Chapter Text

Please read chapter notes for warnings for this chapter

Chapter 1: The Gift

Magnus had no great love for Shadowhunters. Actually, that was too mild a word. He strongly distrusted and disliked them. At best, a Shadowhunter would be condescending and treat a Downworlder like an unruly and uncontrollable child they needed to police and care for. At worst…well, you had Valentine who wanted to murder all demon-blooded beings. Lovely choices it was.

However, he did help Shadowhunters for a fee – a very large fee to get the sour taste out of his mouth afterwards but hey; a Warlock had to survive and he had learned a long time ago that the only thing that ensured safety and security in any world was power – be it from magic, bloodlines or money; preferably all three of them.

Therefore, he had helped protect Joselyn’s child, Clarissa, from her father, Valentine – because she had paid him with the remaining jewels she had taken from Valentine when she had left him. Thankfully, the woman hadn’t been completely daft and the New York Institute was aware of her and her child and kept an eye on them. Joselyn had a well known affair with the ruling Alpha of the Werewolves, Luke, but everyone let that slide as he was a former Shadowhunter and she wasn’t doing something scandalous for Idris standards like…mating him or bringing him to Shadowhunter events! So what she did in her bedroom and her own home was ignored although people did gossip and snicker about it.

When Valentine had reemerged a few months ago, Joselyn had taken then then 18 year old Clarissa with her to the Institute for safety. Magnus had been asked to come and ensure she got her Shadowhunter memories back and with that her Shadow World identity as well as her secondary gender. She had presented as an omega soon thereafter. Explaining about Alphas, omegas and betas had been something Magnus had luckily not been the one to do; he could well imagine that Clarissa would have found it all very strange and difficult.

In the Shadow World all beings, angel-blooded and demon-blooded, presented with a second gender as Alpha, omega or beta and with this gender came certain powers, strengths, instincts and needs. This normally happened at puberty or for Werewolves and Vampires as soon as they were turned. The majority were betas; which meant their second gender didn’t really interfere much with their reactions or needs in general. There were born an almost even amount of Alphas and omegas. Both omegas and Alphas could mate with a beta but would not have as fundamental and strong a connection as they could have if an Alpha mated with an omega. In the Downworld all the second genders had equal rights and value; different and with different needs and instincts but equally respected. However, this was not the case in Idris which were above anything else a warrior culture with warrior values. Here omegas were considered weak and soft, unable to become warriors, and thus as such a liability for the society as a whole. Alpha instincts and desire for control and dominance were viewed as strong and tough qualities, qualities worthy of a warrior, in sharp contrast to omegas instinct to care and nourish, protect and defend.

As Clarissa had just presented it also meant her first heat would come soon. During a heat she could get pregnant but it was also a time where as an omega she would be unable to control her need for an Alpha nor her desire to submit to one. To protect her, her mother had quickly promised her as a mate to Idris’ strongest warrior; Jace Herondale. The story of Jace was well known all over the Shadow World. He had been raised by Wayland till he was 10 years old, when he had come to live with the Lightwoods. When Magnus had been called to fortify the wards around the Lightwoods’ mansion in Alicante, he had accidently seen Jace although he hadn’t seen the other Lightwood children, which hadn’t surprised him; most Shadowhunters hid their kids away when Downworlders came by so they wouldn’t need to associate with them. However, Magnus had noticed a birthmark on the boy, the Herondale Star, and had mentioned this to Robert and Maryse. A few months later, it had been announced to the Shadow World he was the last Herondale. Of course, in the announcement and any further news from Idris no one mentioned that Jace’s true inheritance had only become known because of Magnus; because Magnus had known Jace’s ancestor, Will, and therefore knew of the birthmark.

