Chapter Two

The sun was beginning to set when they finally arrived back at the Institute. Magnus jumped out of the car when Alec opened the door for him and followed the other man inside. “I’m going to go take over the War Room. Do you want to change and meet me there? And neither of us have eaten all day,” he said, pausing to knock on the door of the Den. “How about I order some pizza and we can go over what we found? I’m sure Jace and Izzy will be joining us as well, especially if there’s food involved.”

 

Magnus yipped as the door swung open to reveal Ragnor. “Lightwood,” the older wolf said, narrowing his eyes as Magnus trotted past him and headed into the room to change. “I see you both have returned in one piece. How did the hunt go?”

 

Alec’s response was muffled as Magnus pushed the door closed with his nose and let the change take over.

 

The feeling of his bones breaking and his body reforming was something that Magnus wasn’t sure he’d ever entirely get used to. A scream wanted to escape his throat but he bit his tongue instead, unwilling to show any weakness by making a sound. The transformation felt like it took eons though he knew it hadn’t been more than a handful of minutes. As the last tingles of the change left his body, Magnus pushed himself to his feet with a groan and padded across the room to where a shelf contained spare changes of clothes for each member of the Institute’s pack. He chose something simple and soft — a pair of tight blank pants and a flowing maroon shirt with golden swirls. His skin was normally extra sensitive after a shift and while he would have preferred a cozy pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt, he still had a job to do and workout clothes weren’t exactly appropriate attire for a detective outside of the gym.

 

He wasn’t surprised to find the rest of the pack waiting for him on the other side of the door. “Well, how did it go with Lightwood?” Catarina asked, her eyebrow raised expectantly. “Was he everything that you ever dreamed of and more?” Magnus blushed as he dropped into the chair across from them. 

 

He’d had a crush on Alec Lightwood since their first encounter in the hallway in front of Luke's office. He’d heard, of course, of the Institute’s golden boy — the most promising up-and-coming agent that they’d seen in years. There were rumors that they were fast-tracking his career in hopes that he’d one day take over from Jia who was getting close to her retirement. Magnus hadn’t cared much for the man at first, assuming that he’d be nothing short of arrogant given everyone’s opinions of him. 

 

In truth, Isabelle was the first Lightwood that he’d met. He’d been sitting with Catarina in the cafeteria, flipping through a magazine highlighting the latest and greatest from the most recent Paris Fashion Week when she’d walked over to compliment his impeccable make-up. While he had been flattered, he hadn’t expected her to sit down and invite herself to join the conversation.

 

Isabelle, as it turned out, was a breath of fresh air. Since joining the Institute, outside of Luke and the rest of the pack, Magnus had found that many of the others maintained some prejudices against them, despite the fact that they were all agents working for the same team. Isabelle seemed to have none of that — joining Magnus and the others for lunch once or twice a week to gossip and share the latest celebrity news.

 

He’d learned about Alec through her and seeing him through his sister’s eyes immediately changed Magnus’ opinion of the man even if they had yet to properly meet. She’d told Magnus how Alec had all but raised her and their adopted brother Jace when their parents had been too busy to really pay them much attention. It had been Alec, who was, according to her, still just a child himself who’d stayed up night after night helping them with their homework. Alec who had cooked for them and got them dressed and on the bus to school, and Alec who had taught them how to ride a bike and sat in the audience during Isabelle’s dance recitals and Jace’s martial arts tournaments. 

 

Magnus found himself instantly enamored by the man he had yet to meet, but when he’d run into the other agent in the hallway, he’d been slightly taken aback. Not only was Alexander Lightwood apparently an incredible person, he was absolutely breathtaking as well. In retrospect, he should have expected as much when Isabelle herself was stunning. Alec, however, seemed to take the Lightwood family's good looks to a whole different level.

 

He shared Isabelle’s pale skin and dark hair, though he was significantly taller than both his younger sister and Magnus himself. Even though he was dressed simply in black jeans and a plain black shirt, he could tell the man was muscled and Magnus’ brain instantly wanted to see more. Their interaction had been brief — nothing more than a simple greeting in passing — but ever since that day, Magnus had found himself wanting more. 

 

Alec was busy — and frequently spent more time in the field than he did in the office. He’d been hoping for another chance to meet the man and maybe actually have a conversation with him. Thus far, Magnus hadn’t been successful in his quest so…truly, Luke and Hodge’s decision to assign them as partners had been something of a blessing. He had been hoping that Alec would stop by and they could speak before they were thrown into the fire but with each day that passed with no sign from the other agent, Magnus’ heart started to sink. Had his opinion of Alec been wrong? Was the other man just another one of those people who hated the wolves for what they were? He could only hope that wasn’t the case. 

