Chapter 1

Chloe looked down at Brian's dead body. It was her fault he had died. If she just had been more careful. How could she let this happen.

"Chloe!" Amy and Paul came running through the doors. "Oh my god, Chloe. Is he?"

Chloe just nodded and cried over the lifeless body in her hands. Amy went next to her and put her hands on Chloe's shoulder's. "Chloe, I'm so sorry."

"I lost a life." Chloe told them.

"Where was Alek?" Paul asked.

"Right here." A voice came from behind them

"Alek." Chloe ran into his arms. She cried into his chest. He was the only person she felt safe with now. Even Amy and Paul couldn't cheer her up.

"Chloe, I know I shouldn't tell you this now but, Jasmine and Valentina. They're both dead, Zane killed them." Alek whispered.

"What, no. They can't be dead. No." The little blonde argued.

Alek just shook his head, one tear came rolling down his cheek. "Chloe! Did you loose a life?" Alek looked shock at the large blood stain on her shirt.

She nodded and went back to crying on him. he held her in his arms. He looked up at Amy and Paul with a longing look in his eyes.

"We have to get you home, I'm gonna stay there with you okay." Alek told her. She nodded and they left the museum.

Alek opened the door of Chloe's kia soul and she got in. Amy and Paul got in their car and took off. Alek got into the drivers side and looked at Chloe. She was silently crying. Never taking her eyes off the museum.

"Chloe, i'm so so sorry about Brian. He didn't deserve that." Alek tried to comfort her. "I know you loved him and I know you'll never love me that way but..." He just trailed off and started the car.

It was a long silent ride back to her house. When she got there her mom was on the couch with a tall black haired man.

"Mom." Chloe questioned.

"Chloe, good your home. I'd like you to meet Mr. Rezza. We just got back from dinner." Her mom and the man stood up from the couch.

"You, your Brian's father." Chloe accused.

"How do you know my son?" Mr. Rezza scouled

"I'm his friend, he brougth me to the art show." Chloe explained. "He, he's." She cried.

"Chloe, honey, He's what?" Her mom ran to her side.

Alek stepped into the house then. Chloe looked at him and he knew what was going on.

"He's dead." Chloe put her face in his hands.

Alek ran to her and put his arms around her. She shook with tears.

"Where is he?" Mr. Rezza urgued

"The museum on fontuna." Alek spoke for Chloe. "Chloe looked for him there after she saw a car following him. She just found him on the steps, he wasn't breathing."

Mr. Rezza stormed out of the house, completely forgetting the job he was supposed to do. Chloe's mom looked so confused. She sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen.

"Alek will you stay with Chloe for a while, i'm gonna call Amy." The little woman looked frazziled.

"Of course." Alek led chloe up the stairs.

She sat down on her bed just staring at nothing. She looked like she was in a world of her own. Which she was.

"Chloe, tomorrow i'm gonna explain everything that happened okay. Tonight you just need to rest." Alek pulled back the covers on her bed.

Alek sat down on the window sill. Chloe got in her bed and turned on her side. Luckly her mom didn't notice the stain on her shirt where she had been shot.

Amy arrived a for minutes later but Chloe was already asleep.

"You should stay the night, she'll need you in the morning." Alek whispered.

"Hey, she'll need you too. Now more than ever." Amy told him. He nodded and went back to the window. Amy pulled out some blankets and go settled on the floor.

Amy woke up first of the three. Alek had fallen over on the floor. and Chloe was half off of her bed.

Amy got up and went to the bathroom. She looked at all the pictures of her, Chloe and Paul. She missed when everything was simple. Amy fixed her hair and tip toe'd out of the bathroom. Trying not to wake either of them up. She was about half way out the door when Alek jumped up in front of her.

She let out a little yelp of shock. "Chloe was right, you do- do that a lot.

"Yeah, it's my job. She can't loose you too. I have to protect all four of you now." Alek looked at her with his deep brown eyes.

"Good, I like having a protecter but, how are you gonna do it all by yourself?" The brunette questioned.

"I have no idea." Alek looked puzzled. he had lost his best friend and the closest thing to a mother he had.

"Amy, Alek?" Chloe murmured still a bit sleepy.

"Right here Clo." Amy called.

Chloe got out of the bed and rubbed her wet eyes. "I'm gonna change. Be right back." Chloe slumped off to the bathroom.

Alek just smirked at Amy and went to sit on her bed. Chloe came out a few minutes later with her pajamas on. That way it looked like she hadn't slept in her clothes.

"Let's get down to breakfast." Amy chirrped.

Chloe nodded and shrugged down the stairs. Amy and Alek followed her. Chloe's mom was sitting down there with a newspaper. She turned around with tear filled eyes.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Chloe ran to her mother's side.

Her mom gave her the paper. The front headline was Business Man's Son Found Dead at Museum. Chloe dropped the newspaper. she backed up into the table.

Alek ran over and quickly read the article. "Chloe, it's not your fault."

"It is, I killed him. I killed Brian." Chloe disagreed.

"Wait, what. Honey, is there something your not telling me?" Her mother asked. More out of concern than anger.

"I have to tell you something, it's about my birth parents." Chloe strained up.

"Chloe, you know what I told you." Alek pleaded.

Chloe ignored him. "Mom, i'm not exactly human. I'm what we call Mai. It's an ancient race, like half cat type of thing. Alek is too, and Jasmine." Chloe tried to explain as well as possible. "And there's this curse. Humans and Mai can't kiss or be physically involved with one another. But i'm not just any Mai, i'm what they call the uniter. It means I have nine lives. Except, i've already lost two. Brian kissed my last night, that's how he died. Same with Exavier."

Chloe's mom just shook her head, she tried to take everything in. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Chloe, I should probably tell you something." Alek interrupted.

"What?" Chloe sounded concerned.

"Zane, the guy who killed Jasmine and Valentina. He didn't kill me because well, He's my brother." Amy and Chloe both gasped.

"What happened to him?" Amy asked.

"I killed him, no brother of mine threatens the lives of the girl I love." Alek explained looking directly at Chloe.

"Awh, that's so sweet, sort of." Amy placed her hand over heart.

"Wait, wait. You're some no-human thing and Jasmine is dead. And who is this Zane guy? What's going on?" Her mom tried to put it all into her brain.

"All you need to know is that i'm Mai and that my two other protectors are gone." Chloe couldn't say that they were dead.

"Okay," She just sat down on the couch. "This is just all so much."

"Let's just put it this way. You took it better than my parents." Alek said remember the terrible memory.

"How did your parents take it?" a curious Amy asked.

"I don't like to talk about it." Alek looked down. Chloe put her arm on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "I have to go over to the apartment. Take care of Jasmine and Valentina, and Zane." Alek strode off towards the door.

"Wait, Alek. You need somewhere to stay don't you?" Chloe looked at her mom.

"Oh of course you can stay here Alek. We have a guest bedroom." Mereidith (Chloe's mom) spoke up.

"Thank you." Alek left.

"Wait, i'm coming with you. I wanna say goodbye." Chloe rushed after him.