Clarissa had done very well to be mated to someone from such an influential family. Furthermore, rumor had it that Jace was a very considerate Alpha and that the family took pride in ensuring their omegas were well protected and admired in all of Idris for their beauty and grace. Being a Herondale omega would be like being a Kardashian in the Mundane world; Clarissa would lack for nothing, live in riches and wealth and have servants to do all work in and around the Herondale mansion. She would have all the fancy things an 18 year old Mundane girl could even dream of and then some. She would be one of the most influential omegas, admired for her caring virtues and over time maybe her charity work and any Alpha children she would give birth to. However, despite the glittery packaging, then if it mattered to her, if she dared to look closely, she would find she was still nothing but a beautiful and treasured object; at the end of the day an object is something to look at and admire but objects don’t have opinions, a will of their own nor any fate that is their own. For the rest of her life then her whole world would be her family and her home, as it was for all omegas fortunate enough to make a good mating match.

In Idris, female omegas were normally housewives. They had no real power or influence but as they bore children for the battles, they were an integral part of society. Omegas belonged to their mate and had to get permission for anything they wanted; they were essentially property. Some had a good life with a good Alpha who cared well for them; some suffered terribly. It was a part of life.

Among Downworlders all omegas were respected and revered, mated or unmated. It was seen as an Alphas’ duty to protect omegas and ensure they were safe. An Alpha who could not control him or herself and would hurt an omega was not considered a real Alpha in the Downworld and was severely punished for acting in such an uncontrolled and disgraceful manner. In Idris it was the other way around; if an omega was harmed by an Alpha it was seen as being the omegas’ fault for leading the Alpha on.

There were in general few male omegas born in the Shadow World. This was likely because while male omegas could give birth it was more hazardous to their health and because the majority of couples in the Shadow World were heterosexual. In the Downworld, male omegas were in particular revered as sexuality was a more fluent construct when you were immortal and being gay or bisexual was accepted and normal so a male omega partner were sought by many male Alpha Downworlders. Furthermore, Downworlders who didn’t have Angel-blood needed someone with Angel-blood to be able to have children. This made the half Angel/half demon Seelies much sought after as mates for Vampires, Werewolves and Warlocks who wanted their own children. A Shadowhunter would also be able to bear children to a demon-blooded Downworlder as they had Angel blood. However, no Shadowhunter would ever willingly mate with a Downworlder – ever. Yet still such offspring did happen; if Shadowhunters during conflicts with Downworlders managed to get a hold of a Downworlder omega and brought him or her to Idris as little more than slaves. The offspring between the captured omega Downworlder and a Shadowhunter were considered as omegas in Idris no matter what their second gender was and were treated worse than any other group in Idris for being of demon blood, half-breeds and then being labelled omegas as well. However, should they escape Idris these offspring were fully accepted in the Downworld with their true secondary gender and for their Downworlder race so a half Warlock would be considered a Warlock; the Shadowhunter element ignored as if it didn’t exit.

In Idris, the official position of the Clave was that all Shadowhunters were heterosexual and these relationships needed to produce warrior offspring – betas and Alphas, ready to fight and kill. Therefore, a male omega was considered like a handicapped child; useless to society as they were not seen as being strong enough, brutal enough, to be effective warriors. The fate for most male omegas born in Idris was therefore death or worse. Luckily though…few males presented as omegas in the Shadow World and it had been years since anyone had heard of a male omega Shadowhunter.

Magnus had been called to the New York Institute to fortify the wards and he had hoped to maybe say a proper goodbye to Clarissa, having come to care for her over the years. He hadn’t been allowed to see her but he had seen her through an open door; she hadn’t noticed him. She had been trying on her wedding dress and had been laughing together with a black haired Shadowhunter girl around her age she called Izzy and two other girls around her own age. She sounded happy and giggly, looking forward to marrying her prince Charming. Magnus had smiled to himself as he had went on to do his work. If Clarissa were lucky her whole life would be like that; filled with parties and laugher and with her greatest worries being what to wear and what to eat – or maybe more what not to eat to remain beautiful. This was the best omega life possible in Idris; pampered, protected, shielded.

“Ok, I think your wards have been fully fortified now. Nothing will get in here again,” Magnus said with a flourish as he returned to the office for the head of the New York Institute and looked at Maryse and Robert Lightwood, the current co-heads of the Institute.