 

When they’d gotten the call that another body had been found, Magnus knew that it was now or never. He’d gone to change, slightly disappointed that his official first meeting would be in his four-footed form. That first real conversation was, unfortunately, going to have to wait.

 

When he’d opened the door to reveal a slightly shy Alec Lightwood, well…Magnus’ heart may have skipped a beat or two. 

 

“He’s…” Magnus sighed and reconsidered his words. “Do you know Raj was there as the coroner on call? He was just as nasty as he always is around us. Alec stepped in when I couldn’t stand up for myself. He pretty much threatened him and continued to shoot him down each time he tried to open his mouth.”

 

“So he was your knight in shining armor and now you’re head over heels in love?” Raphael said, rolling his eyes. “Disgusting.”

 

“I’m not head over heels in love,” Magnus snapped back grumpily as he pushed himself off the chair and stalked across the room to grab a pair of his boots. “But he’s a good guy, truly. Isabelle was right about him. He didn’t tell me a single lie, he didn’t talk to me like I was nothing but a dumb animal. He was the perfect gentleman. We’re actually gathering in the War Room to go over what we found and start building our own version of the case.”

 

“Your first date then,” Catarina replied with a chuckle. “Bonding over gruesome crime scene photos and dead bodies. It’s something right out of a romance movie.”

 

Magnus rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what romance movies you’ve been watching, my dear,” he replied as he finished tying one boot and moved on to the other. “It’s more like something out of one of those cheesy police procedurals.”

 

“Well, you are an agent so it’s not too far off,” Ragnor pointed out, though his attention was focused on the book he’d been reading when Magnus walked in. “But you probably shouldn’t keep your agent waiting. Work to do and a murder to solve after all.”

 

“Yeah, get going kid,” Catarina added, pulling him out of his seat and shooing him toward the door. “Go make us proud.”

 

“Not a kid,” Magnus muttered as the door closed in his face. “And it’s just work on the case!” He added, raising his voice to ensure that he was heard through the wood even though he knew their enhanced hearing would pick up his words even if he whispered. When it was clear that none of them would even justify him with a response, he turned and headed toward the War Room. 

 

When he got to his destination, he wasn’t surprised to find that Alec wasn’t alone. Jace and Isabelle had joined him, as Alec had said they would, but they weren’t the only ones. A few others that Magnus recognized by face but not by name were currently in the process of taping pictures they’d taken of today’s crime scene to the whiteboard on the wall. 

 

Alec looked up as Magnus entered and a grin spread across the other man’s face as he offered his hand.  “Magnus, it’s nice to meet you officially. I’m sorry we didn’t get to have a proper meeting before we had to jump right into work.”

 

“The pleasure is mine,” Magnus replied, returning the handshake as he continued to take in the activity in the room. “And trust me, I understand. Such is the way of life when you have a career like ours. Why don’t you show me what we’ve got going on here and then we can review what we found today.”

 

----------

 

Alec knew that he’d be grilled the minute either of his siblings got him relatively alone. Attempting to avoid them wasn’t even an option because both Jace and Isabelle were stubbornly determined when it came to their older brother’s life. He tried not to think about his upcoming interrogation as he parked and walked around the car to let Magnus out. Their walk through the Institute halls was silent — both because the wolf couldn’t speak and Alec himself didn’t exactly know what to say. Small talk wasn’t exactly his forte and he knew he’d need to save any and all discussion of the case until they were behind closed doors. 

 

They arrived at the door to the Den and Alec raised his hand to knock, pausing to glance down at the canine next to him. “I’m going to go take over the War Room. Do you want to change and meet me there? And neither of us have eaten all day. How about I order some pizza and we can go over what we found? I’m sure Jace and Izzy will be joining us as well, especially if there’s food involved.”

 

His partner yipped in a way that Alec was learning meant that he was in agreement. He knocked and waited until Ragnor opened the door and Magnus padded inside before he headed off to the War Room to begin setting up what would become their command central. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number for the pizza place around the corner. He placed his normal order (Pepperoni for himself, Neapolitan for Izzy, and Jace’s preferred — and disgusting — Hawaiian.) He knew they wouldn’t be the only ones in the war room, not on a case this big, and he had no idea what Magnus preferred, so he ordered a few extra flavors and two plain cheeses for good measure. 

