Well Behaved Women... (Chapter 14)
Well Behaved Women Don't Make History
by tenshinrtaiga
Disclaimer: I don't own the Nine Lives of Chloe King or the Covenant.
Summary: Sequel to The Witch Uniter. Things are hectic for Chloe now that the Order has found out who she is and her secret is blown at her high school. It doesn't help that things are still rocky for her and Alek and that she and Reid keep getting closer. But those problems don't matter if she can't get the local supernaturals to agree to her peace treaty.
Chloe sighed as she smoothed down the non-existent wrinkles in her black Badgley Mischka dress. It was knee length with black spaghetti straps. The top was embroidered with gold, emphasizing her breasts and below that was a strip of black sheer fabric to showcase the slimmest portion of her waist. The rest flowed into a plain black skirt. Her shoes consisted of a pair of Louboutin black and gold heels.
"Nervous?" Caleb asked. He was sitting next to her in the driver's seat while the rest of the boys were piled into the back of the SUV.
"What? No," Chloe replied lamely. The truth was, she wasn't even thinking about the Negotiations. She knew that she had to get her head in the game, but her mind was still on Alek and Reid.
Her brothers had been no help on that front, their opinions ending in a tie. She had gone with the dress aka Reid, but she was still uncertain. Was she making the right decision? Ever since her secret had come out, Alek had been like a totally different person. It was like he was posturing in front of his friends and instead of acting like she was his girlfriend, he was acting like she was his trophy. Like he won her or something. She had hoped that, given time, he'd calm down and let his jealousy and possessiveness go, but he hadn't. It had been months and things were still the same and she could admit that she was unhappy.
But things used to be good between them. They used to be really good actually. He'd made her so happy and he was the first guy she was willing to take a chance on after her fiasco of a relationship with Chase. She wished that Alek could go back to being that guy and she wondered if they weren't in some sort of rough patch or if this was really it.
And then there was Reid. They had been amazing together, if she was being honest. He knew all of her secrets and never once judged her for anything she'd done or wanted to do. They understood each other in a way most people only dreamed of, capable of communicating only with a look or a smile. But there had been something missing in their relationship and they had both felt it. Neither knew what it was, but they knew that they didn't have it. And in the end, they mutually decided to end it.
But how was now going to be any different? What had changed in three years that he felt they should give it another shot? Her feelings were still there, she realized that now. But what happened if there were still missing 'it'? Or what happened if something else happened and they broke up? Last time had been mutual and that's how they managed to stay so close. But what if this time it didn't end mutually? How was she meant to still be around Reid then?
There were a lot of pros and cons for both Reid and Alek. Earlier, she had chosen Reid, but she couldn't help but fear that she had made the wrong decision. Should she stay with Alek? Work on whatever rough patch they were going through? It was decidedly less scary than wondering what would happen if things ended badly with Reid.
What should she do? Who should she choose?
"Chloe?" Caleb asked, startling her out of her thoughts. "We're here." At her questioning look, he nodded out the window to the large building they were parked in front of. The others had already climbed out of the car and were all lingering outside waiting for Caleb and Chloe to come out so that they could head up to the meeting place. "Where's your head at, Baby Girl?" Caleb questioned.
Chloe shook her head. "Not here," she confessed.
Caleb nodded his head knowingly. "Understandable." There was a moment's pause before he spoke again. "I thought you picked Reid?"
"I did. I do. I dunno," Chloe muttered. She had picked him, she just wasn't sure if she could stick to her decision or if she'd change her mind. Her head was filled with 'what if' scenarios and images of regret.
The brunet nodded his head again. "I understand, but you've gotta get it out of your head." Chloe snorted derisively. Yeah, like that was going to happen. "I know it's going to be hard, but you're more than just Chloe King right now." Chloe looked at her brother questioningly. "You're the Uniter," Caleb reminded. "And up there," he nodded his head toward the building, "there are a lot of supernaturals who are waiting for you to come and lead them; to bring them to a new era of peace." Chloe turned to look up at the building. He was right. She wondered how many people were at those windows right now, looking out, watching for her to arrive.