Robert was seated behind the large wooden desk and his wife was standing next to him. The Lightwoods were among the Elite of Idris and the match between two powerful Alphas like Robert and Maryse had been the talk of the Shadow World when they had mated years ago.

“You are sure?” Maryse asked with a hint of worry. She turned and looked at her husband as she said, “I still can’t believe we didn’t notice Hodge was in liege with Valentine.”

Robert gave her a warning look as he said, “We are not discussing Shadowhunter business in front of his kind.”

Magnus was tempted to roll his eyes at the remark, used to it from Shadowhunters. He had worked for the Lightwoods a few times and they had a mutual contempt for each other but it was a useful business arrangement at times.

“I am the High Warlock and a Prince of Hell; yes, I am sure,” Magnus replied to Maryse, his voice holding an edge of annoyance at being questioned he made sure she heard.

Maryse nodded in satisfaction, “Good.”

“What broke in here?” Magnus asked curiously as he sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the large desk, looking straight at Robert who gave him a cold look.

Knowing his casual behavior would piss the man off Magnus conjured a martini and took a sip, enjoying how the gesture made Robert frown. He detested both the Lightwoods but Maryse was more subtle with her contempt for Downworlders; she was more clever like that. Robert on the other hand was a chip off the old block and came from the same school as Valentine; he clearly thought Downworlders were the same as demons and made no attempt to hide that fact.

“Some forsaken,” Maryse told him and did a dismissive hand gesture to make it clear the event had been dealt with and was no concern any longer.

“Well, that shouldn’t happen again,” Magnus assured her as he took another sip of his cocktail.

“Did you lose people?” Magnus asked because he felt like he should ask that, not that he cared. Actually, a part of him hoped they had.

“No. Nothing happened,” Robert said in a strong and firm voice, clearly trying to end the conversation, not wishing Magnus to have any information he did not need.

“Oh?” Magnus said with a raised eyebrow, finding that hard to believe but then added, not caring either way anyway, “Well, good to hear.”

“Well, an omega got injured who became overcome by emotions and stupidly chose to stand before Hodge when the forsaken approached him,” Maryse told him after giving Robert a pointed look, her tone showing her frustration and annoyance with said omega for this act. However, there was also something else in her voice and in her eyes… was it concern? For an omega? Unlikely.

“Is she alright?” Magnus asked with a hint of worry, admiration for this omega clear in his tone. It was an instinct for omegas to protect those they cared for; it was in their nature. In the Downworld such an act would have been applauded and not belittled.

Downworlders knew how omegas were treated in Idris and it instinctively made Downworlders more sympathetic towards omega Shadowhunters. Not that many of those were ever seen by Downworlders as they were kept in Idris and Downworlders could only travel there if a Shadowhunter gave permission and then only to selected areas. This lesson had been learned the hard way when the Downworld had rebelled years ago against Idris and had tried to not only attack Idris, but also liberate the captured omega Downworlders held there, more than willing to liberate the omega Shadowhunters at the same time. However, the wards of Idris had held and causalities had been staggering on the Downworlder side. They had never attempted a forced entrance into Idris again.

Maryse bit her lower lip in an oddly nervous gesture he had never seen from the woman who had been Valentine’s second in command and who he personally knew was as brutal as they came.

“It’s a he,” Maryse admitted in a pained tone, distress over this fact clear on her face.

“A male omega? How rare,” Magnus said with a smile although the smile faded when he imagined how the man likely suffered just from having presented as an omega. Unusual he had been at the Institute during the attack, however.

“We don’t talk about that,” Robert said pointedly, his tone sharp and cutting.

“I know of the view in Idris on omegas, in particular male ones. A shame but then given that quite a few of your people share Valentine’s general view on Downworlders it is not that surprising,” Magnus admitted, his voice laced with revulsion and contempt.

“I won’t be debating politics with you, Warlock,” Robert said evenly but his eyes were shooting daggers at him, making Magnus smirk that he had managed to rattle him.

Idris might claim Valentine was their enemy but the Downworld knew it was likely only because he had become uncontrollable for the Clave.

