Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As Alec stepped out of the apartment building in Brooklyn, right on time, his phone rang with a call from Underhill and Alec picked it up, smiling, taking a deep breath in the fresh air.  So much had changed in only a few hours.  "Lightwood."  

"It’s good to hear your voice, sir," Andrew said, giving Isaiah a nod, carefully eyeing his still stiff posture, likely from having kept his vigil through the night.  "I have all urgent work that couldn't be assigned elsewhere waiting for you when you get back."  

"I'm on my way now," Alec promised, breaking into a jog.  "I want both my siblings waiting in my office when I arrive, and I will call you and Isaiah in shortly after.  There have been some developments that we need to discuss."  

Andrew's attention sharpened, his hand around the phone tensing, the plastic creaking in the strength of his grip.  Isaiah’s eyes were on him, sharp and intense.  "Will action be required?"  

"Not the kind that you're thinking," Alec said, fighting down another grin.  He hadn’t seemed to stop being able to smile after having found Magnus.  It was like some part of him was unable to contain the joy constantly bouncing through their bond.  "But we are about to have a Clave shitstorm descend on us, and we're going to need to be ready for it."  

Andrew waited for two beats, considering the words, and the tone behind them before he nodded, his lips lifting into a faint smirk.  "Good thing we're used to those, sir."  

Alec grinned.  "Good man.  I'll see you both shortly."  

"Yes sir," Andrew said, hanging up the phone.  Without Isaiah saying another word, he led the way into one of the empty conference rooms adjacent to Operations and shut the door behind them.

Isaiah took a deep, steadying breath.  “He’s…?”  He couldn’t make himself finish the sentence, to hear that Alec had lost some part of himself that he would never get back.  

“He seems well,” Andrew said, slowly.  When Isaiah narrowed his eyes into a glare, he lifted his hands.  “I know how he sounds when he’s stressed or angry.  He sounded the same way he does coming off patrol with his siblings.  No concerns, just focused on the work ahead.  Which, according to him, involves a Clave political storm.”  

Isaiah blinked and frowned.  “That doesn’t make any sense.”  

“No, it doesn’t,” Andrew agreed.  “But I’m to have Isabelle and Jace waiting in his office when he arrives, and then we’ll be briefed afterward.”  

“All right,” Isaiah said with a nod.  “Isabelle is already up and out of the infirmary.  I’ll collect her, if you’ll get Jace?”  

“Oh yeah, give me the hard job,” Andrew grumbled, opening the door to the conference room.  

~!~

Alec tucked his phone into his pocket and started to run quicker.  The sooner he got back to the Institute, the sooner he could tell everyone exactly what had happened.  Magnus was doing the same right now, speaking to two of his dearest friends (that had been willing to help him kidnap a shadowhunter, according to Magnus), about what had happened.  About what they were now, what they were going to do. 

Stopping in front of the Institute for a moment, Alec squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.  He was well-aware of exactly what he looked like, his neck covered in very obvious marks around his runes, and his scent was very thoroughly mixed with that of his alpha.  Anyone who was around him for more than a few seconds would realize where he had been.  Taking another second to steady himself for what was waiting behind those doors, he walked through the glamour.  Confidence. He simply had to breathe, and ignore any questions, or those who would stop him.  

Notification of his mating (and Alec couldn’t help the happy spark of joy that shot through the bond, returned almost immediately by Magnus) would be sent to all of his staff in the Institute, as well as the Clave, and he would send it out after discussing things with everyone who deserved to know.  Thankfully, Andrew and Isaiah were waiting for him just inside the doors, and he met both of their eyes confidently as he strode forward and took the tablet he was offered. "Thank you, Andrew."  

It was easy to smell just how sour and worried their scents were, and Alec wanted nothing more than to reassure them that everything was fine, that everything was going to be fine in a way that he, that they had never thought possible.  The last twenty-four hours had brought about a great many changes in his life.  But explaining what those changes were would have to wait until they were alone and had a moment or two of privacy.

Andrew's eyes widened and he forced his eyes off of the sight of the marks on Alec’s neck, his stomach turning in revulsion.  "Sir!"  

"I'll meet with you shortly to explain," Alec said, flipping through the urgent reports, keeping his head down to read them as he started to stride toward his office, glad when the alpha and the beta stepped into formation behind him, the route suspiciously clear of any other shadowhunters.  He had no doubt that the two men had made certain that he would not be questioned by anyone when he returned.  Stopping at the door in his antechamber, he turned to them both and offered a quick smile.  