 

As expected, his siblings were waiting for him when he arrived. They looked up at his entrance and a grin spread across his sister’s face. “There he is. So tell us all about it. What was Magnus like?”

 

Alec rolled his eyes and scowled, ignoring his sister in favor of grabbing a stack of photos to tape to the whiteboard that had been rolled in. “I don’t know what you mean. It’s not like we could have a conversation. Last time I checked, wolves can’t talk, Iz.”

 

“That’s not what I mean, Alec. Don’t be difficult,” she replied, grabbing the stack of photos from his hand and handing them off to a tech. “And don’t try to distract us. Surely you had a conversation with him before you went out.”

 

Shit.

 

He chose to say nothing, knowing that any form of rebuttal would only make his sister’s prying worse. When it was clear that he wasn’t going to reply, his sister sighed. “You didn’t talk to him before you went out, Alec? Really? That’s a horrible start to a relationship. You need communication.”

 

“It’s not a relationship,” he snapped, trying to keep his voice down so he didn’t grab any more unwanted attention. “He’s my partner on a case, alright? Nothing more.”

 

“You keep telling yourself that, buddy,” Jace added with a snort. “But we both know you’ve had a crush on Magnus Bane since you ran into him in the hall.”

 

“He’s a wolf, Jace, and I’m not. Even if I did have a ‘crush’ on Magnus Bane, it couldn’t work between us.”

 

“Why not? Really, Alec, you sound like Mom and Dad. I know you’re better than that. What could possibly be the reasoning behind that? I had a thing with Raphael for a while. Sure, our parents were pissed but I’m an adult and what I do with my life really isn’t their concern anymore,” Isabelle argued.

 

“That’s different, alright?” Alec replied, shoving his hands in his pockets so he didn’t wring them as his anxiety began to rise. “I’ve had my whole life planned out for me since the day I was born. Study hard, work hard, become the top of my class, become an agent, start a family, and eventually become the Head of the Institute, and then the Director. Even if I did want to date Magnus, I can’t ever have what I want. It would ruin the plan and it would bring shame to our family. I can’t have that.”

 

His sister’s face softened at his words and he could tell that she knew their conversation was taking a different path than she’d previously expected. “Alec — forget whatever Mom and Dad want for you. You’re an adult — it’s your life and you deserve to be happy. What would you say if Jace or I were in your shoes? You wouldn’t let us just…give in. You’d want us to fight for what we want so why can’t you?”

 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push back his anger and frustration. There was no way his siblings would ever truly understand. “Because I’m the oldest. It’s different.”

 

“Alec—“ Isabelle started. Alec held up a finger to stop her before she could say anything further. 

 

“No, Iz. Now is not the time or place, alright? We just came from a crime scene. There’s a serial killer on the loose - people have already died and more people are in danger. Catching the Runecarver has to be my top priority. I can’t afford to let anything distract me,” he argued weakly. Besides, even if Magnus was interested in him and Alec’s own parents wouldn’t actually disown him for dating a man, he was sure there were rules and regulations regarding fraternizing with a coworker.

 

Alec sighed and rubbed his eyes, wondering how he was going to keep his siblings from pushing the issue further when the door to the War Room opened and his eyes snapped to the front. Magnus Bane, now on two feet instead of four, was just as breathtaking as Alec remembered him to be from their first encounter in the hallway. He was dressed much more simply than he’d been that first day. There was no glitter and jewelry, this time, save for the oversized collar that hung loosely around his neck that Alec figured was less of a fashion statement and more like he had forgotten to remove it when he shifted back. The other man hesitated in the doorway as his eyes fell on Alec and his siblings. He seemed apprehensive about barging into somewhere he shouldn’t be, even though he’d clearly been invited earlier. 

 

Alec nodded his head to invite him over and a grin spread across his partner’s face as he joined them at the table. He offered his hand. “Magnus, it’s nice to meet you officially. I’m sorry we didn’t get to have a proper meeting before we had to jump right into work.”

 

“The pleasure is mine. And trust me, I understand. Such is the way of life when you have a career like ours. Why don’t you show me what we’ve got going on here and then we can review what we found today.”