“How much do we owe you?” Maryse asked, interrupting the little Alpha pissing match between her Alpha husband and the Alpha Warlock.

Magnus gave her a fake but charming smile and with a snap of his fingers, he had a folded note between two fingers in the hand he wasn’t holding his drink with.

“The number is on here,” Magnus told her, stretching out the hand with the paper towards her.

Maryse walked over and took the note. She unfolded it and read the amount, her eyes becoming huge and surprised.

“What? That much?!” she asked shocked before she handed the note to her husband to read while Magnus smirked arrogantly and took another sip of his cocktail.

“You wanted the best then you have to pay for it, my dear,” Magnus told her with false sweetness in his tone. He paused before he added with more than a hint of sarcasm, “My work does come with a ten year guarantee so unless you Shadowhunters are completely useless my wards should last way past your war with Valentine.”

“We don’t have that amount. Can we owe you?” Robert asked evenly after having read the very large number on Magnus’ paper.

Magnus gave him a disbelieving look.

“You are a race torn apart by your own bigotry and hatred and half of your people hate mine and wish to see them brutally murdered so no, Robert, you really can’t,” Magnus said darkly.

“We can’t get blood from a stone, Warlock,” Maryse protested.

Magnus fought down the anger he always felt at the need Shadowhunters had to address Downworlders by their race or second gender instead of their name; as if generalizing them in this way made it easier to keep believing they were above them.

“We have nothing even close to this amount, even if I liquefy any non-essential assets in the Institute,” Robert added.

Magnus shrugged in response to Robert’s words, not really caring ether way. He was a very wealthy man to put it mildly. He was by far desperate for more money so that was fine with him.

“It will take another hour for my fortifications to the wards to solidify so I can undo my work till then and there will be no debt,” Magnus offered as he rose, making it clear he would do so any moment.

“Wait!” Robert demanded, stopping him and making him turn to look at him. Robert hesitated for a second but desperation drove him on as he said, “You Downworlders value omegas, right?”

“Yes?” Magnus confirmed, puzzled as to where this was going.

“In particular male omegas?” Robert pressed on.

“Robert! He is a Downworlder!” Maryse hissed at him, clearly not liking where this conversation was going.

“What?” Robert said sharply to her before he went on in a more even tone, “You are the one hesitant to gift him to Jonathan even though he claims it could help towards stopping the war with Valentine.”

Jonathan. Valentine had not only come back but had revealed he had a son who had unique abilities; a monster to fight monsters as Valentine had said in a published speech he had given after his return. Oh, yes. He would likely be a joy to be mated to! Maryse got a little credit from Magnus for not wishing that on the poor male omega they had here but only a little; he knew how instrumental she had been in the massacre on Downworlders when Valentine had first been around.

Maryse considered it carefully, looked at Magnus for a moment, his fancy outfit, his makeup, his painted nails. He gave her a cold look back.

“Ok. If the warlock agrees,” Maryse decided, nodding, apparently concluding a Downworlder would be a kinder fate for the omega than Jonathan.

“Agrees to what?” Magnus asked with no small amount of annoyance at being left out of the conversation.

“There is a male omega here. He’s yours in payment if that settles our debt,” Robert offered hopefully.

Magnus’ eyes narrowed in contempt and he almost spat the words out as he replied, “Bargaining with your own kind; disgraceful.”

Robert’s expression hardened as he said coldly, “He’s not our kind. He’s an omega. He’s not a Shadowhunter.”

“Convenient semantics,” Magnus said darkly as he finished his drink and with a snap of his fingers magically refilled it. Dealing with the Lightwoods was if anything a reason to drink!

“Will you at least look at him, Warlock? He might please you,” Maryse pressed and there was something in her eyes, an unusual softness and to her voice, something that was close to pleading…it was odd to put it mildly.

“Fine,” Magnus agreed, mostly out of curiosity to see this male omega but determined not to agree to such a disgraceful deal as accepting an omega as payment for his services. They would pay him in cash or jewels as proper Downworlders did or there was no deal!