"It's all right.  In fact, it's better than we think.  I’ve not been hurt, or forced into anything," he said, lowering his voice now that they were alone.  Alec watched both of them relax a fraction, though Isaiah’s shoulders were still tense.  "We are, however, about to have a major political movement in our favor happen, thanks to what’s been going on.  Let me explain to my siblings, and then I'll call you both in for a debrief."  

Isaiah and Andrew watched him step into the office and close the door behind him before they shared a look.  

“He does seem all right,” Andrew offered, his voice soft.  “Perhaps he was blessed by the angel that Bane spared him any-” 

“Don’t underestimate his ability to pretend that everything is fine for the sake of others,” Isaiah said, his voice tight.  “You know better than most how good he has needed to become at that.”  

Andrew snapped his mouth shut and nodded.  “I do,” he allowed.  “I will keep the faith for both of us that he truly is all right.”  He sent up a brief prayer to Raziel that Alec had truly been returned in one piece.  

~!~  

Alec took a deep breath and smiled at Izzy and Jace as he locked the door and put a silencing rune on it before walking past the both of them to sit in his chair.  Jace might have had as many broken noses as he did (or more, if he was being honest), but Izzy had an impeccable nose and it was only going to take a second for her to-

"Angel's above, Alec, have you been on a bender?" Izzy asked, her eyes widening.  She looked at his neck and whistled. "You look like you've been fucking mauled.   I know we've been telling you to get laid, big brother, but-"

Alec held up his hand to halt the commentary from her, as amusing as it was, and looked to his parabatai, smiling.  "Am I hurt, upset, or angry?"  

"No," Jace said, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.  "In fact, you're disgustingly happy and well-satisfied.  It's annoying." 

Alec took another deep breath and decided to dive right in, because there truly was no correct way to explain all of this.  "Right.   There's no easy way to say this, but I wanted you two to be the first to know."  

Both Izzy and Jace’s gazes sharpened, sitting up in their seats, all hints of teasing and joking gone.

"I'm mated.  I’ve found my True Mate, and we’ve consummated the bond, but we have not exchanged formal bites yet."  Alec said and waited.  He watched the shock land on their faces before he gave them the second half of that blow.  "Turns out you even know who it is.  My alpha is Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld."  

Izzy blinked.  

Jace frowned and then blinked.  

Alec waited a few more seconds before he snorted and raised his eyebrows at them.  "Come on, I know I get more reaction than that."  

Izzy frowned as well, staring at him.  "He said that you would never see him again after he left the Institute, from what I heard.  How the hell did you end up meeting with him so you could get a proper sniff in?"  

"That's a long story that I am happy to tell you at a later date, but," Alec cleared his throat and looked between them.  "I am planning to submit my mating notification to the Clave and send out the information to the rest of the Institute.  Since he, obviously, cannot be my Co-Head, there will be some logistical concerns, but we will figure things out."  

"You can't be serious, Alec," Jace said, scowling.  "He's the playboy of the Downworld!  You don't know that he isn't playing you, just making it up!”

Alec looked up from the paperwork he had pulled onto his desk.  "Don’t I?  Because I'm bonded to him now, we share the same fulfilled mark, and, not to brag, but I have a pretty good idea of what his motivations are."  He met Jace's eyes and let a small smirk grow on his lips.  "They're mostly to get me naked."  

Izzy whooped, right as Jace pulled a face in disgust.  "Get it, hermano!"  She stood up and moved around the desk, wrapping Alec in a tight hug.  "Angels, Alec, you smell way too much like Magnus, he's certainly earning that playboy title, huh?"  

"Shut up," Alec grumbled, grinning as he hugged her back and released her, turning to face Jace and the still irritated expression on his face.  "Jace, this isn't going to mean-"

"Oh for angel's sake," Jace growled, wrapping Alec up in a hug.  "I'm happy that I won't have to share you with another shadowhunter.  That would have pissed me off so much."  

Alec rolled his eyes but squeezed Jace back as tight as he could.  "I'm glad my mating pleases you."  He looked at both of them and smiled.  "And thank you for not burning the place down while I was out.  Now, I have to meet with Isaiah and Underhill to pass the information to them."  

"I want details, Alec!" Izzy called, tossing her hair over her shoulder.  "I'll let you get away without them for now, but I'm going to get those details!  Enemies to mates, it's like a fairy tale!"  

