Alec feels as if he can't breathe. Magnus says he hasn't thought about severing their bond before, and he can't now because of their son, but what about after? After their son is born Magnus can sever their bond and keep him at a distance. Alec will even make sure that they go to a different Warlock so they aren't constantly bugging Magnus for service.
He also knows that leaving Magnus unattended and hurt is doubtless the worst thing worst thing to do right now, however Alec needs to collect his thoughts. He needs to prepare to get used to not feeling Magnus, to not be emotionally invested in the man who is going to be birthing his child in only a few short months.
"Alec!" Jace comes barreling towards him at a fast pace.
"What is it Jace?" Alec questions exasperated.
"We have a demon attack in midtown Manhattan."
Alec lets out a breath. "Let me get my bow then we can go."
Jace looks at him quizzically. "Are you sure you can? Your wound is still healing from last month."
Alec rolls his eyes. "I'll be fine. It's just a big, long scab. I don't even see why I still need to wear the stupid gauze." Jace gives him one last look before conceding and going with Alec to the weapons, where Alec stocks up on arrows and runes them, putting a Seraph Blade in his holster.
Izzy meets them at the front door, a smirk on her lips until she sees Alec. Her smile turns into a frown, worry for her brother showing. He reassures her that he'll be fine.
"What happened earlier with you and Magnus?" Jace asks when they're outside. "Have either of you considered removing the bond before you found out about your son?"
"I didn't even know for a while that Magnus is my mate," Alec admits truthfully. "I didn't even know about our son either. I wasn't with Magnus from the beginning so I can't speak for him and say if he has or hasn't thought about removing me as his mate."
"What about after your son is born?"
Alec shakes his head. "Neither one of us knows where we stand in a relationship. I'm willing to let Magnus remove the bond if it's what he wants. I don't mind if he doesn't want to do business with us unless it involves the wellbeing of out son."
"And you, Big Brother? Do you want Magnus as your mate?" Izzy asks, placing a hand on Alec's shoulder.
Alec takes a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it right now, can we get on with the hunt?"
--
By noon in midtown Manhattan Jace has killed ten demons, Izzy fifteen (they've decided to have a competition about who can kill more demons and the loser cleans the weapons and the bathrooms), and Alec has used half of his arrows killing demons on the ground and in the sky. (Who knew there were flying demons?)
Jace and Izzy are caught up in their competition and the demons on the ground that they fail to notice a bird-like demon going for them. Alec is about to shoot an arrow when the demon grabs his brother and sister in its claws and flies away. Alec can't shoot unless he wants to take the risk of also hitting either Jace or Izzy in the process. Activating his Stamina and Speed Runes Alec trails after the monster.
The demon leads Alec to the beach. As his feet hit the sand Alec is able to notch an arrow and shoot it, causing the demon to let go of Jace, dropping his Parabatai in the water. "GO! I'll be fine!" Jace calls out to him. Alec doesn't have time to respond so he just nods as he chases after the demon and his sister.
As the demon flies further down the beach and Alec catching up he sees a hole in the ground. Getting closer Alec can feel something strong, powerful, demonic and just pure evil coming out of it. It also has a bit of familiar-ness with it as well.
The demon's claw is starting to loosen around Izzy as it gets closer. Stopping Alec pulls out an arrow, notched and ready to fly; he lets it go when the demon is only a few feet away from the hole. Exploding into gold ash the demon drops Izzy on the edge of the hole, close enough that if Alec shot his arrow a second later his sister will be wherever that hole leads to.
"I'm fine." Izzy assures as Alec rushes to her side to make sure that his sister is all right.
Alec helps her up and when they stand Alec has a better view of what's inside. It's a deep rustic brown that looks red, and a yellow sphere that looks to be made of gas in the center. "Izzy,"
"Yeah?"
"I think we just found the rift where the demons are coming from."
The energy from the rift starts to tingle on Alec's skin, causing a slight shiver (and not the good kind); the coldness that's coming from it is stronger and the hint of just being home mingles in with it every now and again. Izzy seems to be feeling the same things as Alec as she passes out in his arms. Alec is able to get one final look at the rift before blacking out himself.
When Alec comes to something is under him that isn't sand. It's comfortable and so it the blanket over him, which tells him that he isn't in the Institute. Opening his eyes Alec looks around and sees that he's in Magnus' loft, in his bed. Moving to sit up a hand gently pushes him back down.
"You need to lay down." Magnus says in a hushed voice.
"How did I get here?"
"Jace followed your trail after getting his strength back. He found you and Izzy passed out in the sand; he called me to come get you two back to safety. Izzy was in the other bedroom and woke up hours ago."
"What time is it?"
"Eight at night."
Eight at night? It was only noon when he passed out. Has he really been asleep for eight hours?
"You said was, where is she now?"
"She woke up around four when Jace came in about some mission about the Vampires. Jace went to go check out the ones that were causing trouble as Izzy went to check on Raphael at Hotel DuMort."
"What?" Izzy went to the Hotel? Where Raphael is? The last time those two got together Izzy ended up addicted to Yen Fin, it took Izzy sweating it out for a couple of weeks to even be in the same room as Simon without asking for him to bite her then covering it up as a joke.
"Don't worry, Raphael's second in command, Lily, is keeping an eye on them to make sure that they don't give into their impulses. As for us, I think we need to talk."
"About?"
"Being mates. I know you have no idea if I've thought about removing the bond before I found out about our son, but I can assure you that I haven't. As for after our son comes, I think we need to see where this relationship is going before we decide if we want to remove it or not. But if you ask me I would rather keep it."
An icy cold wave comes over Alec. "You want to be my mate?"
Feeling the bed shift Alec finally gets a better look at Magnus. His mate is sitting on the side of the bed, worry etched on to his face; he leans over and cups Alec's face. "Of course, Alexander. Why wouldn't I?"
A lump forms in Alec's throat. A centuries old Warlock wants him, Alexander Lightwood, a Shadowhunter, first born son, and older brother who has never had a mate before while Magnus probably has had thousands in the past, want him as a mate?
"What can I offer you Magnus? There is a chance I could die tomorrow and what will I leave you with? A son that's half-Warlock and half-Shadowhunter?"
"Alexander, no matter what happens to you I will cherish our time together. I have always been a one-soul at time kind of guy anyway; always falling in love with the soul before the sex,"
Alec chokes on air. Is Magnus saying what Alec thinks he's saying? "Magnus, are you implying what I think you're implying?"
"What do you think I'm implying Alexander?"
"Are you in love with me?"
Instead of giving a definite yes or no Magnus brings his other hand to cup the other side of Alec's face and crushes their lips together. The kiss is the only confirmation that Alec needs on how Magnus feels about him.
"Plus," Magnus adds when he pulls away, breath coming out in heavy pants. "It seems our son and I have gotten used to having you around and he won't let me sleep without you. Believe me I tried sleeping on a couch in the living room and he refused to stay still."
Alec laughs at that. They're about to crush their lips into another kiss when Izzy comes bursting in, Her eyes are wide and frantic, like she's looking for someone. "Izzy," Alec addresses her as he sits up. "What's wrong?"
"Raphael is missing."
To be continued...