Robert pressed a button on the intercom on his desk and said into it, “Raj, come in here.”

A few seconds later Raj opened the door and stood at attention, his hands behind his back. “Yes, sir?”

Magnus was tempted to growl at him on sight; he really disliked Raj. He had met the Shadowhunter a few times while working with the New York Institute. He was a beta with delusions of grandeur who disliked Downworlders with a vengeance. A shame those forsaken hadn’t injured him in the attack instead!

“Go bring the male omega here,” Robert ordered.

Raj nodded as he said, “Yes, sir.”

When Raj had left to carry out the order Magnus asked, mainly to confirm what he had already heard about Shadowhunter society, “You only have one other omega here, besides Clarissa?”

“Female omegas are in Idris, taking care of the homes as Clarissa will be doing after her mating ritual has been completed. He presented late so he was here when it happened and…” Maryse explained, a hint of loss in her voice as she spoke that puzzled Magnus. After a few moments she went on, “We felt it was best he stayed here.”

Magnus took a sip of his drink, thinking the reason the boy had been allowed to stay was because he had made himself useful here; in Idris his fate would likely had been horrible. He was puzzled though why Maryse seemed to be interested in the boy having been made useful to the Institute so he could stay here. Would it not be better to get rid of him so he wasn’t a liability to them? It would have been the kind of thinking he would have expected from Shadowhunters.

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting their talk. All three of them looked relieved at that, as they really had nothing to talk about.

“Enter,” Robert ordered.

The door opened and Raj came through.

“The omega, sir,” Raj said and stepped aside.

Magnus looked closely as the omega came over to stand in front of the desk. He wore dark faded jeans and had bare feet; maybe he had just been training or sleeping. He had a large black worn sweater on with a turtleneck and the sleeves on the sweater were so long they almost covered his hands, only his fingertips showing. His hands were kept in front of him, put together near his waist. He had brown hair and a slender build. He looked…fragile but maybe he was projecting that feeling knowing he was an omega raised among Shadowhunters. Magnus discreetly took a deep breath and had to hide a smile as the smell of the omega hit him. His scent was strong and appealing, fresh and sweet like summer plums or the first strawberries of the season. His smell revealed he was unmated. He couldn’t tell what eye color the omega had as he kept his head bowed and his eyes lowered to the floor. His hair was long enough that it helped cover part of his face. Magnus had a sudden urge to stroke it out of his face and away from his eyes. To stop himself from doing so he held his martini glass with two hands until he got the urge under control.

“Alpha, I was told you wished to see me. How may I serve?” the omega boy asked softly, quietly, not lifting his head as he spoke but he had stopped before the desk so he was clearly talking to Robert.

Magnus wondered if the boy had been yelled at for speaking too loudly for his tone was subdued to a level Magnus had never heard in a Shadowhunter before and his words seemed ritualistic and equally rehearsed. His voice was lovely though; soft and sweet and like listening to summer rain. Magnus enjoyed the sound of it and couldn’t help a small smile when he did so, being instinctively drawn to the voice and its owner.

“Yes,” Robert said, barely looking at him as he spoke. He nodded towards Magnus as he ordered, “Go let the Warlock have a look at you.” When the boy hesitated for a bit longer than Robert clearly felt he had patience for he ordered sharply, using his Alpha Voice to ensure the boy obeyed instantly, “Go do it now.”

Magnus gave Robert a dark look, finding it more than a bit overkill that he had used his Voice on the boy. However, Magnus forgot his annoyance when the boy came over and stopped in front of him, still never looking up.

“Alpha, how may I serve?” the omega boy asked softly, fiddling a bit with his hands and Magnus could smell his nervousness, it made his otherwise sweet smell sour slightly.

Magnus made his martini disappear and smiled charmingly at the omega though he wasn’t looking up at him but focusing on a spot on the floor.

“Hi, I’m Magnus. Magnus Bane. And you are?” Magnus asked in a kind voice, not offering to shake his hand as that wasn’t done with unmated omegas who didn’t belong to you.