"A logistical nightmare of a fairy tale," Alec said under his breath, watching as they both made their way out of his office, Isaiah and Underhill stepping in a moment later.  Once the door was shut behind them, he sank down into his chair again and gestured for the both of them to take a seat.  

When both of them were seated, ramrod straight in front of his desk, their eyes darting down to the marks on his neck, but neither of them asking a question, he sighed. "You know, sometimes this is easier with Izzy and Jace because at least they're nosy enough to ask what’s happened."  

"It's your life, Alec," Isaiah said, keeping his eyes focused on Alec’s because if he looked at those marks again, he would march straight to Brooklyn to put a seraph blade through Magnus Bane’s heart, Accords be damned.  "Your body.  What you choose to do with it-"

"He's my True Mate," Alec interrupted, cutting Isaiah off before he could continue to think that anything bad, or nonconsensual had happened.  When they both continued to stare, he offered up the rest of the story.  "As it turns out, Magnus had thought I ordered some poor omega under my command to sacrifice themselves, and when it was me that showed up, he was surprised enough that we talked."  

Andrew blinked and straightened up in his chair, his eyes widening.  "And that led to the two of you discovering you're True Mates?"  

Alec smiled and nodded, letting some of his happiness and excitement show.  "Something along those lines.  He'd wanted to protect the omega he thought I was abusing and had planned to go as far as kidnap them to keep them safe.  He'd never had any intention of going through with the deal. In fact, before we figured things out, the idea of it seemed to make him physically ill.”

Isaiah leaned back in his chair and blew out a hard breath, the sheer power of the relief hitting him enough to drain the stubbornness that had kept him going over the past twenty-four hours.  "Well,” he managed, continuing to watch Alec, cataloging his reactions carefully.  “That's unexpected."  

"An understatement," Alec said, snorting.  "I want the both of you to be aware, I'm about to submit my mated paperwork to the Clave and send out a notification to the Institute.  Later this evening, I will be going to Pandemonium, alone with Magnus, to ah, present the news to the Downworld."  

Isaiah started to laugh, exhaustion and relief mixing his head up enough that he could barely see straight.  Alec was not only safe, he was happy, he was mated, and somehow, he was mated to one of the strongest people living.  "The two of you, together?  You are going to turn the world on its head."  

Alec grinned.  "That's just the start of it."  

Andrew raised his eyebrows.  "Is it?  What more could there be?"  

Alec turned his attention back to Underhill.  "I now happen to have the power to bring the entire Downworld to the table to renegotiate the Accords, and in return, their moratorium on assisting shadowhunters.  So we are going to need a full report on how many shadowhunters across every Institute have died without downworld assistance and help - including wards, healing, information, anything you can think of since the formal separation of the downworld from the Clave.” 

Andrew's eyes widened and he looked down at his tablet, taking notes down quickly.  "It's going to take time to gather that information."  

"And it's going to take time to organize a rewrite of the Accords," Alec said.  "Magnus Bane is willing to bring his people, and those from every faction to the table, and has made it explicitly clear that I am the only one he will work with that is a full-fledged member of the Clave."  

"Which directly implies… that not only do you have Magnus Bane on your side,”  Isaiah started.  "You have the full weight and support of the Downworld itself behind you if anything happens to you or you were threatened."  

Alec raised both of his eyebrows and gave a faint smile.  "I did tell Magnus that he was not allowed to go to war for me.  That is in no one’s best interest and is something that I am sure neither Magnus nor I want.”  His smile gave way to a smirk.  “However, if that threat is... seen but not explicitly heard?  That would be for the best."  

"I don't know what I expected when you came back," Andrew said with a shake of his head.  "But it wasn't this."  

Isaiah remained silent.  He’d known what to expect.  Had tried to steel himself against the imagined image of Alec flinching from touch, of Alec struggling to laugh, the spark gone from his eyes as he buried himself in his work, trying to escape the reminders.  

Alec smiled faintly.  "I feel the same way.  I didn't expect any of this, nor did I expect Magnus, or for this to lead to meeting my True Mate, who is a warlock, and one of the most powerful ones living, on top of that."  

"There’s also the matter of how the Downworld views omegas like yourself, Alec," Isaiah said, his voice soft, meeting his eyes steadily.  “To the Downworld - you are a leader, first and foremost.  Where you have earned that respect here, to them, it is almost expected of you.”   

