Author's note:
Sorry for the wait! Here is chapter 5 but before you all read I have some important things to bring up!
The winner of my review contest type thingy is...(insert annoying drumroll here)...17Someone! PM me with a plot idea that you want to see in the story and I promise to find some way to include it even if it's a dream or something it'll be in here! If you don't want to do this then tell me and I'll give the prize to the runner up.
Special super thanks to HaleyLizQuinn. She has been PMing back and forth with me with soooo many great ideas and comments. She literally sent me 4 messages with comments that she had as she reread the entire story. And then a bunch more messages with awesome ideas! Ahhh thank you, you thinking cap you! I'm dedicating this chapter as well to you!
One more thing: At the end of the last chapter THE HAND DID NOT GRAB HER ROUGHLY! Either way you guys are great guessers!
Disclaimer: I own The Nine Lives of Chloe King as much as I own Jasmine' s kick-assiness! In other words; I wish!
Enjoy!
Chloe stumbled before regaining balance as she was yanked off the bench. Her eyes flew to Brian as he stared wide-eyed at the person behind her. Slowly, dreading who she might find, Chloe turned her head. The blonde hair, handsome face and strong arms that she saw belonged to only one person.
Alek.
Relief flooded Chloe's body but quickly disappeared when she saw the expression on Alek's face. He was beyond angry, he was livid.
"A- Alek," Chloe stuttered under Alek's intense glare, "what.. uh.. what ar- are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you that," he said venomously. His glare shifted down to Brian, "but I already know the answer."
Without waiting for Chloe to respond Alek started walking away, pulling Chloe with him, his grip on her arm tight but never painful.
"Alek wait," Chloe protested.
Alek stopped suddenly, swinging around to Chloe and dropping her arm. "What, Chloe?" he demanded, "You need more time with your human? I'm surprised you're even bothering to tell me."
Chloe cringed at the hurt and anger in his words. She started to open her mouth to try and defend herself but a voice from behind her stopped her.
"Don't yell at her like that."
Alek and Chloe looked over to see Brian still sitting on the bench with a pissed off look on his face.
"It's fine, Brian, really," Chloe insisted as Brian started getting up.
"Stay out of it," Alek snapped at Brian before turning back to Chloe. "Is that how it's going to be? You're just going to sneak out if you can't have your way? What happened to your bloody trust, Chloe?"
Tears welled in Chloe's eyes. She wasn't upset with Alek, she was upset with himself. Alek was right. She had been lecturing him about not trusting her a few hours prior and that's what made her feel the guiltiest. Chloe was going to tell Alek, she had a plan but it certainly wasn't him finding her with Brian. In that situation, she didn't know what to do.
As the first tear fell from her eyes, dropping to her cheeks, Brian was suddenly beside her, pushing Alek away.
"I told you not to yell at her," Brian shouted, shoving Alek's chest and causing the Brit to stumble a few steps back.
Alek quickly regained his balance and pushed Brian back. "And I told you to stay out of it."
At 7:30 in the morning, Cloverfield Park wasn't very full but there were a few small children playing. Their mother's and nannies shot weary glances at the shouting teenage boys, some moving their children away from the escalating fight.
"Guys! Guys stop it!" Chloe called out, watching a woman pull out a cell phone as if to call the police.
The boys ignored her and continued shoving each other.
"Who the hell do you think you are to talk to Chloe like that?" Brian demanded.
"Her protector and her boyfriend! More than you'll ever be!" Alek shouted back.
"Yeah, well, I'm starting to regret letting you ask her out!"
"Nobody needs your damn permission!"
Chloe tried again to calm them down but was stopped by a small, gentle hand on her arm.
"Don't," Any said, "it's kind of hot."
"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, surprised and slightly disturbed by Amy's comment.
"When Alek woke up and saw that you and Jasmine were gone he called us in a panic," Paul, who Chloe hadn't even noticed was there, replied.
"I drove," Amy offered
"How did he even know where to come?" Chloe wondered aloud.
Jasmine emerged from the trees. She tried and failed to remove her cousin from the fight and instead turned to Chloe.
"Cameron told him," she said apologetically.
Chloe glared at the red-headed Mai who raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry but the guy's scary when he's mad."
"Go to hell!"
Everyone turned to see Alek, red-faced and enraged at something Brian said, push the human. He used so much force that it sent Brian careening into the nearest lamppost. Brian shouted a few expletives at Alek and lashed out.