“Alpha, they call me Alec but I will obey whatever name you wish to give me,” Alec told him softly and for the first time Magnus heard a hint of feelings in his otherwise monotone and quiet voice, as if not all of his feelings of self had quite been beaten out of him yet. The boy clearly wanted to hang on to his name, to this last shred of his past identity.

“Alec. Short for Alexander?” Magnus asked softly, feeling his heart ache for the boy as he imagined what horrors he had been forced to endure to break him like this.

“Yes, Alpha,” Alec replied gently.

“Alec, turn around so he can see you properly,” Maryse ordered with a hint of eagerness, clearly wanting Magnus to take the deal.

“He doesn’t have to…” Magnus protested but Alec had already turned slowly around in a circle.

“He’s not much to look at, I know, a bit scrawny, but he’s a good worker,” Robert assured him, a hint of an apology in his words for this fact.

At his words Alec bowed his head further in shame as he came to a stop when he was facing Magnus again.

“He’s really a very caring omega. He’s good with kids and pets and he can cook,” Maryse insisted with a hint of desperation, clearly trying to assure him Alec had good qualities that made the deal worth it for him.

“He’s not always good at obeying but he learns…eventually, in particular after a good lashing or two,” Robert half warned and half advised him, casting Alec an annoyed look.

His words seemed to almost make Alec recoil further in on himself and his hands were now almost completely hidden by the sweater. Magnus cast Robert an annoyed look as he could smell his words had scared the boy further. He knew omegas were often beaten into submission in Idris, it was a well known fact, but he distasted hearing it thrown out so casually. Alphas were meant to protect omegas, not abuse them!

“Alexander, do you know what we are all talking about?” Magnus asked him kindly, trying to look at him but the boy kept his head firmly bowed and his eyes lowered.

“No, Alpha,” the boy admitted softly.

“Robert and Maryse are unable to come up with the cash I require for my services to the Institute. They have offered me you instead,” Magnus explained as softly as he could, trying to lighten the blow to the omega that he was being bargained away but there really wasn’t any nice way to explain that to anyone.

“Me, Alpha? How may I be able to help?” Alec asked surprised but he kept his voice soft and low, his head stayed bowed and his eyes downcast.

“Omega, don’t ask questions,” Robert ordered sharply, using his Alpha Voice again to make the boy fall silent at once.

Magnus cast the man a frustrated and angry look; he had always hated Robert. He hated him more now. He was not only abusing this omega but to use his Alpha Voice so casually….it was a disgrace! The Voice had to be used very carefully, considerately, for the protection and care of the omega. Not whenever Robert felt like it. Alpha Shadowhunters! It was rare Magnus had met any which lived up to just a minimum of the rules and requirements common curtesy dictated in the Downworld for how an Alpha of good breading would act. In fact, they often acted more like newly turned Alpha Vampires or Werewolves; driven by their instincts to dominate and possess without any morality, decency and control. A disgraceful bunch all together in Magnus’ opinion!

“He’s a virgin. He has never had a mate or bore any children,” Maryse quickly assured him, clearly mistaking Magnus’ silence for hesitation in taking the deal and wanting to reassure him they were not trying to pass off soiled goods.

Magnus cast a look at Alec but Maryse’s words didn’t seem to effect him, clearly used to being talked about and addressed as if he wasn’t in the room.

“He’s from good stock though; I am certain he can carry many Alphas for you,” Maryse guaranteed him and those words for some reason made Robert look upset and Alec blush in shame, making Magnus wonder what the story was with this omega.

Magnus ignored Maryse and Robert and instead looked at the omega, his expression softening as he did so.

“Alexander, do you want to come with me?” Magnus asked him kindly, gently, wishing he could see his face to see what he was thinking of all of this.

A part of him wanted to add he would take better care of him, that he would protect him, that he would be safe with him but this place and these people and how these Alphas were was all he had known. Anything he said would be words to the omega and nothing more. All he could do was to show Alec, through his actions, that not all Alphas were like the Alpha Shadowhunters he had met.

