Disclaimer: I don't own The Nine Lives of Chloe King. I only own The One Life of Ivane (more like borrowed it actually… oh shoot… I don't own anything).

Author's Note: This was a plot bunny that kept bugging me after I finished watching the first season of TNLOCK. I'm not much of a fan of love triangles, but the Brian/Chloe/Alek triangle has really been gnawing at me. I can't believe they ended the show where it did. Still completely bummed by that. Anyway, I am so rooting for Chalek, but I couldn't bring myself to write a Chalek story without including Brian in it. So yeah… this story was born out of persistent plot bunnies and a fan's frustration over a show, which ended in a wicked cliffhanger, being wrongfully cancelled. Grr… Oh well, this picks up from the ending of season 1 and (not having read the books) I plan to run with this one and do my own thing with the story and the character backgrounds that weren't fully explored in the show. Updates will come sporadically, but come on… we all know that reviews can always inspire one to write more chapters quickly.

I really hope this chapter somehow piques your interest enough for you to give much-coveted feedback.

-oiOio-

- Beginnings -

Two years ago.

Anyone who'd ever been around Alek Petrov for more than a couple of minutes would quickly be acquainted to the knowing gaze and smug sneer on his handsome face. It was his signature look, a clear indication that he looked good and he damned well knew it. It was this look that he had on as he leaned back on his locker, blonde hair sporting a casually groomed appearance, his arms crossed over his chest.

The smirk on his lips was caused by the numerous comments he was overhearing as he stood amidst the high school's crowded corridors, one girl after another milling past him, while gushing about how gorgeous he was.

"He is so hot."

"He's from London. I wonder if he's nobility of some kind."

"Move over, Prince William."

"He totally hit on me at the cafeteria yesterday."

"Ugh. You wish."

"He's totally out of your league."

"They say he stopped school for several years."

"I am totally going to hook up with him."

"Seriously, Alek. Wipe that self-satisfied smirk off your face."

Alek creased his brows and turned to his side and found Jasmine's big brown eyes rolling at him. He chuckled. "It was you who told me to improve on my listening skills."

"Not by eavesdropping on high school girls who are crushing on you," Jasmine said pointedly in her typical I-will-someday-be-a-Mai-leader manner. She tossed her wavy black hair over her shoulders before opening her locker and shoving a bunch of books inside.

"How would you know that they're crushing on me?" Alek flicked his brows up, amusement shining through the corners of his eyes. "That means you've been eavesdropping too…"

Jasmine tried to come up with a defense, but found herself speechless. She hadn't actually been eavesdropping – at least not intentionally. It didn't take much of a genius to realize that a lot of the girls were absolutely besotted with her cousin, but she wasn't about to inflate his ego – swollen as it already was – by telling him that.

"Ahh… practice what you preach, my dear cousin." The "self-satisfied smirk" – as she so snippily referred to it – returned to his face as he lightly flicked a thumb against Jasmine's jaw line. "But you need not worry, Jasmine. I've actually forgotten how ridiculously insipid some high school conversations can get. Humans can be so boring." Out of the corner of his eye, a welcome sight caught his attention. It was Chloe King, with her long blonde curls and beautiful face animatedly twisting from one wide-eyed expression to the next as she told her two best friends – the petite brunette and the Asian guy – about something she was obviously excited about. "Now there's someone who's never boring to eavesdrop on."

Jasmine followed his gaze and huffed. Alek had taken a special interest on the pretty blonde from the moment he laid eyes on her. Jasmine had to remind him several times that Chloe was human and that pursuing her would only get him in trouble. Her warnings did not go unheeded, because he never bothered to speak a word to the girl. Instead, he found a way to come up with some sort of a ruckus whenever Chloe was nearby. This time, he managed to get hold of a football from one of the jocks (a bunch he seemed to be getting along with) and was shouting to another jock from the far end of the corridor to catch it. He threw the football and it hit Chloe's friend, Paul, on the back of the head.

Paul looked like a wounded, little puppy as he rubbed the back of his head and frowned before saying "Ow."

"Uhh…" Alek turned to Jasmine and whispered, "What do Americans say when… Oh, right…" He turned back to Paul and shrugged both shoulders before yelling the ridiculously late warning, "Duck!"

Chloe turned her head and creased her brows at Alek before asking Paul if he was okay. Amy, on the other hand, cast an admiring look at Alek before realizing that Paul was staring questioningly at her, so she frowned at Alek and patted her friend lightly on the shoulder as if to say, "You're gonna be fine. Don't be a baby."

Jasmine hit Alek lightly on the arm. "What was that about?"

He only smiled in response, a hint of boyish naughtiness in his eyes.

"What's your plan, Alek? Annoy her into liking you?" This time, she smiled, amused by the reminder that despite everything he's been through and the mysterious air he kept trying to put on, Alek was still a boy in a lot of ways. The fact that he would act like a kid in kindergarten, who would resort to teasing a girl to get her attention, was something she found utterly cute.

Alek's eyes were still fixed on Chloe as he breathed a deep sigh. The quick shift from naughty little boy to serious mystery man took Jasmine aback. "There's something about her, Jasmine. I can't explain it, but I'm telling you… she's special."

"I'm sure she is," Jasmine nodded as she tapped his shoulder with one hand. "But you know the rules, Alek."

"Let's wait until she's sixteen…" he mumbled almost absent-mindedly. "She could be one of us."

