Hey, guys! So here's the next update! There's been several reviews telling me that I'm not a very good writer/not being fair because I haven't updated this in a while. I'm so, so glad you guys are enjoying the story and wanting it to be updated, but as it states in my profile, this is not a story on a regular updating schedule. This is not a story that I will be updating once or twice a month; several months could pass without me updating. This is not something I get paid for, this is not something that I have heaps and heaps of time to spend doing. I have a full time job, I have a husband, I have health issues and I have a social life. This is something that I do for fun and for free, please remember that. Even if my stories are not updated as regularly as some may like, my stories will always get completed.

Thank you, and on with the story!

Submission to an Alpha was basic instinct for werewolves.

Submission to an Alpha was survival instinct for everyone else.

Submission to an Alpha for someone who had been raised by werewolves practically their whole life should be second nature.

But Clary's body was stock still.

The blood red eyes were burning into hers and usually her body would move naturally, tilting her head to the side, exposing her neck—the most vulnerable part of herself—to him. She had done it a hundred times, to many different Alpha's including Luke, time and time again. Humans were trained from a young age how to act, and with Shadowhunter blood running through her veins as well, Clary had an advantage. She had also been around werewolves for as long as she could remember, and it should just be a reflex to show respect.

But there was nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Her body wasn't telling her to submit, or show respect, or back down at all.

And what was even stranger, was the man in front of her didn't look at all angry or confused, like an Alpha usually would—like he would be entitled to.

There were only a couple of occasions when someone's natural instinct would escape them when it came to a werewolf, and none of them applied to Clary. She knew that all eyes were on her right now, even though this whole exchange had only taken a matter of a minute or so, and she choked back a breath as she forced herself to submit.

It felt unnatural, and she knew that her mouth was twisted into an angry scowl as she tilted her head to the side, exposing her throat, vulnerable and pale, to the Alpha, hoping that he was going to overlook this little incident even though he was within every one of his rights to cause some trouble.

The gorgeous dark haired man who was flanking the Alpha, clearly one of his beta's, started ordering people to move alone and continue with their evening in a firm, no-nonsense voice. She was definitely thankful for that, because she felt as though she may have a full blown panic attack. The crowd began to disperse, people going back to drinking and dancing, although their eyes kept flickering over to watch what was happening between the two. Clary couldn't blame them, she would be pretty interested to know how it was going to end if she was one of them. Unfortunately, she was completely involved in this, and she just wanted to get out.

Oh, God.

Luke and her mum were going to kill her.

Or they were going to lock her up in the basement, which had been fashioned into a sort of dungeon for newly changed werewolves who still couldn't control their shift in the full moon.

The golden haired man was still staring at her, his eyes bleeding red and not releasing her from his stare. She was still taken aback by the fact that he wasn't angry or even surprised by her apparent lack of respect, especially for an Alpha who was new in the area and needed to show his strength. Well, he didn't look angry, but he looked...Something. His hands were clenched at his side, and he was clearly fighting to keep himself under control because the red in his eyes kept fading and then returning vibrantly. His whole body was coiled tight, almost vibrating with tension as he focused on her.

She couldn't breathe.

Her body just wasn't working the way it was supposed to.

Deep breaths, she tried to tell herself. One, two. In, out.

"Clary," she could hear Simon's voice behind her. It was low, but the Alpha in front of her obviously could hear because his head twitched to the side, his eyes seeming to burn a little brighter as he saw an unrecognized werewolf approaching them. Simon hadn't quite reached her, he had stopped walking, and even though Clary couldn't see him, she was guessing that he was torn between protecting his best friend, and submitting to the Alpha. "Clary," Simon repeated, although his voice was a little quieter this time. But even though his voice had dropped, he must have taken another step closer because suddenly the Alpha's eyebrows pulled together and there was a low growl that Clary could only hear because she was so close, and other werewolves would be able to hear because of their advanced hearing.

A growl from the Alpha.

A warning growl to the other werewolf.

Clary bit down hard on her lower lip before taking in a breath through her nose and carefully turning away from the Alpha to look over to where Simon and Lydia were both standing, looking a whole lot more sober than they had twenty minutes ago. She didn't doubt she looked terrible, the colour from her face completely drained and her lips were pinched together, and the way her friends were looking at her with wide eyes just confirmed her thoughts.

"I'm fine," she said quietly to them, really hoping that she was.

"Clary, I don't think you are—" Simon started approaching her again and then there was movement behind her. She didn't have to turn around around to know that it was the Alpha moving closer to her, presumably glaring at Simon, because he instantly stopped. His eyes were glowing the golden beta colour and he strained his neck to the side, showing the soft skin. And then there was a hand resting at the dip of her lower back and all logical thought just disappeared, her body freezing as his hand touched one of the gaps in the fabric of her dress, against her own skin.

There was this intense roaring in her ears, like when she was under water for too long or all of her blood was rushing to her head and her brain felt as though it was being squeezed inside her head. Her mind already felt like mush, confused and worried about what was going to happen, why her body wasn't reacting the way that it had always been trained to, and now she was getting this insane heaviness hanging over her head. And then all of a sudden that rush was gone, the pressure was released, and there was this flood of—of something rushed through her veins.