"Which..." Andrew trailed off, continuing the thought a moment later.  "You’ve already done all on your own.  You’ve regularly shown the Clave that you are a leader and have done more for omegas, and downworlders, than many of the previous generations of Nephilim.” 

Alec smirked, staring the both of them down.  "Precisely.  Which means that we are about to be in the political fight of our lives against the Clave.  However, unlike before, this time, we have a winning hand, and everyone is going to know it.  Should make things a bit easier."  When both of them started to laugh, any of the sourness of their scents fading, Alec knew that he had them, and that was all he really needed to start making change happen.  

"Well," Andrew said, standing up.  "I'll get started on reaching out to other Institutes."  He held out his hand and shook Alec's.  "Congratulations on your mating, Alec.  I am very, very happy for you."  

Alec nodded his thanks, swallowing hard, even as Andrew made his way out, and turned back to Isaiah, who was standing as well, and hesitated before meeting the alpha’s eyes.  He’d left without saying goodbye to Isaiah and the weight of that decision sat between the two of them.  Once the door was shut behind Andrew, he lifted his eyes and cleared his throat.  “I’m sorry.”  

Isaiah shook his head.  “You don’t need to be sorry.  I understand why you did.” 

Alec swallowed.  “Do you?” he asked. 

“It was what you needed,” Isaiah said, his voice softening.  He watched Alec, his Head of Institute, his son in all but name, walk around the desk to approach him and he managed a smile.  “It’s all right that you did what you needed at that moment, Alec.”  

“I was terrified,” Alec whispered.  “The only thing I could do was, was focus on getting through it.  And if I’d-” 

“Alec,” Isaiah interrupted, stepping closer to him, touching his arm gently.  “It’s all right.  I promise.” 

Alec's throat was tight and he nodded, dropping his eyes to the floor, taking a slow, deep breath. He leaned in, just a fraction, and let Isaiah pull him into a hug, his eyes closing in relief as the alpha hugged him close. "I would have liked the chance to ask for your approval," he said, quietly.

"I think, after a brief conversation with your alpha, I would have given it," Isaiah said, smiling faintly as he stepped back with one last squeeze, falling into parade rest easily.  "I can smell how happy you are, Alec.  I can see it."  He paused.  “In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen you smile this much since the first time you knocked Jace on his ass in training.”  

Alec barked out a laugh, blinking hard as Isaiah kept smiling at him.  

Isaiah held out his hand.  "I am very proud of you, Alec, in every possible way.”  As a Second in Command, and as a Father went unsaid.  “And no matter how all of this ends up, this Institute will be behind you."  He paused as he shook Alec's hand and smirked.  "You and Magnus." 

Alec breathed out a sigh of relief, and for what seemed to be the millionth time since Isaiah had stood side-by-side with him since he had unofficially (and officially) taken over the Institute, thanked the man beside him. “Thank you.”  

“You know you never have to thank me, Alec,” Isaiah said. “Not for this.  Now get some rest, catch up on your paperwork, and Andrew and I will handle any inquiries coming your way.”  

Alec nodded his thanks as Isaiah left him to his paperwork and pulled out the form that he needed to fill out about his completed mating and stared at it.  Mated.  He was mated.   Alec shook himself and started to fill it out.  It was one of the simplest forms he’d filled out in months, and putting Magnus’ name under the alpha line sent a thrill through him.  

Once that was done and sent off, he turned his attention to the paperwork that had piled up in his absence.  A chime of his phone, a pop of displacement in the air in front of him, and then there was a steaming cup of coffee that smelled heavenly and looked suspiciously like the one that had spent the entire day sitting on the kitchen counter.  Checking his phone for a text saw one from Magnus that was nothing more than a winky face.  

Alec wrapped his hand around the coffee and took a sip with a pleased hum, not bothering to hide his grin.  Coffee always did make the paperwork easier.  

~!~

Magnus stared at the shut door that Alec had oh-so hesitantly closed behind him and sank into a chair that he moved beneath himself with a wave of his fingers.  He closed his eyes and took in a pleased, slow inhale of the scent of Alec that still lingered in the loft.  Even now, he could smell how happy Alec was, could feel it singing along the bond in a constant, low-grade thrum.  He could even feel it in the way that he was more than a little sore after all of their adventures across the loft in the past day.  

He leaned back against the soft cushions and fought down the urge to grin.  Mated.  He was mated.  