 

Alec motioned to the whiteboards he’d started to assemble earlier. “These are the previous case files, notable finds from the case, the location and date the body was found, the identity of the victim if we’ve been able to identify them, and any links that we’ve found, though not including today’s scene, I’m starting to feel that was more grasping at straws than anything,” he explained with a sigh, handing Magnus a stack of photos they’d taken today so they could begin to pin them on the board. “I’ve got some techs bringing up the boxes of the full case files and any research that was done before they pulled us into this mess. And, like I promised, pizza is on its way. I can already tell it’s going to be a long night for us.”

 

Magnus followed Alec to the board and helped him tape up the pictures from today’s scene. “Anything on who our victim is yet?” 

 

Alec shook his head. “Not yet but there’s a lot of homeless people in the area. We’ve got people asking around but…”

 

“But they might not tell us even if they knew,” Magnus finished, taking a step back to take in the entire board at once.

 

He said nothing for a moment as he studied each of the previous crime scenes before his eyes finally settled on the last one. “The symbols are different.”

 

“They’ve been different each time,” Alec replied with a sigh. “And we’ve yet to determine what sort of symbols they are. I thought they bore some resemblance to Nordic runes but I think I’ve poured over dozens of books and I can’t quite find any that match the ones on the circle completely.”

 

“I had the same thoughts,” Magnus responded. “I had Ragnor take a look — he used to be an anthropology professor before he came out about his lycanthropy. While he didn’t know himself, he does still have some contacts who haven’t shunned him for what he is that he can discreetly ask. Maybe one of them can point us in the right direction. I do think finding the meaning of the symbols should be one of our priorities. My instincts tell me if we can at least pinpoint where these derive from, we’ll be able to learn more about the unsub’s priorities…and what he’s hoping to accomplish here.”

 

“I agree,” Alec answered with a smile. “I started to list them out and tried to get some sort of order to them.” He shuffled through the folders on the table once more and handed Magnus a plain manilla folder. “Of course, it’s a circle so there really isn’t a top or bottom so I worked under the assumption that the ‘top' would be where 12 is on a clock and went clockwise. It always starts with this one—” he pointed toward the winged V shape on the first paper in the stack. “Between the first and second scenes, only one symbol changed. Same with the second and the third and so on. That cycle breaks when you get to the body that we found today. Three symbols change and one that’s always ‘started’ the sequence is now at the end.”

 

“It’s like he just kept trying when he didn’t get the results that he was looking for,” Magnus mumbled, grabbing a marker so that he could add the symbols to a free section of the whiteboard. When he was done, he turned back to Alec with a sigh. “I’m no expert in cryptology. Hell, before my change, my intention was to go to school for fashion design, but this doesn’t look like a coded message to me. These symbols are here with a purpose.”

 

“That’s what Alec said as well when he first showed us the pictures,” Isabelle added helpfully. “Solving puzzles is a bit of a special skill of his. He’s weirdly good at it.”

 

Alec blushed at his sister’s words. “It’s a hobby, nothing more. I just like to challenge myself. That said, I agree that it just doesn’t feel like it’s trying to send a message to me.”

 

There was a knock at the door and Alec turned his head in time to see Simon from the Tech department carrying the pizzas he’d ordered earlier. “I hope you intend to share, Lightwood,” the younger man replied as he set his precious cargo on the table. “Because this smells delicious. Tell me, how can a lowly nerd  earn a slice?”

 

Alec rolled his eyes. “Sit down and join us. More help certainly couldn’t hurt and you have a lot of weirdly obscure knowledge about random topics that may just prove useful.”

 

----------

 

Six hours and far more barely palatable cups of coffee than Magnus would like to admit, the entire team’s productivity was beginning to wane. They’d been at this nearly all day and they were no closer to finding anything remotely relevant to finding their killer. Magnus stifled a yawn though it didn’t go unnoticed by his partner who glanced over at him with a frown. “I think Magnus is right,” Alec said with a sigh. “We should call it here for now and get started again tomorrow with a fresh perspective. We’re only hurting ourselves at this point.”

 

It didn’t take long for their group to disperse from the room. When only the two of them remained, Magnus gave his partner a tired smile. “You didn’t have to call it quits for me. As long as there is coffee, I can power through like the rest of the team.”

 

“I…did some reading when I first learned we were partnered up because I have to admit I didn’t know much about werewolves. I wanted to be prepared because I didn’t want to do or say something stupid. What I found online said that, uh, shifting?” Alec asked, stumbling over the word and pausing to wait for Magnus’ approval on his phrasing before he continued. “It said that it would be exhausting. We’ve been at this all day. I didn’t have to do what you did and even I’m feeling it catching up with me. You should rest. We both should.”