His fist connected with Alek's handsome face, sending the blonde spinning to the ground. Alek managed to catch himself with his hands before his entire body hit the ground and sprung into a crouch glaring at Brian. Everyone watched in horror as Alek released a predatory growl, his eyes turning to slits and claws popped out of his fingertips. Just as he was about to lunge at Brian, Jasmine and Chloe sprinted up to him. Jasmine wrapped her hands firmly around his biceps, pulling him back as Chloe stood in front, pushing his chest.
"Alek, calm down, it's okay," Chloe said comfortingly.
"Control yourself, Alek," Jasmine warned.
Alek tried fighting them off until he recognized their voices, primarily Chloe's, and calmed down enough to return to his human self.
He took a deep breath. "I'm okay."
"You sure?" Jasmine questioned as she cautiously lowered her hands. Chloe, on the other and, kept hers where they were.
"Alek…'
He focused his gaze on Chloe, the anger still visible in his eyes.
"Don't bother, Chloe," he snapped, pulling away from her and walking away.
"Alek!" He kept walking.
Chloe took a shaky breath before turning to Brian stood fuming. "You had no right to do that," Chloe said, harsher than she intended to. Brian's expression of anger quickly changed to that of a scolded child. He tried to say something but Chloe cut him off in a much quieter tone. "Never mind. Thank you for everything and I'm sorry it had to be this way. Good luck in Florida and stay safe but now I've really got to go."
Chloe turned to Amy. "Give Jasmine and Cameron a ride, okay?" Amy nodded a sympathetic look on her face.
"Chloe…" Jasmine started.
"I have to go find Alek! I'll be fine!" she called out, answering Jasmine's unasked question before sprinting out of the park.
Chloe could see a blonde head down the street and quickly took off after it.
Alek heard footsteps rapidly approaching him from behind and turned to see Chloe running towards him. Not wanting to have whatever deep conversation that was coming. Alek ducked around a corner and jumped onto the rooftops, disappointing into the shadows.
Chloe saw Alek turn a corner and pumped her legs faster. She curved around the corner then stopped. Alek had vanished into thin air. The street went straight with mo alleyways or intersections but Alek was nowhere to be found.
Maybe it was the next corner, Chloe thought.
She turned back onto the main street and dashed down the block. Chloe stopped dead in her tracks when she thought she saw a flash of blonde hair across the street. It was a teenage boy's head of blonde hair but not Alek's.
Chloe sighed.
He's not here. Maybe he went back to the condo or to the basketball courts. I can-
Chloe's thoughts were interrupted by the loud blaring of a car horn and several screams from bystanders. Chloe looked around, alarmed. For the first time, it dawned on her that she had stopped in the middle of the crosswalk as a pair of headlights came speeding towards her.
In the few seconds before the car reached Chloe, the intersection burst into action. People rushed towards the street as if they were going to push the girl out of the car's path but none did.
"It's gonna hit her!" a woman shouted, her words lost amongst he rest of the frantic shouts. Eyes were covered in preparation for the gory scene that was sure to come. The car's driver pounded on the brakes but between the car's momentum and the downward slope of the steep San Francisco street was unable to stop.
Chloe was oddly calm. She knew that she could avoid being hit by jumping to the sidewalk or the hood of the car but figured getting run over would be less dangerous than exposing her Mai powers in the middle of the crowd. She would wake up to live her 7th life if she got hit but if the order got her she'd most likely only wake up to die again.
People say that your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. Chloe was the only person that could say that actually wasn't true. The first time she died, while she was free-falling in the air between the top of Coit Tower and the sidewalk, she thought of her mother. Amy and Paul would have each other but Meredith would essentially be all alone dealing with her only daughter's death.
This time she thought of Alek. He would eat himself alive knowing that Chloe lost a life right after he ran away from her and she tried to follow. He would blame himself which would only out further strain on their relationship when she woke up.
The car was directly beside her and Chloe braced herself for the impact. A hardness and weight pushed into her, sending her flying.
Except it wasn't the car.
Whatever pushed her came from in front of her, not to the side where the car had been. Chloe flew backwards, her leg scraping the end of the bumper as the car zoomed past.
Chloe's back slammed into the grass and dirt surrounding one of the trees planted in the sidewalk. Her eyes snapped open, instantly locking with the silted eyes of none other than Alek Petrov.
He made sure to lad solidly on his hands, supporting his weight on his arms instead of crushing Chloe.
"Are you okay?" he asked, all anger gone from his voice.
"I'm fine," Chloe replied, surprised. Whether she was surprised that she was alive or that Alek had appeared out of nowhere, Chloe did not know. A crowd rushed towards them and Chloe realized for the first time what position she and Alek were in. "Alek, get up."