After almost five centuries on the planet, decades in hell, and even more debating if the mark over his heart had been a mistake, some cosmic joke meant to make a mockery of just how willingly he would give his heart away…

Now, he was mated.  And not just mated.  Mated to an omega.

Magnus blew out a hard breath, barely able to believe it.  That he’d been picked by an omega, and not only that but an omega who seemed to fit him in every possible way.  He dropped his face into his hands and tried not to let his mind race too far ahead.  To thoughts of what was once impossible - children - did Alexander even want children? - were now, suddenly, possible, though obviously, that depended on his mate.  

Not only that, but once they shared bites, they’d… 

Magnus fought down the urge to burst into excited laughter.  His True Mate, not born an immortal, hadn’t hesitated, Alexander, somehow, for some reason, wanted to be with him forever.  It felt like an impossible dream.  It seemed beyond possibility that at every single turn, the mess at the New York Institute had somehow morphed into a situation that was going to change the entire Shadow World for the better.  

Staring up at the ceiling, Magnus imagined the look on Imogen Herondale and Jia Penhallow’s faces as they found out that not only was Alec Lightwood mated, but he was mated to a High Warlock, the one who had led the Downworld to freedom from under the Accords.  A giggle burst out of Magnus’ lips against his will and he surged out of his chair, heading towards the kitchen.  At the sight of the coffee still sitting there, Magnus picked up the one that did not belong to him and pulled out his phone, warming the coffee up while he flipped to a new text to Alexander.

With a quick snap of his fingers, he had sent the coffee to its proper recipient and sent a text to go along with it.  But now, he had to do his own meeting with his friends, and other Downworld leaders.  His mating was going to change many things between the Downworld and Shadowhunters if they had any sort of say in it, and it was time to get started on that.  Beginning first with his two closest friends.  

Magnus fought down a grin that refused to fade as he thought about breaking the news to the both of them, summoning a portal into Ragnor’s living room for himself. He had had several texts from Catarina and Ragnor and rather than try to explain all of this over the phone, he was going to meet them both at Ragnor’s and, and explain.  

Magnus took in another slow, deep inhale of Alexander’s scent before he stepped through, an incandescent grin still on his face.  Stepping into Ragnor’s living room, he was immediately hit with the acrid scent of their fear and worry and he froze, staring at his two dearest friends.  “What’s wrong?”  

Catarina stared at Magnus, her own scent souring as she took in the scents pouring off of her friend.  “Magnus, how can you ask us that?”  She straightened her spine and stared at him.  “How, how could you?  To an omega?  Who, who you know had been ordered-"

Magnus’ mouth fell open and he stared at Cat, belatedly realizing how his entrance must have looked.  He spun to Ragnor, but was met with the same serious look and sadness tinging Ragnor’s scent.  “Ragnor, you know that I would never, that I could never-”

“Magnus,” Ragnor said, his voice gentle.  “You know what you smell like right now.  Did you think we wouldn’t realize?  Or that we wouldn’t care?”  

“No, of course-” Magnus cut himself off and stared at the both of them, the sickening feeling of wrong curling tighter in his stomach.  “I, I didn't, hadn't…” 

“You told us both to meet you here, that things had changed,” Catarina said.  “Magnus, I don’t-” 

“He’s my True Mate!” Magnus blurted, horror creeping over him in waves at what they must have hoped, prayed not to be true.  “He, fuck,” he held up both of his hands and took a deep breath.  “Fuck, let me explain, I should have tried to explain via text, I'm sorry, it's just so...  Nothing is wrong.  Everything is very, very right, and, fuck, please, you know that I would never-” 

Ragnor stood up and reached out to touch Magnus’ forearm, calming him as his friend and fellow alpha stared at them both desperately.  “We know that you would never force an omega, Magnus.  We do know that, I promise.”  He squeezed Magnus’ arm, taking in the fear and wild insecurity of his scent.  “Tell us what happened.”  

Magnus stared at them, his eyes darting between the both of them, agitation and concern bleeding into his scent before he shook himself.  "Right, okay," he murmured, sinking down onto a couch across from the both of them.  "So, several things happened.  First and foremost is the fact that some random omega Nephilim didn't show up at my door.  Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute, did."  

Catarina blinked and stared at him.  

Ragnor raised an eyebrow at Magnus and sank into his armchair again, looking up at the ceiling.  "Well, that definitely put a wrinkle in our plans, didn't it?"  

