIS'S POV

"Have you seen Vivian?" Killian asked, running up to me.

I held up my hands. "I've been waiting for her just like you have. I thought we were supposed to meet her in that backroom before the ceremony so she could tell us her choice. So obviously, no, I have not seen her."

Killian looked around. "Marcus went to her room to escort her without an answer. Her bed was stripped. There could have been laundry done. But no one can locate her. I'm worried."

My ears perked up. "You don't think it's highly suspicious her bed is stripped? And she's missing? Where's Zeke?"

He scanned the crowd. "He's not here either."

Fucking hell. Zeke had taken Vivian; I had zero doubt in my mind. It is evident that the choice was down to me, and Killian and Zeke had no chance in hell, and he must have realized that. Killian was running to Marcus, commanding him to get their soldiers in line to start hunting for Vivian.

He ran back to me. "Do you know where he'd take her? Is there anywhere close by that you know of?"

I shook my head. "He's not familiar with the area here. If he took her anywhere, it'd be back on Greywood land. But he wouldn't have had time to go that far. So anywhere he's now, it would have been somewhere Sarah told him about."

Killian paused, thinking. "You're right. It would have been something Sarah-related. I think I have some ideas. Sarah was always hanging out in the woods in different areas. I always joked and called her a free spirit when we were pups."

"Tell me where, and we'll split up to search."

Giving me directions to where Zeke could be hiding, I shifted, taking off to the closest location, scenting and seeing if I could smell her or Zeke. The closer I got, I knew it would be a dead end. There was no warmth and no smell of either.

I continued searching, going to the next, ignoring each twist of my gut as each location yielded nothing. I ran through the woods, searching through rotten and broken-down cabins for nothing.

At the third cabin, I finally saw a tiny flicker of light and a scent picked up on the breeze. Faintly, I could smell that of an Alpha. Zeke. Zeke was here. I suppressed the growl I could feel building in my chest.

Inching closer, I peeked through the window and saw Vivian tied to a chair and Zeke leaning over her. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but when I saw him lean over and kiss her on the cheek, it took every ounce of self-control not to rip through and maul him to death.

Shifting back to human form, I climbed up on the porch, considering how I'd do this. I could confront him man-to-man. Beast-to-beast. I looked around. There was no one nearby. It was just us. This was my fight.

I closed my eyes and slipped inside, ensuring the front door didn't slam behind me. I could hear Zeke now talking to Vivian. "Come on, V. Don't be such a spoilsport. You don't get the game. It's duck, duck, goose. But I get a kiss at the end."

"I just don't get it. At all. You say two compliments, insult me, then kiss me. How is that a game?"

Zeke sighed. "Okay, look, let's try again, okay?"

I inched closer as he started on with his game. When I entered the room quietly, I held my finger up as I walked behind Zeke. But Vivian wasn't good at pretending she didn't see me. Zeke spun around, raising his fist.

I caught his fist in my hand, and he saw mine in his other. "Hey there, Chris. I'm so glad you could join us."

I shoved him away, glaring at him. "What the fuck are you doing, Zeke? Kidnapping her?"

He glared back at me. "I had to. It's the only way I have a shot."

I shook my head. "If that's the only way, then it's not meant to be, man. Give up. Move on."

"Easy for you to say!"

Zeke launched at me, swinging his fist at my face, which I dodged. Zeke was an Alpha, but he had never been trained to fight. He'd always been indulged by his father, never training to do anything. I almost felt bad for him. He wasn't indeed an Alpha to be feared. Not yet. He needed to be shown how to be feared.

He threw himself at me again, which I side-swept. "Zeke, please. You're embarrassing yourself. Let's untie Vivid, and you head back to Greywood, and we'll tell Killian you and Vivid just went on a walk and got lost."

Zeke's eyes were shooting daggers at me. "You'd like me just to leave, huh? No. I'm not just handing her over to you."

He flew at me again, his claws extended this time, slashing at my arms. Deep cuts now ran down my arms. Fucking bastard. So we were going to get serious now. Looking around, I saw a metal rod, which was probably the end of some hunting stand at some point. It was broken off at the end and sharp. Perfect.

I grabbed it, holding it up like a sword. "Okay, Zeke. That's enough. Let's do what I offered earlier and call it a night."

Zeke looked over at Vivian, his eyes looking sad for a moment. Vivian called out. "Zeke, please. Chris is giving you a way out."

He hesitated. "You'll never want me."

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Z."

He jumped behind her, wrapping his arm around her neck and drawing a claw under her chin. His expression had gone from sad and melancholy to dark and demented. He stared at me. "If I can't have her, then..."

But I cut him off. The metal rod in my hand now stuck out of his forehead. I launched it perfectly, and it sliced right through his head and impaled him.

Vivian screamed as the blood gushed from the wound, and Zeke crumpled to the floor behind her. I rushed over to her, hurrying to untie her. I needed to get her as far away from him as possible. She was babbling. "Oh, my gosh. You killed him. You killed him. You killed Zeke. Zeke is dead! Oh, my gosh. Zeke! Zeke! Zeke!"

She fell to the ground when she was untied, crawling over to him and touching his face. "Zeke!"

Tears were streaming down her face. She'd just lost her best friend, but he was a monster. She had to see that. He had been about to kill her. I had seen it in his eyes. She turned to me. "You killed him."

I crouched down next to her. "Yes, I did. He was going to kill you."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, leaning my head against hers. "I'm positive. I saw it in his eyes."

She looked back at him, the tears still falling down her cheeks. "He's gone. Zeke is gone."

"I know."

"He was so angry. Because I wasn't going to choose him."

I pulled her into me. "It's okay. You don't have to choose anyone. I'm so sorry we've done this to you."

Her shoulders shook as she started to sob. "Chris. Hold on."

She pulled away. "Do you know what this means?"

I looked down at her. "What?"

"You killed the Alpha of Greywood."

Realization dawned on me. "Oh."

"You're the new Alpha of Greywood."