Of warmth, and home, and—

"Oh, fuck," Clary hissed through clenched teeth, all breath whooshing from her lungs, taken aback by the intense rush. That feeling that was rushing through her, that pulse of energy, that wasn't from her—it couldn't be. That was coming from him. From the Alpha. And that wasn't something that she had ever felt before—sharing feelings with were's wasn't something that just happened! Her heart was pumping so rapidly in her chest, it was a no wonder that Simon had rushed forward, risking the wrath of the Alpha. To the supernatural creatures around her, it probably sounded as though she was verging on a heart attack.

"I need to go," Clary blurted out, jerking her body away from the man behind her, and away from Simon, because she didn't want to start a turf war between the two werewolves by choosing one over the other, even though she had no clue what the Alpha's link to her was. Whatever it was though, it wasn't something she could process while drunk and still feeling aftershocks of whatever that feeling was.

She needed to get out of here.

She pushed her way out of the club, people were wisely moving to give her room although she could feel all of their eyes on her, and when she made it out onto the street, her eyes skimmed quickly, looking for a taxi automatically. It took her mind a moment to catch up on the fact that she wasn't in New York anymore, and if she wanted a taxi here, she would need to call one, because they didn't just flow down the street.

"Need a ride?" Came a low, rough voice from behind her and Clary felt that heat again, that jolt of warmth through her body, spreading through her limbs. She wanted to let out a whimper; of frustration and confusion, but she bit it back, because she was stronger than that. So instead, she took in a shaky breath, trying to ignore the weird flutterings in her stomach and the pins and needles in the tips of her fingers.

"Shit," Clary closed her eyes in disbelief that this was happening to her, and let her head drop backwards, facing toward the night sky. It was a cool night, and the air felt good against her burning cheeks. She couldn't even begin to decipher the rush of emotions that were tangled up inside her and making her feel so nervous she felt like she might throw up. She could feel him getting closer to her, because the humming in her body was increasing, and the sensation would be pleasant and comforting if she wasn't so nervous.

"Look, I know that this might be really—"

"Can you just not talk right now? Like, step the fuck off. Why the hell are you even following me for? Fuck!" Clary interrupted him with a shaky sigh. Everything was catching up to her and processing now, and she couldn't believe that she had just spoken to an Alpha like that. It was one thing speaking to Luke like that, because he was her step-father and had known her her whole life. But she had never spoken to another Alpha like that, without any respect or regard. She bit down on her lower lip and turned around to face him, trying not to let her utter appreciation for his looks show all over her face.

He was gorgeous.

Sinfully so.

With a full mouth that she wanted to lick and high cheekbones she wanted to kiss.

"I really want to be alone right now," Clary said quietly, trying to keep her voice even but knowing that there was a quiver to it, jutting her chin forward and meeting his eyes. He seemed to have himself more under control now, his eyes a beautiful molten gold colour now rather than the Alpha red, but it was still making her body feel weak and warm all over. "Please," she refused to back down, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, knowing that were's appreciated strength. There was this strange expression on his face, the corner of his lips pulling a little, as though he didn't know whether to smile or frown.

Well, she's glad that she wasn't the only one confused as to how to react.

"Then let me take you home, so that I know you're safe, and then I'll leave you alone," he told her, his voice firm, as though he thought that if he spoke like that, she wasn't going to argue.

Unfortunately, he didn't know Clary.

"I can get home myself," she replied evenly. "I'm a competent adult." She pulled her phone out of the tiny handbag that she had over her shoulder, ducking her head and preparing to send off a text when the Alpha had moved and he was standing directly in front of her. Clary instinctively took a step backwards, putting a good few feet between them, but she couldn't stop herself from looking back up at him. "Look, you need to back off," she began, clenching her fingers tightly around her phone as something to anchor herself. "I don't know what's going on here, but—" whatever she was going to say next was cut off because she suddenly saw a cab beginning to pull away from the curb a few metres away, clearly just dropping someone off. She jumped to the edge of the sidewalk, waving her arm in the air, and driver inched forward, stopping next to her.

"Where are you—" the Alpha began as Clary jerked open the back door and practically threw herself. He grabbed the door, his fingers clenching around the metal as he stared down at her, leaving indents of his fingers. He could stop her if he really wanted to, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't. She looked up at him with firm eyes for a moment, and whatever he saw there, he seemed to realize that she needed to be alone right now.

"I need you to take me to the Riversdale Apartments," Clary said to the driver as the Alpha shifted his hand, releasing the metal door from his grip, even if it was a little bent now, and she pulled the door shut. "Twenty-six Avonhead Drive." The Alpha would undoubtedly be able to hear her destination even though the door was closed, but that wasn't something she could think about right now.

She just needed to get home.

The cab pulled away, and Clary refused to look out the window as they left the werewolf on the sidewalk, shaking in the seat.