"An understatement," Magnus said.  He looked down at his rings and started to twist one around his fingers.  "I, I obviously had no intention of doing anything, but he'd..." he swallowed and hung his head.  "Cat, you were right."  

Catarina raised both of her eyebrows.  "Oh?"  

"Those fire messages I ignored?  Not only did Lightwood offer to wipe crimes from wrongfully accused warlocks, werewolves and vampires, he offered to remove the banishment for wrongfully accused Downworlders."  Magnus paused and took another deep breath.  "Even even went so far as to offer an Exclusionary Note, blank and signed, for me to use as I liked," he heard both of their breath catch and gave a rueful smile.  "Oh yes.  He was willing to face the tribunal from the Inquisitor that would have meant if it saved his people."  

"Lilith below, Magnus," Ragnor cursed.  

Magnus nodded.  "I was made fully and completely aware of exactly what I had pushed them into - and how it became the offer that was made to me."  He looked up at his friends.  "I don't think there will ever come a day for the rest of my life that I do not regret the cruelty of what I did to them.  The only saving grace among all of it is that I met Alexander as a result."  

He paused and pushed his fingers through his hair.  "We fought.  Not physically, but he was adamant about the Institute not being in my debt.  Went so far as to prep himself ahead of time, in case I didn't want to be kind enough to do that."  

Catarina and Ragnor flinched together.  

Magnus winced and nodded.  "I ordered him to leave," he continued.  "But..." he trailed off, wonder echoing in his voice.  "He refused.  Even, even after it all came out.  He went back inside and just... began reading my Clave file aloud to me?  Correcting it as he went?"  

Ragnor let out a startled laugh.  "This boy really is your match, isn't he?"  

"He is," Magnus agreed, his voice soft.  He lifted his eyes to Catarina, who was still staring at him.  Her scent had gone flat, but it was no longer the sour scent of anger and disapproval.  "Even after we, after we figured it out.  Realized what we were. I ordered him out, because..." he trailed off, his eyes fluttering shut.  "Scent drunk doesn't begin to describe it."  

"Yes, yes, spare us the details of that," Ragnor ordered with a handwave.  

Magnus cleared his throat.  "No details, but I wanted you to know that he decided to prove to me that he wasn't scent drunk when I refused to even kiss him."  

Catarina laughed and shook her head, raising her eyebrows.  "And how did he do that?"  

Magnus smiled faintly.  "He decided to go get us coffee.  And then came back."  He paused and swallowed hard.  "He could have run.  He got far enough, for long enough, for the draw to be at least dulled that if he wanted to... he could have run."  

"But he came back," Ragnor said, a smile curving his lips.  "Because of course he did, Magnus."  

Magnus let a surprised laugh escape him and nodded, dropping his face to his hands.  "After, when the bond snapped into place, it's..."  he shook his head.  "I wish I could describe it."  

"Well," Ragnor said, shaking his head.  "Suffice to say, Magnus, that that whole mess turned out in the best possible way."  

Magnus looked up at his two best friends who were smiling, their scents now warm and pleased and relaxed until Ragnor stood up with a grumble and spread his arms.  "I get my once-in-a-century hug?" he asked, teasing.  

Ragnor huffed and rolled his eyes.  "Don't get used to it," he muttered, squeezing Magnus tight.  "But I am very, very pleased for you my friend.  I knew something had to have happened, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined for you."  

Magnus leaned into Ragnor and let the last of the tension fall off of him.  "I was chosen by an omega, Ragnor.  I, if he wants, I could have children, we could have a family, and..."

"I know," Ragnor said, pulling back to grin at Magnus.  "I know, my dear friend.  And I have never been more pleased and excited for you."  

Magnus grinned and laughed when Catarina pulled him away from Ragnor and into another tight hug.  He couldn't smell or feel any anger on her and it made all the difference in the world.  "Cat, I'm mated!"  

Catarina rolled her eyes.  "About time you settled down, wild boy.  You going to go all domestic on us?"  

A happy sigh at the idea of Alexander moving into the loft, of the two of them spending their evenings quietly together, left him and Magnus nodded.  "Absolutely."  As Ragnor summoned them all champagne to celebrate, Magnus remembered the other half of everything that he and Alexander had planned.  

"While I am beyond thrilled to tell you, and everyone else about my mating, that's not the most exciting aspect of this!" Magnus rubbed his hands together eagerly.  “Because my darling Alexander is not beyond using our mating for political machinations against the Clave, and to say that I am on board with his ideas is an understatement.”  