"Sorry, Cay," she murmured regretfully. She hadn't meant to let her personal problems get in the way of her leadership. Her face became resolved as she finally began to focus on the task at hand; uniting her people.
She slipped out of the car, garnering all of the boys' attention. She firmly began walking toward the building, the guys forming their usual guard around her in situations like this. Caleb, Chase and Reid made up her front guard as Pogue and Tyler took up the rear.
She took a brief second to wonder what normal teenage girls did on their Saturday nights before promptly tucking that thought away and entering the building. Soon, they were all squished into the elevator. It was extremely similar to a scene from several months prior when they were going to meet the Mai. That night seemed like ages ago, though.
They exploded out of the elevator car and quickly made their way down the hall. They were already a bit late, although given they were the ones hosting, things could hardly go on without them. They stopped in front of two large wooden doors - the meeting room that they had booked for this night.
"Are you ready?" Caleb asked, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.
Chloe nodded sharply. Her head was in the game. She was focused, stubborn and ready for a fight. "Damn straight," she replied with a smirk, earning chuckles.
Reid and Chase each pushed open one of the doors allowing Chloe and Caleb to walk in with Tyler and Pogue right behind them. Every eye in the room was drawn to the group immediate and those that were sitting were soon standing. Chloe felt like a Queen and knew that the title wasn't that far off. These people were trusting her with their well-being and their future. She had spent her entire life getting ready for this moment.
She quickly made her way to the head of the large conference table and took her seat in the plush chair. Caleb and Chase took the seats on either side of her while the other three took up guard behind them. Looking around, she spotted leaders and representatives from all the major factions in the northern hemisphere. Her gaze paused for a moment on Valentina, or more accurately on Jasmine and Alek standing behind her. Chloe nipped on her lower lip as she met the gaze of her boyfriend, but quickly forced herself to move on.
"Welcome," she finally said after a moment of silent contemplation on each of the individuals in attendance. "Tonight is a night like no other. This night will go down in the history books for centuries to come. I thank you for being apart of it." She paused to give her words a moment to soak in. "Now, let's begin, shall we?"
Almost three hours later, Chloe's composure was gone, as was most everyone else's. The Mai and the Jackals had been sniping with each other over the new territory lines for the last twenty minutes. Even the ever graceful and serene Avia were looking worn and haggard.
"Enough!" Chloe commanded, but no one was listening. "I said - oh forget it," she muttered, slumping back down into her seat. Chase tapped her hand to let her know that he could use magic to get their attention, but she waved him off. This meeting had been going on for what felt like eternity.
Getting up, she quietly left the meeting hall, needing to take a breather. She waved off Pogue who made a motion to go with her. She was only planning on heading into the hallway outside and she was perfectly capable of protecting herself at the moment.
She walked into the cool hall, grateful for the reprieve from the shouting and threats. Chloe supposed she should just be grateful that there had been no physical harm done. Yet.
"Hey," a familiar British voice said softly as Alek slipped out of the meeting hall too.
"Hi," she murmured back, eyes sad.
There was a moment of silence before Alek finally broke it. "I saw you and Reid in the sound studio. Caleb brought me down there and we saw you." Chloe blinked in surprise. So that was how Caleb knew. Then she winced. How much did Alek see? She hoped he didn't see the kiss, although she had a feeling he hadn't or he would be a great deal angrier.
"I'm sorry," she murmured instead. "I love you but I can't keep doing this..." Chloe paused to look up at Alek's face. He was sad, but resigned. He knew what was coming too. "This is it, isn't it?" Chloe asked, her lower lip trembling slightly as she fought the urge to cry.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is." Alek frowned. It was easy to see he was upset but there was nothing either of them could do. They had been trying so hard for so long to keep their relationship together and even Alek could admit that neither of them were happy anymore.
"Goodbye, Alek," she murmured as one of those tears finally made its way down her cheek.