"So you just let her go?" Alec grunted, appearing at Jace's side, the pair of them staring after the quickly disappearing cab, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I couldn't exactly force her to stay," Jace replied through clenched teeth, the feeling of watching her disappear making his control slip. His wolf was right under the surface of his skin, wanting to break free, and make sure that she got home safe. Or better yet, take her home with him.

"Actually, there are specific rulings saying that you can make her stay," Alec smirked and Jace rolled his eyes toward his friend. "There are literally laws around that."

"Not helping," Jace snapped and Alec just smirked again. The cab had gone and Jace took in a deep breath through his nose, trying to chase after any scent left behind by the red headed girl, but it had almost completely evaporated in the air, clouded by the scents of everyone else. Alec reached out and put his hand on his Alpha's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

"What do you want to do?" He asked quietly.

"I think I'm gonna go home," Jace replied.

"You want me to call Izzy?" Alec questioned, already pulling his phone out of his back pocket. Isabelle would definitely be surprised that they were coming back so early, although she would understand when she found out the reason.

"No, I'm fine," Jace shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned to start walking. Alec automatically moved to walk at his side but Jace paused and shook his head. "Go back to your place. I want to be alone." Alec looked hesitant at letting him go by himself, but Jace just gave him a hard look. Alec sighed and stopped, watching as Jace walked away, head bowed and shoulders hunched forward slightly. He wanted to follow after his Alpha, to make sure that he was okay, but he respected the request for him to be left alone.

Jace kept his head forward, avoiding the gaze of anyone on the street. It wouldn't be to long before he would be off the main street, because this place was probably less than a fifth of the size of cities that he had lived in previously. His house, the one that had been empty for all of the years that he had been gone from, was on the edge of the city, next to the forest which stretched on for miles. The forest itself was actually all part of the property owned by the Herondale's, so technically it was private property, although given how long they had been missing from the city, it was used by the general public.

He didn't have too much of a problem with that, although he would be making sure that it was empty on the night of full moons.

The girl—Clary, the beta had called out to her—was beautiful.

And stubborn, that was definitely clear.

He liked that.

Letting her go had been hard. In fact, it had been damn near impossible. He had almost ripped off the door of the cab when she had fell inside. His whole body was trying to force him to go after him, every single one of his senses was telling him not to let her out of his sight, to at least make sure that she got home safely.

But he had to think.

And the chemosignals that she was sending off said that she was confused and scared and even though she was putting on a brave face, he could tell that she wanted to be alone.

The first time he had picked up her scent had been in New York, when he was twenty-one. It was four years after his parents and their pack had been killed, and he still hadn't been any position to face the person who he could clearly smell to be his mate. When her scent had hit him—a rich mix of something flowery, that same, slightly bitter layer he had smelt tonight, warmth and comfort—it had thrown him through such a loop that he had fled from the club that he and his friends were in, and holed up in his apartment for the next week. All he had caught was a glimpse of red hair and a petite, fair skinned body a few steps in front of him. It had taken him a few weeks before he opened up to his closest friends about what had sent him running. They had tried to convince him to go back, to find the girl, but he had refused.

He wasn't ready for that.

Despite Alec and Isabelle being his pack, and being a part of their wider family with Robert and Maryse Lightwood and younger brother, Max Lightwood, a mate was something completely different. It was someone that both his human and his wolf embraced as their other half, and tied themselves to for the rest of their lives.

He hadn't been ready for that.

He was still recovering from loosing his parents, and the pack that he had been a part of since the day he was born.

He wasn't prepared to accept someone new into his life, not someone who had the potential to take over such a large part of it.

So he had avoided that club, he had avoided that whole part of the city in fact, for a long time, not wanting to risk crossing paths with her again. He had even gone as far as leaving New York for almost a year, going to the Werewolf Institute that was based in Italy.

When Jace's mind had finally settled down, he had finally let himself think about what he had lost by letting her go in the club that night. Not all werewolves met their mates. His parents hadn't been mates, and they had been happy. Alec and Magnus weren't mates, and they were disgustingly in love. There were too many people in the world for all werewolves to meet the person who was meant to completely balance them out and fill everything that was missing in their lives, for a lot of were's it was a pipe dream.

But Jace had the chance to be with that person, and he had walked away. He didn't think that he would ever have that opportunity again—it was the last thing he had thought he would get a second chance at when coming back to Raven Creek.

But he did know that he wasn't going to let her go again.

Songs this time...Symphony by Clean Bandit featuring Zara Lasson. Holy shit. So completely in love. Shape of You, the cover by Madilyn Bailey. This chick has suuuch an incredible voice, I love most of her covers, but this one is amazing. And the song Shout, the version by Think Up Anger, that was on Riverdale. It's incredible. Also, I finally got around to watching The Get Down, and I can't believe I waited so long,

Let me know what songs you guys are listening to, and if you guys have seen The Get Down!

Did you guys like the chapter? Yes, no, maybe?

Leave a review, let me know what you think :)

Also, I would like to say Transgender Day of Visibility for the other day xx

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