Chapter 40

Chapter 40
VIVIAN'S POV
            Marcus stood there staring at me, waiting for me to respond. "I don't get what you're saying."
            Marcus rolled his eyes. "Killian wants you to go see your friend with him."
            "Did you have to say it so weird the first time?"
            "All I did was say that the Alpha wished you to join him in the cell house."
            I nodded. "Yeah, that. That's weird. Use normal people's words, Marcus."
            He spun around. "Just come on. I don't have time for your games."
            I stuck my tongue at him, hurrying to catch up. I'd tease him more later. I might not like him, but if this had to do with Chris, I should hurry and let teasing Marcus take a backseat. I started walking in stride with him. "Did he say what this was about?"
            "Are you done goofing off now?"
            "Are you done talking like a pompous jerk?"
            He ignored me. I started jogging, knowing the path to cells. I didn't need to be escorted. I ignored him, calling out for me to wait. When I reached the door, the guard didn't tell me to wait and let me swing the door open. I rushed inside, running down the hall.
            When I got to Chris's cell, I saw Killian standing with a middle-aged female shifter and another guard I hadn't seen before. Killian looked at me grimly, and the female looked just as grim. I looked at Chris, who looked at me desperately, pleading with his eyes, "Vivid."
            I walked towards him, but Killian grabbed my arm. "Don't go near him."
            I glanced down at his arm. "What are you talking about? He's behind bars. What's the problem?"
            "He's enchanted."
            "What does that mean?"
            The female shifter stepped forward. "Someone cast a love curse on him. It's more of an obsession curse. He's been separated from his love...his obsession...and no, he's going through withdrawal. And his spirit is breaking down. So is his body."
            I looked at Chris. His skin was pale and clammy, the bags under his eyes dark. He had looked sick before, but now he looked decimated. "If you know what's wrong with him, can't you just fix him? If it's magic, just use magic to fix him."
            Killian spoke first. "We can't. We don't know the witch's name."
            "It has to be Samantha. Did Chris not tell you her name? It's Samantha. It's the only person it could be."
            He shook his head. "We tried her name. She's using a fake identity. It's not her real name."
            Fuck. "What are we going to do?"
            He looked at Chris and then at me. "We're going to find Samantha, find out her true identity, and then help your friend."
            I looked back at Chris. "And in the meantime?"
            "You'll stay away from him. He'll become more dangerous as time goes on. He'll do anything to get back to her. He isn't himself already."
            Chris banged on the bars. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. I'm still a person."
            I walked towards him, thrusting Killian's hand away from me. "Chris, it's okay. We're going to help you. It's going to be okay."
            Chris looked at me, his eyes clearing momentarily before a haze took over and hatred returned. "Like you're capable of doing anything?"
            Before I could respond, he was reaching through the bars and snatching at my hair, pulling me towards him. He wrapped my hair around his hand and gripped my neck with his other hand. "Stupid girl."
            I screamed. "Chris!"
            Killian instantly ran to help, but Chris barked at him, "You touch her, and I snap her neck."
            Killian froze, as did the guard, who had jumped into action. Killian growled, "You hurt her, and I will make sure it's the last thing you do."
            I winced as Chris's grip tightened in my hair. "You're going to let me go, and I won't release her until I'm clear from the gate."
            "You're making a mistake," Killian argued.
            "Chris, don't do this."
            Chris scoffed. "I know what I'm doing. I'm ridding myself of a useless mutt and going home, where I belong. You're holding me as leverage to make her do something she's obviously willing to do. I can smell you on her."
            I cringed. So it wasn't just a dream. It was not a good time to be brought up, though. It was really not a good time. "Chris, let them help you. Then you can make your own decisions."
            "I will not be a pawn in your little games."
            Killian nodded towards the guard. "Unlock the cell. He wants to be let go, then free him. I won't risk her to save someone who doesn't want to be saved."