Alek kept his eyes on Chloe, tucking his fingers into his fist so that his claws weren't visible. "I can't," he whispered to her, "they'll see my eyes and claws."
Before Chloe could reply, the loud screeching of tires in pavement and the slamming of a car door came from the other side of the frantic crowd. Every head turned to see the driver of the car that almost hit Chloe push his way through the crowd. Alek used the distraction as a chance to jump off of Chloe and take off in the direction Chloe had come from.
The driver reached the front of the crowd and rushed over to Chloe. Chloe recognized him as Tyler Reese, a guy from her English class and one of Paul's fellow comic book nerds.
"Are you-" Tyler started but his eyes drifted up to the blonde head disappearing into the distance. "Was that Alek? Alek Petrov? I almost ran over Alek Petrov!"
And I am still invisible, Chloe thought to herself, half-amused and half-irritated.
She opened her mouth to say something but Tyler's panicking interrupted her.
"Why was Alek here? Wait, are you his girlfriend? Holy shit, I almost ran over Alek Petrov and his girlfriend!"
Chloe rolled her eyes and tried to walk away but Tyler stepped in front of her. "Wait, Chloe, an ambulance is coming."
"I don't need an ambulance. I'm fine1' Chloe replied, trying to look around Tyler to see if Alek was still visible.
Tyler tried protesting but Chloe just ducked under his arm and started running away. He called after her but dismissed him with a quick "I feel great! Don't worry!" and sped up, ignoring the slight pain in her leg and lower back.
Sirens blared in the background as Chloe sprinted up the street. She looked around frantically for Alek.
As she passed an alley someone pulled her in and wrapped their arms around her. Chloe was about to scream when she realized it was Alek that was holding her.
"Oh thank Bastet you're alright!" he exclaimed. He pulled away from Chloe, holding her at arms length and watched her cautiously. "You are alright, right?"
"I'm fine, Alek," Chloe reassured him but he was already inspecting her for injuries. Finally satisfied that Chloe really was unscathed, Alek sat down on one of the crates, pulling Chloe to sit on the one beside him.
"Good," Alek said, wrapping am arm around Chloe's shoulders and pulling her closer, "because I don't know what I'd do without you."
Chloe smiled and snuggled closer to Alek, intertwining her fingers with those of his free hand. They sat in silence, ignoring their unpleasant surroundings and focusing on each other. Finally Chloe got up enough courage to ask the question she'd been wondering since Alek had saved her.
"Does this mean you're not mad?"
Alek scoffed lightly, "Of course I'm mad." Chloe's face fell and she started pulling away from Alek's side. Alek noticed Chloe's change in mood and pulled her gently back to him. "Let me finish."
Chloe looked up at Alek expectantly and he took a deep breath before continuing.
"I'm mad but not as mad as I was. I guess I sort of understand why you didn't tell me."
"You would have tried to stop me. I needed to but if you asked me to stay there's no way I would have been able to bring myself to go," Chloe said. She gave Alek a meaningful look, "I'm guessing that's the real reason you didn't tell me Brian wanted to see you."
Alek nodded and watched Chloe carefully for nay signs of anger, "Plus I didn't know if he could be trusted then."
"It's okay. I forgive you even though you still lied later," Chloe said, a questioning look on her face. As much as she understood why Alek hadn't told her, she couldn't figure out why he made up that lie about Valentina. That was the part that pissed her off.
"I'm sorry for lying to you," Alek said, his voice full of sincere remorse. "I panicked. I thought you were about to break up with me."
Chloe's head snapped up, surprised, "Break up with you? I never even considered that."
Now it was Alek's turn to be surprised. "You didn't?" Chloe shook her head. "But you…never mind. I'm glad."
Chloe reached her free hand up and gently turned Alek's head so she could look him in the eyes. "I never wanted to break up with you and hopefully I never will," she said, meaning every word of it. Her face became worried and nervous. "Which is why I hope we aren't breaking up because of all this?"
Alek looked down at Chloe as she looked up at him, biting her lip. He was so caught up in how adorable she looked that he didn't even realize he hadn't answered until he saw disappointment cloud her features. Quickly he bent his head down and kissed her. Chloe perked up as soon as his lips touched hers and kissed back eagerly.
They pulled away from each other and Chloe took a deep breath. Her lips turned down in a disgusted frown as a repulsive smell hit her nose. She looked round to see what caused it and spotted an industrial trash can at the end of alley.
"Hey can we get out of here? The trashcan smells."
"Sure."