 

Before Magnus could say anything, Alec furrowed his brow. “Shit. I just realized - we haven’t gone over what you found at today’s crime scene. I’ve been so focused on what I saw and the links between the previous ones…I didn’t even think to ask. I’m so sorry, Magnus. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

 

“It’s fine, Alexander,” Magnus replied, reaching out and giving the man’s arm a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t think you were and, if we’re being completely honest, I wasn’t thinking much of it either. I was just as much a part of the discussion as you were. Besides, this probably works out for the better. There were a few things that I came across while I was sniffing around that I don’t fully understand. I want to speak with Luke and the others first to make sure I fully understand what I think I was picking up. I didn’t quite have a chance to do it when I shifted back because I was in a bit of a rush to get back here.”

 

Magnus wasn’t sure why, but Alec blushed at his response. “Nothing serious I hope? We can bring everyone back if you think it can’t wait until the morning. I’m sure Luke wouldn’t mind a middle-of-the-night wake-up call if it meant we were that much closer to catching this guy.”

 

He shook his head. “No, it’s not that important…and even if we did wake Luke up tonight, I’m not sure it’s going to put us any closer to finding out who our culprit is. Well, at least not immediately.”

 

Alec studied him for a moment before Magnus raised an eyebrow in turn. His partner sighed. “Alright, you’re the expert here. If you think it can wait until morning, I believe you.” He glanced around the room once, making sure that everything was okay to be left for the night before strolling toward the door. Magnus had to jog a few steps to catch up to him. “Do you want a ride home? And I can pick you up in the morning too if you’d like.”

 

“I live here, remember? The Den is my home.”

 

His partner froze and Magnus watched as embarrassment spread across his face. “Oh…right. Uh, how about I bring us coffee then and we can meet back here at 8 AM? Real coffee, I mean, not this stuff the agency likes to pass off as coffee. How do you take it?”

 

Magnus grinned. “Caramel and as much caffeine as they can possibly put in it. You would be a god among men, Alexander. If I have to drink just one more cup of the mud they give us here, I think I’ll just keel over and die.”

 

His dramatics had the intended effect and Alec chuckled. “Well, we can’t have that. I’ll make sure to grab you the most disgustingly caramel and caffeinated drink that I can find.” He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and shoved it in Magnus’ hand. “Give me your number and I’ll text you in the morning when I’m on my way over. Fair warning, I’m a bit of an early-riser. I won’t message you before dawn but I’ll be awake. I’ll probably get here early too but don’t feel obligated to get out of bed before you normally would.”

 

“Well, as it turns out, Luke likes to get us up early in the morning to go for some extra training. He says we need to keep in shape and can’t just rely on the extra speed and strength that being a wolf gives us.”

 

“Well, maybe if he doesn’t mind, I’ll have to join you sometime. I like to start my morning by going for a jog — it helps clear my mind and get me ready for the day ahead.” Magnus handed Alec his phone back and the other man grinned. “I’ll see you bright and early then, Mr. Bane.”

 

“Bright and early,” Magnus agreed as the two of them parted ways and he headed back to the Den to crash for a couple of hours before he could begin processing the events earlier that day.”

 

----------

 

Magnus grunted as Raphael’s elbow slammed into his ribs in a blow that he easily could have avoided if his mind hadn’t been other places. “What’s gotten into you this morning?” The other wolf growled, jabbing an accusatory finger into Magnus’ chest. “You’re usually better than this. You’re the fastest out of all of us. You could have easily avoided that — I wasn’t even trying that hard to hit you.”

 

“Sorry,” Magnus replied, straightening up with a wince as he felt the enhanced healing that came with being a wolf start to work on the fracture that his packmate had made to his ribs moments ago. “I’m afraid my focus is rather shot this morning.”

 

“Cut him some slack, Raphael,” Catarina snapped, crossing her arms and staring the younger wolf down. “He didn’t get in until nearly two last night and he spent all day processing a crime scene and trying to find a serial killer. You know this.”

 

“Catarina is right, Raphael,” Luke added, giving the other man that look that made Magnus want to roll over even knowing it wasn’t directed at him. “How was your first day on your first major case, kiddo?”

 

Magnus bit back a scowl at the nickname. “Actually, that’s why my mind was elsewhere. I wanted to pick your brains about something rather odd at yesterday’s crime scene.”

