Disclaimer: I dont own a thing. If I did I probably wouldn't be writting it here.


This is a long one to make up for the last two short ones. Enjoy.


I knew Alek was still lying on my bed. I could hear his heart beat for one, and he was talking to himself. I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed now, but I continued to listen to his private conversation.

"Damn that- hmmm she makes me so- Why can't I just. I'm the one that teases, not her- Why." I opened the door and walked out and laid down on the bed next to him.

"Because someone has to keep you on your toes." I kissed him on his cheek and then got up.

"Chloe, there is this meeting tonight, well it's more of a banquet I guess-"

"What? No one told me. I don't really have anything to wear!"

"I was wondering-" Alek started, but I was already out the door running over to Jasmine's room. Alek continued to sit on my bed and shook his head. I knocked quickly and then let myself in. Jasmine was reading on her bed.

"Jasmine, there is a banquet tonight?" she looked up and nodded. "Is it formal?" I asked. Again she nodded. "I don't have anything to wear."

"My mom left her credit card. I was going to go in about an hour. But we can go now if you want." I nodded and started to leave to go get my shoes and purse. "Tell Alek he's coming with." she yelled after me. I grabbed my boots which were by the door and slipped them on. Alek was still in my room.

"Hey, we're going into the city, you're coming with."


Jasmine had sent Alek off to find some dress clothes while we went shopping for dresses. "So how dressy is this supposed to be?" I asked as I looked at some dresses in the first boutique we stopped at.

"Cocktail." She said as she continued to look through a rack on the other side of the store. I flipped through the rack slowly analyzing each dress. Nothing was calling out to me. I had worked at Pateena's for so long that I didn't really know what other styles looked good on me. "So, did Alek ask you to be his date tonight?" Jasmine asked.

"No, I think he was trying to but I kind of ran out of the room, I kind of want to wow him."

"You already do, but I know what you mean. Hey, you want to come tell me which of these looks the best?" Jasmine asked. I nodded and followed her over to the dressing room. She showed me five dresses and we finally decided on a dark brown knee length dress with one shoulder. She grabbed all the dresses that were in the dressing room and started to hand them back to the sales girl when I stood up.

"What's this?" I asked pulling out a gold silk dress. "You didn't try that on."

"I didn't pick that out. It must have been in the dressing room. It's not my size anyway." I looked at the size and took it into the dressing room with me. I stripped off my clothes and pulled the dress on it. It was pure gold and shimmered in the light. I loved the color- it matched Alek's hair. I turned in the mirror looking at it. It was so gorgeous. It was a strapless sweetheart neck with a knotted twist just under my breasts. The rest was fitted and stopped halfway down my thigh. The back was perhaps the most stunning though. There was a single inch wide gold chain that went across the back to hold the dress up but from there the same gold silk draped down from either side of the chain. The swoop left her back bare down to the bottom of the small of her back. Chloe pulled her hair around her shoulder and stepped out of the room. Jasmine was sitting waiting. "That's not going to wow, Alek," she said curtly. "It's going to kill him." She smiled and stood up turning me around so she could see. I laughed lightly and went back into change. When I came out Jasmine was waiting. "C'mon, let's get some shoes and some jewelry and then we'll meet up with Alek."

I tried not to get sick when the cashier told us the total but Jasmine just gave her the credit card and took the bags. The Mai are doing very well, I thought for the thousandth time. We walked to another small boutique about a block away and looked around for a little bit. This one was primarily accessories. Jasmine had obviously shopped in this area before because she knew exactly where to go. I looked at shoes first then at the jewelry. In about an hour we met up with Alek and took the Ferry back to the island. I sat in Alek's arms on the trip but he didn't ask me to be his date. I could feel him kiss my head and take long breaths in my hair and settled back enjoying his touch. But the ride was soon over and Jasmine whisked me away to get ready.

I was escorted not only by Jasmine but another girl our age from the Seattle pride as they entered the party. I stopped on the stairs, the two Mai girls standing just behind me, and looked around. I spotted Alek. He was wearing a nice black button down shirt with the first few buttons left open and sleek black dress pants. He was incredibly handsome and Chloe smiled. The guys he was talking to tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to me. Alek turned and his mouth dropped open. I walked down the few stairs and then turned showing him the whole ensemble. My hair was in a side ponytail with a gold leaf headband. I had double ring of yellow diamonds around my neck and droplet earrings that matched. My shoes were a gold gladiator styled stiletto but instead of crossing leather they were links of diamonds that crossed over my feet. Alek looked me up and down several times before taking my hand and kissing it lightly. Then he pulled me closer and kissed me only on the corner of my mouth. He led me through the crowd to Valentina's side. She greeted me introducing me to the man she was talking to but then she whispered in Alek's ear and we walked away.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"You weren't listening?" he asked with a smirk.

"Someone told me that eves dropping would get me in trouble." I retorted.