"Riiiight…" Jasmine drawled.

The school bell rang and she said something about going to class, but Alek still had his mind on Chloe. When it came to her, he didn't quite know what to feel. He knew that she was human and she was off limits. He also knew that from the moment he laid eyes on her, he had this strong, irrational urge to protect her and keep her safe. The reason behind that was entirely beyond him. After all, why on earth would a sweet, innocent, human girl like Chloe King need protection from a powerful Mai?

-oiOio-

Present day.

Why am I doing this to myself? Alek clenched and unclenched his fists as he continued to walk aimlessly along the streets of San Francisco. The recollection of the words he overheard Chloe confess to her mother began to once again invade his riddled mind. I think I'm in love with Brian. He couldn't bear the thought of it, much less understand it. Why? What does she see in him?

The first time he suspected that Chloe could be a Mai, he thought himself delusional. Even Jasmine, who normally took him seriously when it came to his predictions about who was and wasn't Mai, shrugged it off as possibly wishful thinking. He carefully watched her nonetheless. When they were finally able to ascertain that she was indeed one of them, his heart leapt with anticipation. After all these years of trying to deny his attraction toward her, he finally found out that he was allowed to be with her, so he lost no time in making a move on her. Never in a million years would he have imagined that the Uniter would allow herself the indulgence of doing the one thing he'd been trying to avoid the past two years – fall in love with a human. What a fool I've made of myself. His jaw tightened as he remembered Meredith's words. You love who you love. It was clear who it was that Chloe was choosing to love, and much to his chagrin, no matter how he denied it to himself, he loved her. I can't love her. She loves him… she loves her human. The sting of tears began to form in his eyes and Alek fought them back. No way is she going to make me into even more of a fool than she already has. He hadn't cried for over a decade now and he was damn well not about to start.

Eventually tiring of his lack of direction, he found himself riding up the elevator to the apartment that had been his home for the past two years. In his mind, he was rehearsing how he was going to explain to Valentina what he had decided upon. He resolved that whether or not she agreed to it, he would stand by his decision. He wasn't a fit protector to the Uniter. He was too emotionally involved. It's time I go back to London. Face the ghosts of my past.

He breathed a sigh before turning the steel knob and pushing the large mahogany door open. His eyes widened at the sight of Jasmine's motionless body on the hardwood floor and Valentina's blank stare as she lied unmoving on the blue carpet. An awful sensation of anger and pain rose from the pit of his stomach until it settled heavily on his chest. Alek's entire body tensed as his eyes subsequently settled on the tall dark-haired lad standing over Jasmine's body. Zane. They accommodated and trusted him and he betrayed them. Alek wanted to ask why. It was beyond him why a Mai would do this to his own kind, but more than wanting answers to his questions, Alek wanted Zane to pay.

"I'm gonna kill you." His voice was deep and threatening and Alek meant every word of it.

Zane raised a brow, his head tilted sideways, a smug expression on his face. "Is that any way to talk to your brother?"

Alek could sense the blood drain from his cheeks as his lips slightly parted in shock. He balled his fists. The part of him that wanted to find out what the traitor was talking about was overpowered by his instinct to avenge the two women who had been the closest thing he had to family over the most difficult years of his life. Following his instincts, the young, virile Mai swooped down and swung a strong leg below Zane's knees, taking him down from beneath. Before the older lad could recover, Alek pulled a knife tucked under the assassin's belt. Zane made a motion to get up, but Alek was in a far better position to attack than he was and with one swift motion, was able to pin Zane to the ground, knife against his neck.

His breaths coming in ragged pants, Alek voiced out the one question on his mind through gritted teeth. "Why?"

Zane looked up at him, not a trace of fear in his gray eyes. An infuriating grin crossed his face. "You have no idea who you are, do you?"

The unexpected question took Alek aback and that was his undoing. Zane's fist slammed into his face and he found himself lying flat on his back, Zane pushing a hand against his chest, holding him down with a knife on his throat.

"Do you really believe that Valentina took you in because she cared about you?" A glint of amusement crossed Zane's eyes. "Fool. I ought to kill you right now, little brother, but I won't do that. You're far too important. Call me when you want to find the truth."

Before Alek could even breathe a word, Zane had already rushed off. Alek was about to follow, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jasmine begin to slightly stir.

A vague sense of hope covered him as Alek rushed to her side. "Jasmine…"

Her big brown eyes met his heart-broken gaze. She struggled to speak. "Alek… Chloe…"

Alek's breath felt like it was caught in his chest. Perhaps… perhaps it's not too late. There might still be a way to save my best friend. "I'm going to call the healers… you're going to be fine, Jasmine. Just hang on." He began to stand up but she grabbed his arm.

"No…" she managed to say. "Listen to me."

"Jasmine, I can't lose you."

"Protect Chloe. It's what you're meant to do. You're the leader of the Mai now."

Questions flooded his mind and a horrible desperation began to overwhelm him. "No… Jasmine, it's you who was always meant to lead… Valentina always said…"

Jasmine took his hand in hers and she gave him a smile. Chills ran down his spine as her tight grip on his hand loosened, but just before all trace of life seeped away from her, she managed to say one last thing: "You're the Guardian, Alek."

Right after she said it, an inexplicable surge of adrenaline swept through him and he knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, that something had gone terribly wrong and the first name that entered his mind was that of the young woman he was trying so desperately to forget. Chloe.