Alek moved his arm from around Chloe's shoulders and stood up offering her his hand. She smiled and took it. Alek stopped at the end of the alley and looked around for any sign of danger before leading Chloe onto the bright sidewalk, exchanging playful banter and just having a good time. After some half-hearted protests about who pays from Chloe, Alek bought them each an ice cream cone and they continued down the sidewalk holding hands and eating their treat.
You know what I think the real problem back there with Brian was," Chloe said suddenly, a playful smile on her face.
Alek raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You were jealous," Chloe replied with a quick poke to Chloe's chest.
"Yeah right," Alek laughed lightly, "like I'd be jealous of someone you can't even kiss. Although maybe that's not such a bad idea…" He mumbled the last part but Chloe heard him. She frowned up at him, knowing that he wasn't trying to encourage her to kiss another guy but that he wouldn't mind seeing Brian dead.
"I thought you guys were getting along yesterday," Chloe noted, taking a lick of her chocolate ice cream.
"Getting along? No. Call it more of a…business relationship."
"And personally?"
"I still hate the annoying human," Alek replied honestly, smiling.
"Awww but you guys could have been such great friends," Chloe joked, happy that they could talk about Brian in a playful manner with no argument involved.
Alek looked at Chloe in mock disbelief. "First you think I was jealous then you think I could be friends with Brian. The sugar's going to your head."
"It is not," Chloe said, taking an indignant lick of her ice cream.
Alek leaned in closer to her, so close that she could feel his arm breath on her cheek as he whispered, "I think it is." While Chloe was momentarily distracted by his proximity, he plucked the cone from her hand and took off.
Chloe pulled herself from her mini-trance. "Alek!" She raced after her laughing boyfriend; smiling at an elderly woman that commented on how cute of a couple they are as she passed.
Alek heard Chloe call out and start chasing after him so he sped up, laughing like a maniac still holding both of their full cones.
"Alek get back here!" Chloe shouted.
"I'd rather not!" Alek called back.
The British Mai ran up to the railed pathway overlooking the bay. As Chloe caught up he held the hand with her ice cream in it and held it over the edge, pretending like he was going to fall over.
"My ice cream!" Chloe screamed in a panic, lunging at the rail with out stretched arms.
Alek pulled back from the rail, laughing at Chloe's wide-eyed expression. "So your boyfriend almost falls into the Bay and all you care about is your ice cream?" he questioned, jokingly.
"Sorry but ice cream's more important," Chloe teased back. She tried to snatch hers from Alek's hand but he held it over his heads and smirked at her.
"Hurtful!" he exclaimed, taking an exaggerated lick of his ice cream just to annoy Chloe.
"Ice cream first, boyfriend second. It's girl code," Chloe said, smirking back at him and making another grab. Just when she thought she had it, he pulled further away leaving her with a handful of air.
"Even when said boyfriend bought said ice cream." Alek raised an eyebrow.
"Even then," Chloe replied, giving up on her attempt to take back her ice cream and twirling a blonde curl around one of her fingers and cocking her head, "but the girl might find some way to…thank her boyfriend."
Instantly the mood switched from playful to flirtatious. Alek raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. He stepped even closer, backing Chloe into the railing.
"And how does she plan on doing that?"
Chloe put a hand on Alek's shoulder. 'I think I have a few ideas." Alek leaned in and started closing his eyes. Chloe leaned in as well, gently sliding her hand down his arm. When her fingers reached his hand she pulled back, taking her cone with her.
"Evil!" Alek called after her as she skipped away.
"But you love me!" Chloe called back as her skip turned into a run.
Even for someone with cat-like agility, sprinting down a crowded brick pathway while licking melting ice cream and laughing, is a hard task. The toe of Chloe's boot caught on a loose brick and sent her tumbling towards the ground. She would have landed face and ice cream cone first had a pair of strong arms not wrapped around her waist. Alek caught Chloe in his arms in one smooth motion, picked her up and spun her around, causing her legs to fly out in front of her and her hair to whip into both of their faces.
As her feet left the ground, Chloe squealed and laughed harder.
Alek set the blonde girl down and spun her around in his arms.
"First I buy you ice cream then I save you from falling. Now you really have to give me my kiss," Alek said, smirking down at Chloe.
Chloe smirked back at her boyfriend and raised an eyebrow. "Who says you were getting a kiss," she teased but made no sign of protesting when Alek leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
Alek pulled back, still smirking. "Of course you were going to kiss me. I am irresistible."
"You know I wonder if you're so cocky to make up for something else," Chloe said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
"Make up for something else?" Alek asked, surprised by Chloe's comment. "I can guarantee that I have absolutely nothing to make up for."