 

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Ragnor added as he joined the small group that had gathered in the center of the room and held out a bottle of water to Magnus. “Tell us what’s on your mind.”

 

He took a sip of water, using the extra few seconds to gather his thoughts. “I know evil has a smell,” he started slowly. “This isn’t my first case. I’ve come across it in other scenes before but something was different about this one. It was… I don’t know. It’s hard to describe. It was cold and felt…heavy. Even though I was in that room with a dozen armed agents, my wolf’s every instinct was screaming to run far, far away.”

 

“Well, that makes sense to me,” Catarina said gently and her scent told Magnus that she was trying to be gentle and motherly toward him. Her wolf liked to care for those around her, it’s what made her such an important member of the pack. “The cases you’ve worked before have been a few missing persons, an armed robbery or two, a couple of homicides. One body makes you a killer but not a serial killer. It takes a truly dark person to slaughter people time and time again. Their individual scent would reflect that.”

 

“I get that but this was…this was something more. You said it takes someone with darkness in them to commit those murders but this isn’t just darkness. It’s almost like I can smell the void. It’s deeper than darkness and it’s cold and heavy and dangerous. I’m afraid that it’s something…more than just a serial killer that we’re after.”

 

“And what exactly is it that you think is responsible for that scent?” Ragnor asked.

 

Magnus shook his head. “I don’t know. I just know…it’s not going to be good when we finally find it. But I’ve been thinking — If werewolves can exist, if we’re real, why not…other things?”

 

Raphael snorted and crossed his arms. “Please tell me you’re not about to suggest Cthulhu or some shit is responsible for the bodies that have been found just because your nose doesn’t understand what it’s smelling.”

 

“I mean, Magnus makes a point,” Luke said plainly and Magnus knew he was trying to stop an argument between the five of them before it even started. “There’s plenty out there that could be hidden to us. We didn’t know werewolves existed before we were turned ourselves, and the majority of humans weren’t aware of our existence until we revealed ourselves to them. Plenty of our people are still hiding, afraid of the repercussions of sharing who they truly are. Whose to say other creatures or species aren’t doing the same?”

 

“If that’s the case,” Magnus continued, slightly relieved that the majority of the group wasn’t just calling him crazy for his rather outrageous statement. “I have no idea what to expect…what we’re up against. We don’t know how to handle vampires or dragons or demons, or a pack of flesh-eating songbird-sized fairies. There’s no manual on dealing with the supernatural outside of, well, us and we had to write that one ourselves.”

 

“We do the only thing we can do then, my dear boy. We cross that bridge when we come to it. If you truly believe the murders from your case are as a result of something other than it doesn’t hurt to get a head start on the research. Cat and I aren’t doing the groundwork with you and I haven’t had a good research project for a while. I will gladly lend my services on putting together some literature of possible creatures that might be culprits.”

 

Catarina groaned. “I’m only doing this for you, Magnus. I hate having my nose in a book for hours on end.”
 

“And I’m not saying you need to but it couldn’t hurt to be prepared. I could be wrong and hell, I hope I am, but my instincts tell me that this is something very, very different from what we’ve seen before.”

 

“We believe you, Magnus,” Luke replied, clapping hand on the younger wolf’s shoulder. “Are you planning on telling your partner this new theory of yours?”

 

He shook his head. “No, not yet. Maybe if we find something concrete. We don’t need to start this partnership with him thinking I’m crazy.”

 

Catarina snorted. “Crazier than you already are, you mean.”

 

Magnus growled in response and Luke laughed. “Alright, kids, that’s enough. Let’s call it quits for today so that Magnus’ ribs can heal and he and Alec can get back to work.”

 

----------

 

When Alec pushed open the door to the War Room the next morning, he didn’t expect to find Magnus already ready and waiting for him. The shorter man was bent over the table, staring intently at a circle of photos laid out in front of him. He turned at the sound of Alec’s arrival as a grin spread across his face. “Alexander, if that truly delectable smelling beverage is for me, you will truly be a god among men.”

 

Alec laughed as he handed over the beverage. “Large, Caramel, whipped cream with drizzle and three extra shots of espresso. I hope you don’t plan on sleeping any time soon because that drink has enough caffeine to wake the dead. The barista looked at me like I’d grown a second head when I ordered it. I’m pretty sure they’ll be talking about the horror they had to make for the rest of the day,” Alec replied, setting down his own drink and handing a paper bag over to Magnus. “I also got pastries but I wasn’t sure what you liked. My favorite from there is the triple chocolate one but I wasn’t sure if you could eat those or not so I got a little bit of everything.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be able to eat chocolate? It’s one of my favorite flavors, next to caramel, of course.”