"Goodbye, Chloe," he replied in a sad, resigned tone. He soon left to return to the negotiations, his jaw clenched tight in pain.
Chloe stayed out in the hall for a moment longer, fighting to get her emotions under control. She wished things didn't have to end like this. She cared about Alek, but she had to move on. She and Reid might have their issues, but when they were together, there wasn't a moment, not one second, where she was unhappy. And in the end, that said it all.
Taking a deep, controlling breath, Chloe braced herself before returning to the room. Seeing the Mai and the Jackals still fighting, she went to her seat and, still standing, slammed her hands down on the table. "Enough!" she yelled ferociously, finally finding her feet once again. The entire room silenced as they turned to look at her.
Now that her mind and heart were no longer cluttered by thoughts of Alek and Reid, she felt like a new person. A lighter person. A person who had their second wind.
"We are all adults here," she muttered dangerously. "And we will act like it. There will be no more raised voices, no more threats. Everyone, sit down." She glared especially hard at the two supernaturals arguing. Everyone moved to sit, but they were slow and hesitant, eyes still drawn on her. "Now!" she ordered and everyone hastily dropped to their seats. "The Jackals will have their full five miles," she declared, ending the argument. The Mai were only arguing to be petty. They didn't need the extra territory; they had enough money that they could build up, which they tended to prefer anyway. The Mai inherited the cat's love for heights. "If there is even one raised voice from now on, I will have my right hand," here she motioned toward Caleb, "magically dangle you outside this building until you see things my way."
Caleb let out a small choked sound at her threat. "I really wish you'd tell me these things before you go and just announce them to everyone," he muttered lowly into her ear, but obligingly glared menacingly so that no one would doubt the honesty of her words.
Chloe ignored her brother as she continued to focus on the matter at hand. "If the pettiness is over, let us continue these negotiations," she concluded, sitting down regally as she overlooked her subjects. If she was going to be considered a Queen by these people than they better damn well act like it.
END BOOK 2
Onto Book 3: Always Gotta Make it Complicated
by tenshinrtaiga
Disclaimer: I don't own the Nine Lives of Chloe King or the Covenant.
Summary: Sequel to The Witch Uniter. Things are hectic for Chloe now that the Order has found out who she is and her secret is blown at her high school. It doesn't help that things are still rocky for her and Alek and that she and Reid keep getting closer. But those problems don't matter if she can't get the local supernaturals to agree to her peace treaty.
Chloe sighed as she smoothed down the non-existent wrinkles in her black Badgley Mischka dress. It was knee length with black spaghetti straps. The top was embroidered with gold, emphasizing her breasts and below that was a strip of black sheer fabric to showcase the slimmest portion of her waist. The rest flowed into a plain black skirt. Her shoes consisted of a pair of Louboutin black and gold heels.
"Nervous?" Caleb asked. He was sitting next to her in the driver's seat while the rest of the boys were piled into the back of the SUV.
"What? No," Chloe replied lamely. The truth was, she wasn't even thinking about the Negotiations. She knew that she had to get her head in the game, but her mind was still on Alek and Reid.
Her brothers had been no help on that front, their opinions ending in a tie. She had gone with the dress aka Reid, but she was still uncertain. Was she making the right decision? Ever since her secret had come out, Alek had been like a totally different person. It was like he was posturing in front of his friends and instead of acting like she was his girlfriend, he was acting like she was his trophy. Like he won her or something. She had hoped that, given time, he'd calm down and let his jealousy and possessiveness go, but he hadn't. It had been months and things were still the same and she could admit that she was unhappy.
But things used to be good between them. They used to be really good actually. He'd made her so happy and he was the first guy she was willing to take a chance on after her fiasco of a relationship with Chase. She wished that Alek could go back to being that guy and she wondered if they weren't in some sort of rough patch or if this was really it.