Ragnor and Catarina shared a look.  

Catarina shook her head.  “He really is your perfect match, isn’t he?”  

Magnus looked at her and grinned, bright and wide.  “You have no idea.”  

~!~

Later, standing outside of Pandemonium, ignoring the downworlders staring a shocked hole in him, Alec tightened his grip on his phone and nearly sagged in relief when Magnus stepped out of the front door.  

“There you are darling,” Magnus said, stepping up close to Alec, stealing a kiss from him, taking his hand.  “Ready to make a splash?”  

“Lead the way alpha,” Alec breathed against Magnus’ lips, just to watch his eyes flare gold. 

Magnus laughed.  “Tease,” he growled, leaning in to nuzzle and scent his omega, able to feel the surprise radiating from the scents of everyone watching the both of them.  “But damn if I don’t love it.  Come on.” 

Alec bit down a laugh and let Magnus tug him into Pandemonium amid the gawking downworlders.  Inside it was loud, but the weight of the stares got even heavier and Alec stayed close to Magnus.  “You sure this is a good idea?” he asked, well-aware that some of the vampires and wolves in the area could hear him.  

Magnus tugged Alec up to the dias and smirked as he cast a spell around the both of them to make it easier to talk to each other.  “Sometimes, my darling, you simply have to rip the bandaid off.”  

“Well,” Alec breathed, wrapping his arms around Magnus, leaning in to nuzzle the marks he had left along his neck.  “I think we found out what a fan I am of things being ripped off.”  

Magnus laughed again, tilting his head back with a happy groan, tightening his hold on Alec, well-aware that everyone could smell just how possessive his scent was.  “We did indeed, Alexander.”  He buried his fingers in Alec’s hair and gave a gentle tug so they were facing each other again.  “Ready to set the gossips of the world on fire?”  

“Yes,” Alec growled.  “I want everyone to know that you are very firmly off the market.”  

A shiver of delight and arousal shot up his spine and Magnus felt his glamour flicker, just for a brief moment, but it was clear that Alec had caught it, his eyes going hot and intense.  “I have no objections to you making sure that everyone is aware, Alexander.”  

Alec smirked and licked his lips.  “Then you should let everyone know that I am very, very happily your omega.”  He heard the gasps around them as he made it clear just what they were, and let Magnus pull him in even closer.  

“Alexander, it is my exquisite pleasure,” Magnus breathed, tugging him down and to meet his lips.  It felt like years since they had last kissed properly, even though it had been only hours, and he didn’t break away from Alec until they both needed air.  “How’s that?”  

Alec hummed, swaying in closer to his alpha, drunk on the scent of his arousal and how good kissing him was, pressing their lips together for another long moment.  “Perfect,” he whispered against Magnus’ lips, leaning their foreheads together.  “How long do you think it’s going to take the Downworld to know?”  

Magnus grinned.  “About five minutes.  Maybe less depending on how fast someone tells Oberon.  How long til the Clave knows?”  

"I sent out the mating notification before I left.  Pretty sure the cat is already out of the bag,” Alec said, relaxing into Magnus’ arms as they kissed again, slow and lazy.  

“Well, you know there’s only one thing to be done then,” Magnus teased, grinning up at Alec.  “Dance with me, darling?”  

Alec frowned, wrinkling his nose.  “I can’t dance.”  

Magnus hummed, tugging on Alec’s hair, bringing their lips together again.  “Maybe not, but you do have an excellent sense of rhythm, Alexander.”  

Alec flushed, staring down at Magnus.  “Stop that.”  

“Never,” Magnus promised, taking Alec’s hand, tugging him down to the dancefloor through the gawking members of the club, grinning at his mate.  

Alec laughed, following Magnus through the group, even as he could start to smell some of the hostility fading from the club.  Now people were staring at him with awe and surprise, and Alec lifted his chin, meeting Magnus’ blazing golden eyes when they turned to him.  

“Eyes on me, Alexander,” Magnus ordered, pulling him in close, wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist.  

“That’s the only place they want to be,” Alec breathed, melting into the firm hold of Magnus’ arms and the comfort and passion they provided.  When Magnus growled and yanked him into another kiss, Alec couldn’t help grinning into it.  If this was what forever looked like at Magnus’ side, he was certainly not going to complain.