[Alec's POV]

"Alec, I believe you know how precious Lydia is to us. Trust me, she will be the one who can bring us the glory and fame to our family name. And, I have faith in you, you will fall in love with her one day too. She is one of the amazing girls that I ever met."

"Lydia's strong family background can help us a lot. Her family has a very high-status of reputation among the Clave's management. Lydia herself is also a very talented and skilled Shadowhunter, and I believe you already heard about her past glorious record from the others."

"She is a smart and beautiful girl, who awaiting the right person stepped into her life and turns her become a real woman. Just like you, Alec. I know you also the same, you are waiting for someone like Lydia, who can accompany you for the rest of the life. You will achieve the highest aims together, both of you can stand side-by-side and make a better future!"

Alec still can remember all the single details of the excited face expression on her mother, Maryse. Maryse seems has a whole life plan for Alec already. She chose an ideal girl for Alec, make proper planning for Alec, hopes both Alec and her family can have a better and brighter future.

Everything seems so perfect. Maryse thought Alec will be very happy with this arrangement. However, there is still something that Maryse had not aware at all, that her eldest son, Alec already has a boyfriend and he is in love with the boy all the time.

Alec never thinks that the life can throw him a curveball like this. After he heard what Maryse had told him, Alec is truly feeling like his life is sucks!

"Mum, I will never agree on this marriage arrangement!" Alec is shouting out loud to release his anger. He can't believe that Maryse will actually do this to him.

"Why you want to reject? Alec, Lydia is a perfect choice for you!"

"Oh, mum, for the Angels' sake! This is totally a stupid decision ever! Please don't do anything! Can you please leave me alone? I can't believe that you do such planning in a rush and never let me know about this!"

"Who says that I do not let you know? Alec, you are the lead role in whole planning. That's why I am informing you now. Alec, you are still far too young to make the right choice. This is the reason why I am put in efforts and try to make the best arrangement for you! Son, I want nothing but the best for you!"

"The best for me? Seriously, mum, please don't be ridiculous! I don't need Lydia at all, and I never wanted her to appear in my life!" Alec is begging now. "Mum, please… Can we just stop and cancel this funny arranged marriage now?"

"Alec, you are my eldest son. The glory of our family name all depends on your action. Your decision will directly affect our destiny. You should know, our Lightwoods family need stronger supports to reached a higher position. This is what we always do. A little sacrifice is nothing but worth for the value. I need you, my son, and I know you will understand my efforts in one day."

"Mum, even not arrange such unreasonable marriage arrangement, we can still think of other ways to bring honor to our family. We fight the demons and against the evils, do whatever we can to reach the light and victorious. I believe we can use a proper way to make your dreams come true too, instead of using the lame shortcut like this…"

"No, you don't understand. We have got no choice. Alec, Lydia is our only hope now! This is the only way to regain our family reputation!" Maryse said eagerly, which make Alec feel confuse.

"I don't understand. Why you keep pushing me and say something like this? This totally doesn't make sense at all! How come Lydia is our only hope? I don't get it, mum!" Alec is getting furious now.

Maryse looked like she got something to say, but she just continues to keep her mouth shut without saying anything. Alec can see that her mother is trying to avoid eye-contact with him. It seems Maryse is really has something hidden and not sharing with Alec.

"There's must be a real reason behind these planning and motives, right? Please tell me, mum. So, I can make a decision by myself." Alec said.

There is a long silence before Robert step into the office.

"Maybe you two should try to keep your voices low, people at outside can hear you clearly." Robert sends a warning glance to his wife, Maryse. Then, Robert closing the office door and join their conversation.

"Dad, you should know something, right? Please tell me! I am no longer a child, I can make a decision on my own! Please let me distinguish between the good and bad, let me has my own judgment! What we discuss and talking about now, this is MY FUTURE after all!" Alec is at the edges of his emotions now.

Finally, there is an answer spit it out from Robert's mouth, which made Alec stunned at there in a blank mind for a very long while.

"What did you said…? No, it is impossible! No…" Alec keeps shaking his head with an unbelievable shocked look. "I will never believe this! You are lying to me!"

"Alec, this is the truth what you always want." Robert sighed and ducking his sight from Alec.

"No, mum… This is not true! Please tell me, dad is lying to me, right?" Alec asked eagerly for double confirm.

However, what's make Alec feel disappointed is Maryse doesn't say anything anymore. Maryse is always a strong and aggressive woman. She will keep fighting and arguing with others till the end and get the results what she wanted in the very beginning. But now, Maryse is just keeping her mouth shut and remains silent. This is totally abnormal! Must have something wrong!

After a long while of keep fighting himself silently, Alec finally gives in to his struggled answer.

"So… Both of my parents are the former circle members, and now the clave is trying to pull you down and make punishment. This is also the reason why you are so eager to make the marriage arrangement with Lydia family…"

"Alec, we never want to use you as a tool to regain our reputation." Maryse tried to make an explanation, but Alec is looked agitated and hard to accept this kind of reality.