 

He knew that Magnus wasn’t judging him for his lack of knowledge or the question but he still couldn’t help the blush that rose to his face. “It’s just…dogs can’t have chocolate and I didn’t know if that applied to wolves too. I’m sorry, it was a mistake. I didn’t mean to insult you in any way.”

 

“Alec,” Magnus started, grabbing Alec’s arm to keep him in place as he started to turn away. “Your concern is appreciated but no, werewolves do not share the same dietary restrictions as our four-footed cousins. I for one love chocolate and don’t even want to think of a world where one of life’s greatest gifts would be kept from me. I would surely die if I couldn’t partake in the wonders of the after Valentine’s Day candy sale.”

 

Alec snorted and rolled his eyes, all the previous anxiety that he’d had about his question instantly gone with Magnus’ dramatics. “I’m sure you’d find a way to keep on living, chocolate or not. I do recommend the triple chocolate muffin in that case. What are you doing here this early, by the way? I’m early and I thought for sure I’d beat you here. Didn’t you have training this morning?”

 

“Luke cut it short today,” he answered in between a bite of the muffin. “I’m afraid my mind was elsewhere and Raphael got a blow in. Even though broken ribs are far from the worst injury I’ve had to heal from, it still was better for me to not make it worse while my body starts to fix the damage.”

 

Alec’s eyes scanned over Magnus’ looking for any sign of the aforementioned injury. He’d had his own fair share of broken ribs throughout the course of his career — he knew how much they hurt and how dangerous they could be if left unintended. “You should be resting,” Alec started to say. “I can have Jace and Izzy come back in and help. You—”

 

“Alexander, I promise you that I’m fine. There’s a lot to be said for enhanced werewolf healing. The fracture wasn’t severe and the bones probably have already stitched themselves back together by now.”

 

Alec didn’t know much about how quickly werewolves actually healed but he knew that he’d have to take Magnus’ word for it; however, every protective instinct in his body was sounding the alarm. “Can you please at least sit down? You just admitted you broke ribs this morning and that you’re still healing. I don’t need Raphael coming after me because I let you get even more injured. I can already tell he doesn’t like me. I don’t need to give him even more of a reason to hate me.”

 

“Raphael doesn’t like anyone, it’s not just you, and it would be Catarina who’d be coming after you since she used to be a nurse,” Magnus replied as Alec pulled out a chair for him and gave him a pointed look. “Alright, alright. Your wish is my command. My back was starting to hurt anyway.”

 

Alec nearly sighed in relief as Magnus took a seat. “So what have you been working on this morning? You were staring at those photos quite intently when I came in.”

 

“There were a few things that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about with yesterday’s crime scene. Those claw marks for one,” he replied, picking up the first photo and handing it over to Alec. “Do you see how wide they are?”

 

“You indicated yesterday that you didn’t think a werewolf made them.” Now that Magnus could speak back, he expected to learn a lot about yesterday that he hadn’t noticed because his human senses weren’t up to snuff. He hadn’t realized they were as large as they were but now that Magnus had pointed it out, he couldn’t see anything else. “Whoa. What the hell made those?”

 

“I don’t know but I’m even more certain it wasn’t a werewolf. I’m small for what I am but Luke is the largest of us when in wolf form. His paws wouldn’t even come close to making those marks and whatever made these is strong - a wolf couldn’t make marks that deep in concrete without breaking a claw or two.”

 

“So you’re thinking something bigger and stronger than a werewolf could have made these? Like what?”

 

Magnus sighed and shook his head. “That I don’t know. I don’t even know where to start. Size wise, my best guess is something close to a lion or a tiger made those marks and even then I’m not sure if their paws would be big enough. Besides, if there was a big cat loose in New York City, I’m sure we would have heard about it by now. Unfortunately, it’s not like we roll up to the zoo and ask if they’re missing a lion and also can we see the paws of one?”

 

“Of course we can,” Alec replied plainly. “We work for the Institute. We can send a tech right now but there’s something else making you hesitate isn’t there? You were staring at those photos far too intently for that to be the only thing on your mind.”