And then there was Reid. They had been amazing together, if she was being honest. He knew all of her secrets and never once judged her for anything she'd done or wanted to do. They understood each other in a way most people only dreamed of, capable of communicating only with a look or a smile. But there had been something missing in their relationship and they had both felt it. Neither knew what it was, but they knew that they didn't have it. And in the end, they mutually decided to end it.
But how was now going to be any different? What had changed in three years that he felt they should give it another shot? Her feelings were still there, she realized that now. But what happened if there were still missing 'it'? Or what happened if something else happened and they broke up? Last time had been mutual and that's how they managed to stay so close. But what if this time it didn't end mutually? How was she meant to still be around Reid then?
There were a lot of pros and cons for both Reid and Alek. Earlier, she had chosen Reid, but she couldn't help but fear that she had made the wrong decision. Should she stay with Alek? Work on whatever rough patch they were going through? It was decidedly less scary than wondering what would happen if things ended badly with Reid.
What should she do? Who should she choose?
"Chloe?" Caleb asked, startling her out of her thoughts. "We're here." At her questioning look, he nodded out the window to the large building they were parked in front of. The others had already climbed out of the car and were all lingering outside waiting for Caleb and Chloe to come out so that they could head up to the meeting place. "Where's your head at, Baby Girl?" Caleb questioned.
Chloe shook her head. "Not here," she confessed.
Caleb nodded his head knowingly. "Understandable." There was a moment's pause before he spoke again. "I thought you picked Reid?"
"I did. I do. I dunno," Chloe muttered. She had picked him, she just wasn't sure if she could stick to her decision or if she'd change her mind. Her head was filled with 'what if' scenarios and images of regret.
The brunet nodded his head again. "I understand, but you've gotta get it out of your head." Chloe snorted derisively. Yeah, like that was going to happen. "I know it's going to be hard, but you're more than just Chloe King right now." Chloe looked at her brother questioningly. "You're the Uniter," Caleb reminded. "And up there," he nodded his head toward the building, "there are a lot of supernaturals who are waiting for you to come and lead them; to bring them to a new era of peace." Chloe turned to look up at the building. He was right. She wondered how many people were at those windows right now, looking out, watching for her to arrive.
"Sorry, Cay," she murmured regretfully. She hadn't meant to let her personal problems get in the way of her leadership. Her face became resolved as she finally began to focus on the task at hand; uniting her people.
She slipped out of the car, garnering all of the boys' attention. She firmly began walking toward the building, the guys forming their usual guard around her in situations like this. Caleb, Chase and Reid made up her front guard as Pogue and Tyler took up the rear.
She took a brief second to wonder what normal teenage girls did on their Saturday nights before promptly tucking that thought away and entering the building. Soon, they were all squished into the elevator. It was extremely similar to a scene from several months prior when they were going to meet the Mai. That night seemed like ages ago, though.
They exploded out of the elevator car and quickly made their way down the hall. They were already a bit late, although given they were the ones hosting, things could hardly go on without them. They stopped in front of two large wooden doors - the meeting room that they had booked for this night.
"Are you ready?" Caleb asked, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.
Chloe nodded sharply. Her head was in the game. She was focused, stubborn and ready for a fight. "Damn straight," she replied with a smirk, earning chuckles.
Reid and Chase each pushed open one of the doors allowing Chloe and Caleb to walk in with Tyler and Pogue right behind them. Every eye in the room was drawn to the group immediate and those that were sitting were soon standing. Chloe felt like a Queen and knew that the title wasn't that far off. These people were trusting her with their well-being and their future. She had spent her entire life getting ready for this moment.
She quickly made her way to the head of the large conference table and took her seat in the plush chair. Caleb and Chase took the seats on either side of her while the other three took up guard behind them. Looking around, she spotted leaders and representatives from all the major factions in the northern hemisphere. Her gaze paused for a moment on Valentina, or more accurately on Jasmine and Alek standing behind her. Chloe nipped on her lower lip as she met the gaze of her boyfriend, but quickly forced herself to move on.