            I glared at Killian. "You're sentencing him to death."
            "It's you or him, and I'm not choosing him over you."
            I kicked backward towards the bar, hoping to make contact with Chris, but I just hit the bar. Chris laughed, "Nice try. But no. I'm getting out of here."
            The guard unlocked the door, swinging it open. Chris shifted his hand, jerking and shifting us down bar by bar down to the door. I cried out as we moved down to the door. Killian growled as I cried out.
            When he finally walked around the door, gripping my neck with his arm, he pressed me against him. He smelled my neck. "You reek of him. How long did it take you to spread your legs for him, Vivid?"
            I squirmed in his grip. "I didn't."
            "Bullshit. Did you tell him I was your first?"
            Killian's eyes glowed red. "Watch how you speak to her. You might be enchanted right now, but I'll only excuse so much."
            Chris licked the side of my neck. "She really does taste so sweet. Not as sweet as Sam, though."
            Killian launched himself at us then, but Chris stepped back so that Killian could grasp the air. "Watch it, Alpha. Do that again, and her neck is snapped."
            The female shifter put her arm on Killian's. "Alpha, please. He can't be reasoned with."
            My eyes pleaded with Killian. I just needed to get Chris out of here and save him later. The shifter speaking now could hopefully talk some sense into Killian. He looked at the shifter and then me. He nodded and then gestured at the door. "Get out of here then; the guard will escort you. Get the fuck out. And I want her returned. If I see you on Blackmoon territory again, I will kill you. Enchanted or not."
            I said a silent thank you. The guard inched around us, leading us down the hall. Chris kept facing Killian, guiding us backward. When we left the cell house, the outside guard jumped to attention, seeing Chris. The guard leading us hurriedly explained. With some growling, they both started following us.
            The attention started following us, and the pack members watched. We made our way through the compound, eyes on us. We were making a grand exit. Now would be my time to leave, too. But leaving with Chris would not be the time for me to go. I needed to stay, I realized. And not with how he was right now.
            I continued letting him drag me, tears rolling down my cheeks. Eventually, we made it to the front gate. Guards had multiplied, and we had an entire audience. Chris shouted to open the gate. The gate swung open. He pulled me with him. A guard shouted, "She's staying!"
            Chris laughed. "She wants to leave as much as I do."
            I gripped Chris's arm. "Let me go."
            Chris's grip loosened. "I thought you were going to come with me."
            With his grip loosened, I could turn to face him. "No, Chris. I'm staying."
            Even in his fog of Sam, he seemed to have some sense of sanity because confusion crossed his face. "But you wanted to escape."
            Tears streaked my face. "I can't. Not with you. Not now. I have to find a way to fix you. And I can't do that if I leave with you now."
            He glared at me. "I'm not broken."
            "And that's why I can't leave."
            He shoved me away. "Go be the Alpha's whore then."
            I stumbled, running back towards the gates. The guards slammed the gates shut behind me. Not before I turned and saw Chris shifting and running into the woods, away from the compound. He was gone.
            A howl broke through the compound, and then a black wolf came running forward. Then, a shifting Killian was there. He threw his arms around me. "You stayed."
            I let him hug me but didn't return his embrace. He just hugged me tighter. "I stayed."
            He stopped hugging me. "Why did you stay?"
            "I can't fix him if I left."
            "You stayed to fix him...not to..."
            I arched an eyebrow at him. "Not to what?"
            Killian's eyes searched mine. "Nothing. I'll help you fix him. But our deal still stands."
            "Our deal?"
            "He may be free physically, but if you want him to be free mentally, then you'll still marry me."
            "Killian, you can't be serious right now. You saw him."
            Killian's jaw was set as he leaned in. "I know I had you begging to come last night, and then today, you're begging me to save another man."
            I gasped. "I..."
            "Enough. Deal's a deal. His freedom for yours."
            With that, he spun around, leaving me staring at his back.