"That's what they all say," Chloe said like a therapist diagnosing a patient, laying a hand on Alek's bicep.
Alek's smirk grew and he leaned in closer to Chloe so that his lips were beside her ear. Chloe blushed slightly at the feeling of his lips skimming over her skin. "It sounds like you're asking for proof. Nobody's at the condo," he whispered in her ear.
Chloe felt her cheeks flame as the red in her cheeks darkened.
Alek pulled away from Chloe, smirking at her expression. He waited a moment ut Chloe remained silent, looking everywhere but at Alek. "Speechless?" he chuckled, "I have that affect on people."
His words were enough to snap Chloe out of her daze. She smacked him on the arm and tried to scowl but instead ended up laughing. Alek held her tightly as they both fell into fits of laughter. Finally Alek sobered and Chloe put an end to her giggles.
"I love you," Alek said quietly looking Chloe in the eyes.
Chloe smiled and wrapped her arms around Alek's neck. "I love you too." They both leaned in. Their lips inched closer and closer together and when they were just millimeters apart two loud phone chimes caused them to snap apart.
Chloe reached into her purse as Alek fumbled in his pockets.
Chloe looked down at her phone to find a message from Jasmine.
From: Jasmine
Message: Hey where r u? Did u find Alek? U didn't come back so I got worried. Write back or I'm coming after u!
Chloe smiled to herself at Jasmine's typical over-protective yet caring ways. She quickly replied to Jasmine's text, telling her she was okay and was with Alek. Jasmine's reply came instantly.
From: Chloe
Message: The 2nd one! Srry c u guys l8r!
From: Jasmine
Message: Figured. Have fun! (BTW Amy says u r telling her everything l8r!)
Chloe chuckled and quickly sent a reply, agreeing. She turned back to Alek who was still looking at his phone.
"Everything okay?"
At the sound of Chloe's voice, Alek looked up from the 5 page long text Valentina had sent him asking him to bring the files and some stuff from the condo to a hotel downtown for one of her meetings. He looked back down at the text and back up at his girlfriend. Spend a beautiful day with an even more beautiful girl or take heavy files to his aunt and a bunch of boring pride leaders. No brainer. Alek locked his phone and shoved it back into his pocket.
"Yeah, everything's fine. It was just Valentina," Alek replied, swinging an arm gently around Chloe's shoulders.
"Do you have to go?" Disappointment crept into Chloe's voice as she imagined her Alek-filled day going out the window.
"No. I'd rather spend the day with you," Alek said honestly. "I'm thinking… take out and relaxing at the condo?"
"Take out and relaxing at the condo," Chloe agreed. She wrapped an arm around Alek's waist. They snuggled closer to each other and turned down the street, heading towards the condo.
No cliffhanger! Don't expect that often though!
So what did you guys think! This chapter is slightly filler but I wanted some Chalek cuteness. Don't worry next chapter starts some drama and the one after that has even more!
Don't forget to review!
Review replies:
Alanna-Banana1987: LOL you were right! If you want more, I 'll keep writing!
Wolf9lucky: Haha. Well I'm not evil this time!
HaleyLizQuinn: Hey! Took your advice and decided to post-pone the idea that we talked about! So here's a new chapter! Tell me what you think!
Isob3l: Hope you likes the drama! Trust me, there's more to come! You were right!
17SomeOne: Yeah you were right. I hope you aren't disapointed! You won the contest so PM me your idea for the story! WINNER!
Sunshiningdays581: Thanks! Now you know!
CtrlAltDelicious: Now are you planning on updating Sacrifice... hint hint. Anyway...thank you so much!
Ally babyy3: Thanks so much!
bangelluvforever: Thanks! You're right! Hope you thought this chapter was goooood!
Kylee-Cat: Your welcome :D! You're right!
chloeandalekforever: Sorry! Brian isn't a traitor but no promises for that staying the same in the future...
Lil5weetie: You're right! Thank you so mcuh! I'm glad you've enjoyed!
i. run. with. vampires-OCD: Haha sorry btu I had to! If I hadn't you might not have kept reading! (Sprry for the spaces in your name. It's the only way it would show.
theyre after my lucky charms: OMG thank you! Hope you liked!
panaricanchick: I BET YOU'RE RIGHT!
Golden28: Thank you!
Emilyjaden101: Thank you so much! Sorry to leave you hanging but you can stay alive for now because no cliffy. No saying the same for the next chapter though...
Don't forget to review! I will try to update super soon! Bear with me becuase school starts Monday and I'm scrambling to finish summer homework and stuff. Ugh high school!
Until next time!