"Welcome," she finally said after a moment of silent contemplation on each of the individuals in attendance. "Tonight is a night like no other. This night will go down in the history books for centuries to come. I thank you for being apart of it." She paused to give her words a moment to soak in. "Now, let's begin, shall we?"
Almost three hours later, Chloe's composure was gone, as was most everyone else's. The Mai and the Jackals had been sniping with each other over the new territory lines for the last twenty minutes. Even the ever graceful and serene Avia were looking worn and haggard.
"Enough!" Chloe commanded, but no one was listening. "I said - oh forget it," she muttered, slumping back down into her seat. Chase tapped her hand to let her know that he could use magic to get their attention, but she waved him off. This meeting had been going on for what felt like eternity.
Getting up, she quietly left the meeting hall, needing to take a breather. She waved off Pogue who made a motion to go with her. She was only planning on heading into the hallway outside and she was perfectly capable of protecting herself at the moment.
She walked into the cool hall, grateful for the reprieve from the shouting and threats. Chloe supposed she should just be grateful that there had been no physical harm done. Yet.
"Hey," a familiar British voice said softly as Alek slipped out of the meeting hall too.
"Hi," she murmured back, eyes sad.
There was a moment of silence before Alek finally broke it. "I saw you and Reid in the sound studio. Caleb brought me down there and we saw you." Chloe blinked in surprise. So that was how Caleb knew. Then she winced. How much did Alek see? She hoped he didn't see the kiss, although she had a feeling he hadn't or he would be a great deal angrier.
"I'm sorry," she murmured instead. "I love you but I can't keep doing this..." Chloe paused to look up at Alek's face. He was sad, but resigned. He knew what was coming too. "This is it, isn't it?" Chloe asked, her lower lip trembling slightly as she fought the urge to cry.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is." Alek frowned. It was easy to see he was upset but there was nothing either of them could do. They had been trying so hard for so long to keep their relationship together and even Alek could admit that neither of them were happy anymore.
"Goodbye, Alek," she murmured as one of those tears finally made its way down her cheek.
"Goodbye, Chloe," he replied in a sad, resigned tone. He soon left to return to the negotiations, his jaw clenched tight in pain.
Chloe stayed out in the hall for a moment longer, fighting to get her emotions under control. She wished things didn't have to end like this. She cared about Alek, but she had to move on. She and Reid might have their issues, but when they were together, there wasn't a moment, not one second, where she was unhappy. And in the end, that said it all.
Taking a deep, controlling breath, Chloe braced herself before returning to the room. Seeing the Mai and the Jackals still fighting, she went to her seat and, still standing, slammed her hands down on the table. "Enough!" she yelled ferociously, finally finding her feet once again. The entire room silenced as they turned to look at her.
Now that her mind and heart were no longer cluttered by thoughts of Alek and Reid, she felt like a new person. A lighter person. A person who had their second wind.
"We are all adults here," she muttered dangerously. "And we will act like it. There will be no more raised voices, no more threats. Everyone, sit down." She glared especially hard at the two supernaturals arguing. Everyone moved to sit, but they were slow and hesitant, eyes still drawn on her. "Now!" she ordered and everyone hastily dropped to their seats. "The Jackals will have their full five miles," she declared, ending the argument. The Mai were only arguing to be petty. They didn't need the extra territory; they had enough money that they could build up, which they tended to prefer anyway. The Mai inherited the cat's love for heights. "If there is even one raised voice from now on, I will have my right hand," here she motioned toward Caleb, "magically dangle you outside this building until you see things my way."
Caleb let out a small choked sound at her threat. "I really wish you'd tell me these things before you go and just announce them to everyone," he muttered lowly into her ear, but obligingly glared menacingly so that no one would doubt the honesty of her words.
Chloe ignored her brother as she continued to focus on the matter at hand. "If the pettiness is over, let us continue these negotiations," she concluded, sitting down regally as she overlooked her subjects. If she was going to be considered a Queen by these people than they better damn well act like it.
END BOOK 2
Onto Book 3: Always Gotta Make it Complicated