“Why are you asking him? He will do as he’s told!” Robert said sharply and his voice made Alec flinch slightly though Magnus had to give the boy that if one didn’t pay close attraction you wouldn’t catch it.

“Alexander?” Magnus prompted gently.

Alec stood still, confused, afraid, and unsure what to do. Stay silent or speak? He had been given two different orders from two different Alphas. Magnus smelled and saw his distress but before Magnus could try and rephrase his question Maryse spoke up.

“Alec, you should answer him,” she insisted and her words made Alec relax somewhat, clearly able now to do so when two Alphas out of the three in the room had told him as much.

“Y…yes, Alpha?” Alec said hesitantly, keeping his head bowed, his voice worried and soft and Magnus could see his hands were trembling slightly, clearly afraid this might be the wrong answer.

“Good omega,” Maryse praised with a small smile and Alec seemed to relax and the sour taste disappeared from his smell as he managed to calm himself down.

“So…do we have a deal? Will you take the omega and our debt is settled?” Robert asked, nodding towards Alec.

Magnus was really starting to be annoyed at the Shadowhunter tendency to address everyone by their race or gender only; the boy had a name, he had a name!

“Yes, I will take him,” Magnus said in a strong voice.

There was no way he was letting this poor omega go back to these people after seeing how they treated him! He might not be able to save all the omegas in Idris nor change anything for them but he could save this one! He found it distasteful it meant he was agreeing to use the boy as payment but it couldn’t be helped. Alec would be safe with him; he would see to it. He would make sure no harm came to him ever again!

“Great,” Robert said with satisfaction. He turned to look at Alec and ordered sharply, “Go and pack your things and be back here in ten minutes.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the boy quickly said and hurried from the office, closing the door after himself quietly, carefully.

Magnus looked after him and felt an odd sense of loss when he left, taking his presence and the sweet summer smell with him. He looked forward to seeing his face properly and look into his eyes when the boy felt more at ease and would dare to look at him.

“How old is he?” Magnus asked, looking at Maryse and finding it tragic that in this situation the person who had been a key player in brutally murdering his people appeared the most sympathetic and understanding.

“He will turn 18 soon,” Maryse told him. When she saw Magnus’ surprised look she quickly assured him, “I know; it is old for a Shadowhunter to be unmated but it has been….difficult to find him a suitable mate.”

“Why?” Magnus asked curiously.

Alec seemed to be just the kind of cowered omega they loved in Idris. They had clearly spent quite some resources on breaking him in to get him to this state as the boy would have been trained and raised as any other Shadowhunter until he had presented as omega. She had told him he had presented late so he had likely been twelve when he had presented as most Shadowhunters presented when they were around ten and he had never heard of anyone being older than twelve when it had happened. This would mean he had been even harder to break as he had been that much older and Magnus again felt great sorrow and anger at thinking about what the boy had likely had to endure.

“Same sex relationships are not…encouraged so male omegas are normally used on the side,” Maryse explained, a hint of distaste flashing over her face, clearly happy that fate had not befallen the boy by keeping him in the Institute.

“Whore houses,” Magnus supplied for her in a frank and disgusted voice.

Using omegas like that, as whores, using their nature against them, their heats, their inability to disobey an Alpha using his or her Voice on them…it was disgusting.

Maryse nodded grimly, clearly not liking those places either, “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you send him there? Compassion for omegas is not something Idris is known for and you, my dear, are most certainly not known for your compassion,” Magnus asked frankly, giving her a piercing look.

“We should have done that; he would have raised a nice sum but she was too soft and insisted on finding him a mate,” Robert explained with an annoyed sigh, showing this had clearly been a topic of many discussions between the two of them.

“You care for omegas?” Magnus asked in disbelief, finding that unlikely.

“No,” Maryse said frankly, honestly.

“Just this one?” Magnus guessed.

“He’s our son,” Maryse admitted with a hint of shame, loss and sorrow.

Magnus was left shell-shocked and stunned at hearing this. In the Downworld, children were cherished. To treat your own child like this…it was unheard of. Someone who did this in the Downworld would be considered the worst of the worse and the punishment would be painful and permanent.

