War of Hearts

Chapter 13

Val's POV

Magnus took Madzie for the day and together the two of them were decorating the apartment. Meanwhile I was standing in the Ops center with the twins and Izzy. Max was coming back home today and the twins and I decided that Izzy should tutor him. I knew Izzy wasn't completely okay with it yet since she was still not completely herself. She had voiced her thoughts to Lucy and I earlier before we had joined Alec.

"Iz, keep in mind Lucy and I will help you on days you don't think you can handle it." I tell the girl. "You won't be going through this alone."

"What about those mundane meetings you mentioned?" Alec asked her.

"They're helping, even though they think I'm talking about heroin." Izzy told him before we heard Jace's voice.

"Shadowhunter down!" He said as he approached us.

"Milo Keytower." Clary says the name of the fallen hunter.

"What happened?" Izzy asked.

"From what I understand, his runes were carved out. Is that true, Jace?" Imogen said as she joined us.

"Yes, after he was attacked by a wolf." Jace told his grandmother.

"He had multiple bite and claw marks." Clary added.

"What kind of werewolf randomly attacks a Shadowhunter." Izzy asked as the twins and I shared a look.

"One who's trying to send a message." The three of us said.

"And get the attention of the Clave." Imogen told us.

"We need to find them before this happens again." Clary said.

"Well, I think I have a pretty good idea who it is." Imogen said. I turned to look at the Inquisitor. "Bring in Lucian Graymark." She adds looking between Jace, Alec, and I. I rolled my eyes as we left the Institute and headed to the Jade Wolf.

"Why would he attack a Shadowhunter when he was once a Shadowhunter himself?" I asked my brother.

"I don't know but Imogen just wants to question him." Jace replied.

"Don't let your new name go to your head Jace. You don't have to live up to the expectations she has for you." I tell him. "You don't have to prove shit to her."

"She's my family, Val. My blood relative." He said as he turned to face me. "I don't expect you to understand because your mother abandoned you and then so did your father."

"And I was almost de-runed because your grandmother wanted to hurt the Morgenstern legacy, Jace. While you were busy trying to find Valentine with Clary I was about to have to say goodbye to the family that we found for ourselves! I would have lost my parabatai all because of my fucking father and his damned Circle. Because Imogen lost your father to mine." I got in his face. "So, no I don't fucking understand because neither of my parents wanted me. At least I never attempted to live up to the expectations the Clave has for me because of my father. None of us are our parents Jace. We don't have to live up to what they wanted us to be, because I sure as hell never asked to be the future of the fucking Circle when I was a child."

I stormed away and I knew Alec was telling his parabatai off for what he said. I didn't care and I walked into the Jade Wolf and over to Luke's table. He looked at me confused but I just looked at the table glaring holes into it. He must've sensed the tension when Alec and Jace walked inside. I walked over and leaned into Alec's side glaring at the back of Jace's head.

"Luke we need to talk." Alec said, taking control of the situation.

"A Shadowhunter's been mutilated and killed by a wolf." Jace said. Suddenly all the other conversations stopped and the other wolves looked at the three of us in suspicion.