"Both of you…How can you do this to me… to us…" Alec is self-mocking and laughing at himself, then he glancing at his parents with a sad and angry look. The feels of betrayed by his own parents are killing Alec fiercely.

"Alec, we never meant to lie to you. I know this is quite hard for you, but you should know we are still loving you. You are our son!" Robert trying to keep Alec calm.

"ENOUGH! There is no point to say anymore." Alec's red teary eyes gazing at his parents for a short while, before he turns his back on them and hurriedly left the office.

—

Alec is losing his faith today. All the things what he believed in the past were changed in just a day, after the talks with his parents. He is not sure what he should be believing now. Everything had changed. Black and white, good and bad, evil and kind… It seems everything doesn't have a certain standard at all.

There is always a grey area, where the border between the two is fuzzy.

The angst and sadness that Alec felt are getting stronger after he telling his siblings what his parents told him. What made Alec surprised is Jace and Isabelle's reaction. They looked angry and sad at first, just like what Alec felt. But the next moments, both of the Jace and Isabelle are looked so calm, they seem accepting the fact of their parents are former circle members easily.

"So… Am I the only one who acted like childish and immature now?" There is sarcasm in Alec's voice.

"Alec." Jace sighed and tapping Alec's shoulder gently to comfort him.

"Big brother, I will always love you. You know that, right? We will never leave you, neither mum and dad. We are still a family, we're sharing the same bloodline, which makes us closer than anyone and nothing will get this changed." Isabelle assured.

"Yeah, you are right. So, I should better get ready to make a sacrifice and getting married to anyone that they arranged for me, just for the glory and to regain the reputation for our family name!" Alec said bitterly.

"WHAT?!" Jace and Isabelle looking at daze on Alec with their shocked wide eyes.

Alec shrugged and shy away from his eyes to other sides.

"Alec, answer me! What are you talking about? What getting married? Am I heard wrong?" Jace looked totally in shock.

Isabelle is losing her patience too. "Alec, you better explain yourself! What mean that you need to make the sacrifice and getting married to anyone that they arranged for you?"

Alec gives them a self-mocking laugh.

"This is so funny. It seems you guys feeling that my getting married news is shocker than the news of our parents are former circle members!"

"Alec, this is not a joke! Stop being like this! Be serious, now tell us, what is going on?" Jace asked eagerly. But Alec keep remain silent and looking at his siblings with a devasted and despair look.

By the Angels, this moment, Alec is damn missing his secret lover, Magnus.

—

That is a heavy rain night.

The lightning strike across the sky and the scary thunder sound never stop.

Magnus stays at his own apartment and waiting patiently for Alec's calls. He is actually waiting from the day till night already since Alec is leaving his home and back to Shadowhunter New York Institute. Magnus keeps suppressing his emotions and stops the impulse of wanted to see Alec immediately. In fact, this kind of complicated feeling is killing Magnus softly.

Magnus can't do anything else without thinking of Alec. Magnus is wondering what is Alec doing now? Did Alec was missing him too? Did Alec is having his lunch or dinner properly? Will Alec still remembering to call him back or texting him, whenever Alec is free?

"Haiz… What have I become now?" Magnus sighed heavily and murmur himself.

Then, there is a knock on the door which disturbed Magnus's thoughts.

Magnus sighed again. He knows that the person who knocking his door is unlikely to be Alec. Because according to Alec, his parents are coming back to the Institute. Thus, Magnus has very high self-knowledge about himself that Alec won't dare to challenge his parents and just for looking for Magnus, a downworlder warlock recently.

But it seems, Magnus is not really understanding Alec well enough. Because Magnus made a wrong guess again. His Alexander, surprised him, again.

"Alexander!"

The moment when Magnus open the door, a wet thoroughly Alec is standing at there. Alec gazing at Magnus with a sorrowful look.

"Mag…Magnus…" Alec's lips are trembling, as same as his whole body.

Magnus looked shocked and faster leads Alec into the home with him.

"What happened to you?"

"It's raining heavily outside," Alec replies with a very soft tone.

"You are shaking. Come and change the clean clothes quickly, don't get cold!" Magnus snapped his fingers magically to gives Alec one set of new clothes and one clean tower.

But Alec didn't get the clean clothes from Magnus. He is just standing at there in a daze, then looking at Magnus with a very sad and devasted look.

"Alexander, are you okay?" Magnus is wondering why his boyfriend looked so broken inside.

"I need a hug. Can I have it?" Alec asked with red teary eyes. There is water on Alec whole face and body until Magnus cannot differentiate it which one is tears or rains.

Magnus sighed but refuse it. "You need to get change, or else you will get yourself cold and sick."

"I need a hug, please…" Alec is sobbing and begging for a hug now.

This time, Magnus does not hesitate at all. He opens up his arms widely, then pulling Alec into his arms. "Don't cry, my Alexander. You will be fine, I promise."

[To Be Continued]

A/N: Thank you for your kind support on this story. Please leave a review whenever you are free!
I have some other Malec stories, you may check it out from my profile! Much love ya~ ^o^