By the Angel

Chapter 23

Jace's POV

I wake up with a smile spreading across my lips, just like every night since I met her my dreams have been nothing but her, only this time when I wake up she doesn't disappear. I look down at her, still in shock that she wants me. My arms are wrapped around her waist as her beautiful face is tucked under my arm nestling on my chest. Her hair is sprawled out across my face and there is not a single place in the world I would rather be. If I had one wish, it would be to wake up like this every day for the rest of my life.

The aroma of lavender and cinnamon waft over me as I ruffle my fingers through her hair and I can't get enough of her scent, of her. Every single one of my senses is lost in her.
I'm almost afraid to move, to disturb her, if she wakes up she'll move and I'm not ready to let her go, not now or ever.

There's a loud banging on the door, instantly I want to punch whoever is on the other side. I bury my face into her neck, praying they go away, this is my first morning with Clary and I want to be lying just like this when she opens those beautiful eyes.

Instead of dispersing the knocks grow louder and more frequent, I sigh as I slip my arms out from under her waist and slide out of bed gently without waking her.

I throw open the door half expecting who is intruding on me and Clary. 
"What Alec?" I say to the frowning man standing before me, "getting back at me for all the times I barged in on you, are we?"

He cracks a smile then, the first one I've seen from him in days.
Well, that's an improvement at least.

"Something like that, put on some clothes, will you? nobody wants to see you in your boxers... well except for," he nods his head at Clary sprawled out across my bed, "her," he smirks as he motions for me to follow him.

He better not bitch about Clary again, by the angel if he pulled me away from her just to talk more shit I will start a brawl right here. Okay, that's the anger talking, I'm not going to punch my brother, but he needs to stop acting like a dick.

He takes a seat at the kitchen table as I sit across from him, waiting for what I hope is an apology. "look," he says solemnly, "I want to explain to you why I've been so horrible because despite appearances I did have my reasons. I don't hate Clary, I hate her father."

Well, I can't disagree with that statement.
I don't know what he would hold against him, he hasn't even met him unless Magnus told him.
"As you know when dad died, he left the entire estate to mom, Legends of the fall, the mortgage all of it. This is the first year it has all fallen on her lap but Jace there is something you don't know. Do you remember dad's bitter rivalry with Shadows of the night?"

"How could I forget?" Dad and this man were constantly at each other's throats, always trying to one each other up. Shadows of the night always took home the victory almost bankrupting my family until I entered the ring, we started winning and I guess the owner didn't like that too much because he went after our father. I'm still not completely convinced his death was an accident.

"Jace there's something you don't know, you never met him, I only know because after he died I helped mom with all the paperwork. It was Valentine, Clary's father, you're dating the daughter of the man that made our lives a living hell. At first, I blamed Clary, I thought she was using you because that's what Morgenstern's do they use you for all of you're worth."

He holds up his hand to stop the rage-fueled rant about to escape my mouth," She's not a Morgenstern though she's a Fray, she's nothing like him or her brother. I know that now and I'm sorry Jace. I hope you understand I would never put your happiness above just anything. I should have listened to you, to Izzy and Magness but I'm a stubborn asshole stuck in my own way. I thought anyone who had the blood of that monster running through their veins were monsters, I was wrong, not about Valentine but about her and I am truly sorry."

Before I can process this a red blur is racing down the halls towards the door, "Clary, "I scream chasing after her, Alec quick on my heels. I catch up to her gently grabbing her by the shoulders, she whirls around to look at me, tears doting her eyes.

"Don't you get it, Jace? My brother attacked me, that's why he ran when he saw this," she says as she pulls down her shirt revealing her birthmark. It never made sense, why he was so hell bent on killing me, on following through with his orders and then just vanished when he saw this star. That's why he looked at me like I was familiar, he's my brother. My father sent my brother to kill me."

She starts running again, so fast I can hardly keep up, Alec has already thrown in the towel and is watching me chase her down as he tries to catch his breath.  Her feet are pounding the pavement, sheer determination with every step she takes. I don't know where she thinks she's going but she lives fifteen miles from here.

If she can keep up this speed it wouldn't take her long.
Finally, I catch up to her, before she can sprint off again I grab her by the waist and throw her on to my shoulder carrying her back home.

"Jace, let me down now!" She says squirming in my grasp, holding onto her right now is the equivalent to trying to hold on to a bucking bull. Her strength still astounds me, it's like she's evenly matched for me in every conceivable way.
That's why I have to stop her, I know what she's going to do, not that the bastard doesn't deserve it, he deserves worse, much worse, but Clary would do something she couldn't take back, something she would be put away for, ruining her life in the process and I can't let that happen I won't.
Protecting her means protecting her from everyone, even herself.

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Published 3/12/18