"She said to make sure you weren't kidnapped tonight." He said smiling as we walked by a group of older men and women.

"Funny, what did she really say?"

"It hurts me you don't believe me." He whispered in my ear. "But that is the truth." He said. I looked at him and he nodded. "It's alright, kitten, nothing will happen to you while I'm around." He squeezed me around the waist.

I was introduced to everyone that night and I couldn't remember anyone. It was a lot to remember, I couldn't even begin to imagine how Alek did it. Then again he had been a Mai much longer than I had. Jasmine came and whispered in Alek's ear. "Sorry, love, but I have to go, I'll be back. Don't go anywhere." He said kissing me on the cheek. I stood for a moment rubbing one of my arms. I felt kind of naked without my protector, without Alek. I walked over to a set of couches and sat down. In the chair next to me was the older pride leader from earlier this morning. I think her name was Svetlana. I smiled and quietly said hello. "Hello, dear." She said in a deep throaty voice heavily accented. "What do you think of how our great race works together?" She asked. But I could hear the sarcasm and disdain in her voice.

"I think if we worked together, we could stop hiding from the order." I said quietly looking at my lap.

"You are like your mother." She said. I looked up quickly. "Yes, I knew your mother. She had different ideals than most, she wanted peace amongst her people and between humans and Mai. She was much like you, dear. She didn't care about power. You know the prides fought over her as well." I looked down again. "Oh for god's sake, stand up for yourself girl. Tell them what you want."
"I don't know what I want." I murmured.

"Bah, you know you want that young man. I can see it in your eyes. I looked at a man like that once, your mother did too, and Valentina knows it as well. We Mai find one lover that sticks with us even past death. We never get over our true mate. No one has ever told you that, I suppose. Yes and that young man knows it too. I've seen him around here before, I've seen him play with girls hearts but he has never looked at them the way he does at you. I've heard what he has done to protect you as well, no sane man would do what he has. Whether you know it for yourself or not, you are his life mate." She said patting me on the shoulder. I blushed. Voices rose across the room and I cringed as I recognized the voices from the numerous meetings this week. They were fighting over me again. I sank into the couch as much as possible. "Go, on, tell them." She nodded toward the stairs. I stood up and walked trying to collect myself as I got closer. I stepped up onto about the third stair so I was two heads above everyone. I cleared my throat and everyone turned to look at me. I swallowed hard and tried to steady my breathing. Alek pushed his way to the front and stopped. He saw my face the determination and fear written there and understood. He pointed first to his ear and then to his heart. I focused my hearing on his heart beat feeling mine slow down to match it.

"Hello," I started "My name's Chloe, although I suppose most of you know that. There has been a lot of arguing over my future. Where I should be, what I should do, but no one has asked me what I wanted. I don't know what to do, what I should do. This whole thing is new to me, but I know that arguing and fighting amongst ourselves isn't helping anything. The Order is able to attack because we are weak, alone. Someone has told me a story recently-" I looked over to where Svetlana was still sitting. "Each Mai has a life mate, one that they love even past death. They make each other stronger because they can trust and count on each other. That should be our prides all separate and all together." I stopped and looked at Alek. "I'm staying in San Francisco with my pride." I announced. The pride leaders forced their way to the front and whether they posed a real threat to me or not Alek placed himself in front of them. Svetlana stood up and crossed over to where we were.

"I think it would be best if we took this into a private room now." She suggested and led the way taking my hand in hers.


Alek stayed right behind me and I was glad for his presence. I could also sense that Jasmine had come as well. Svetlana led us all into the same conference room that we had been meeting in for the last couple days and took the seat next to me on my left allowing Alek to sit on my right. The five others filed in and took their seats. Alek sat as close to me as possible, taking my hand under the table. We looked at each other and had an entire conversation without saying a single word.

"You are not protected well enough in San Francisco," One man started. He was only about thirty at the most. "You have already lost a life. You would not have lost that if you were with us." I was pretty sure he was the Portland pride leader. "You will not be alone there, you will always be protected-" I felt Alek's hand tense and him start to stand. He let go of my hand and threw his hand out at the man.

"Oh shut up, Peter!" he yelled. The man was taken aback. "She's been protected, she lost that life because no one, not even you, you pompous ass, knew she was Mai. Stop trying to worm your way into her pants."

"Alek, Sit down." Valentina commanded. He sat down but his jaw was clenched. I hid the smile that was trying to worm its way to my lips by biting the inside of my lip. Alek was jealous, and it suited him. Everything erupted after that. Everyone was yelling at each other- Again.

Svetlana sat next to me still calm but slightly more irritated. Alek was brooding, and I was trying to follow the conversations. "Stop it!" I yelled standing up. "This is stupid!" Everyone stopped. "I'm staying where I am." I told them.

"Give us one reason." The Los Angeles Pride leader said.


Yup Cliff hanger. Sorry, but guess what. Click next!