Just then, Alec returned and quietly entered the office, going to stand in front of the desk, his head bowed again and his eyes downcast. He still had bare feet and wore the same outfit. He held a small bundle in his hands; his belongings wrapped up in a blanket that had been neatly tied together by the corners. His smell had soured a bit; he was clearly worried and nervous, unsure what was going to happen to him.

“Yours maybe. He is no son of mine!” Robert said sharply and Alec visibly winced at hearing that but it was clearly not the first time he heard it, given his restrained reaction.

“Ready to go, Alexander?” Magnus asked him softly, smiling warmly at him though he knew Alec wasn’t looking at him.

“Yes, Alpha,” Alec replied dutifully, his voice low and soft as before.

“Good,” Magnus said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.

“I will follow you out,” Maryse offered.

“Alright,” Magnus just said and as they left.

Maryse lead the way, followed by Magnus and Alec walked behind him. Magnus noticed that Robert barely spared them a glance as they left the office and Alec dutifully never looked up nor back at him but kept his head bowed and his eyes down. Only the tension in Alec’s shoulders and the sour smell coming off him in waves indicated to Magnus how distressed the omega was over the situation.

Magnus tried to slow his pace so he could walk side by side with Alec but whenever he did so, Alec walked even slower so Magnus gave up and decided they could address that later.

“Do you have anything else you need to pick up?” Magnus asked softly of the boy, glancing behind him as he spoke.

“No, Alpha,” Alec replied quietly, holding on to his small bundle as if for dear life.

Magnus gave him a soft but sad smile. A whole life wrapped up in a small blanket in the boy’s hands…his heart was bleeding for him.

“What did you want to tell me?” Magnus asked of Maryse, his voice changing when he addressed her, now much stronger and firmer.

“Why do you think I want to tell you something?” Maryse asked as they walked through the corridors of the Institute, Alec keeping his head down and his eyes on the floor and Magnus wondered if he was sad this might be the last time he walked these halls. He imagined not given how he had been treated here.

“Why else walk me out? We are not friends by a long shot, Maryse,” Magnus reminded her in a direct and dark tone.

Maryse sighed in annoyance at having been figured out but then seemed to decide to talk.

“The world is a hard and cruel place, in particular for an omega like him but…” Maryse said frankly but then paused and took a deep breath before she went on, her tone more imploring than before, “if you would consider having some patience with him….He is really a good omega. He will learn to please you. Whatever you want him to do he can figure it out.”

Magnus gave her a surprised look. They had reached the front door now and they stopped and looked at each other, Alec coming to a stop behind Magnus.

“I will care for your son, Maryse. Better than anyone ever has,” Magnus promised and Maryse looked relieved. He paused before he added, “I think maybe you knew that when you agreed to this payment.”

Maryse simply smiled at him as she said formally, “Thank you for your service today, Warlock.”

Magnus nodded in response to her words. Maryse then turned to look at Alec who kept his head down and his eyes on the floor. His hands were back to shaking slightly and his nervousness and distress was in his body language and in his smell.

Maryse ignored it as she said softly, “Goodbye, Alec.”

Alec looked to be fighting with himself for a moment but then he said quietly, his voice sad, “Goodbye, mo…Alpha.”

Maryse smiled a bit sadly, regretfully, as she nodded to them both before she turned around and left. Alec kept his head down, not looking at her as she left.

“Come, Alexander. Let’s go home,” Magnus said softly as he stepped through the doors of the Institute and out into the crisp autumn air. Remembering Alec’s bare feet Magnus decided he would make a portal to take them directly to his loft as soon as they had cleared the Institute grounds and would thus be outside the wards he had just fortified so he could make a portal.

Alec obediently followed behind him, keeping his head bowed and his eyes lowered, holding his small but precious bundle tightly against his chest. He had unshed tears in his eyes as he left behind the Institute and Idris - the only place he had ever called home, the only way of life he had ever experienced and the only family he had ever known.