 

“I think there was fire involved somehow,” Magnus said finally, tapping at a spot near some of the claw marks in the photo. “See the slight charring there? And I could smell sulfur. It wasn’t strong because it was mixed in with everything else and there were scents that definitely were stronger than others on the scene but the underlying smell was there.”

 

“We didn’t even think to take samples of that yesterday,” Alec said with a groan. “We thought it was part of the ancient warehouse floor. I’ll send Jace back out there today to collect that. Maybe if we can figure out what accelerant was used at least, we can get some sort of better clue as to what this maniac is trying to do with all the corpses he’s leaving in his wake.”

 

“It’s worth a shot. I don’t know how much we’ll get out of it but any little bit can’t hurt. It smelled mostly like ash though. And notice, it’s only around the claw marks and then it’s like…nearly a trail though it’s hard to see.” He stood so he could peer at the photo in Alec’s hands as he traced his finger in a path away from the circle. “I didn’t even notice it yesterday. It looks like it gets fainter the further away it gets from where it apparently originated. It’s almost like footsteps…”

 

Alec glanced back down at the pictures with a sigh. “You know how crazy this sounds, right? No one is going to take us seriously. A dead body that was both tortured in a very particular fashion and mauled. Claw marks made by something possibly bigger and stronger than a lion or a tiger and flaming footsteps. What are the chances this is all just a weirdly elaborate hoax to make us and local law enforcement look like fools?”

 

“With this many bodies already?” Magnus asked with a shake of his head. “I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’s not likely. No, my instincts tell me all of these things are linked, we merely need to find the pattern between them.”

 

“We should write this down,” Alec replied, setting the photos back on the table and grabbing an Expo marker from the cup. “What else did you find yesterday?”

 

Magnus thought back to the cold, vile scent that sent shivers down his spine. Should he tell Alec? The other man was his partner and he had a right to know if they were truly in danger. How could he even begin to describe what his nose told him outside of ‘something just doesn’t feel right?’ No, he didn’t have enough data yet. He’d save that one for another day. “There was something else but it’s nothing tangible and more of a feeling than anything else. Once I figure out exactly what it means, I’ll let you know.”

 

“Alright, what else?” Alec asked and Magnus closed his eyes, thinking back to everything he’d picked up on yesterday. “After weeding through the scents of the two boys, the body, and the officers who responded, there were two others that seemed newer than the general ambiance of an abandoned warehouse. I don’t think we’re looking for one unsub - I think the Runecarver is working with a partner.”

 

“I suppose it’s too much to ask if it was anyone you recognized?”

 

There had been something vaguely familiar about one of the two scents but not enough to really put his finger on it. “There was something recognizable about one but I can’t say for certain exactly what it is. Scents work in layers - it could be anything from him using the same shampoo as someone I know to a stranger that he bumped into on the subway,” he said as he opened his eyes to glance over at his partner.

 

Alec furrowed his brow. “Can you explain? I believe you but I want to understand.”

 

“Everyone has a scent that’s unique to them. To me, Ragnor smells like the moss in the deepest parts of the forest and Cat smells like the honeysuckle that blooms in the spring. That’s their base scent but there are always other aspects of their lives wrapped around that. Sometimes Ragnor will smell like the tea he brews himself in the morning or the old leather and paper of the books he reads. Cat tries to help out in the labs when they let her so she’ll smell of antiseptic and death. Any part of your life could alter your scent the slightest bit — shampoo, cologne, your favorite foods, the places you spend time, even the people you are around. The pack all smells a little bit like each other both because we live in the same place and the way the pack bonds tie us together.”

 

“And out of curiosity, what do I smell like to you?” Alec asked, no hint of malice in his voice. Alec hadn’t thought anything Magnus had told him was weird. In fact, he wanted to know more.

 

Alec’s own scent was both a comfort and a confusion to Magnus. From their first brief meeting in the hallway, it was something he hadn’t been able to get out of his head. He was fairly certain Alexander Lightwood had never stepped a single foot in Indonesia, and yet Alec’s scent was everything that reminded Magnus of his childhood home. Alec was the warm breeze coming off the Java sea, the moon orchids that twisted themselves up the trunks of ancient trees, the roti gambang his mother used to bake in the morning, and the sandalwood trees in his front yard. The other man’s scent reminded Magnus of a happier time and brought back long forgotten memories that he’d thought were lost to time. He’d been intoxicated from that very first day.

 

There was no appropriate way to explain these feelings to Alec, so he simply gave the other man a small smile. “Your scent reminds me of home — the beaches in Jakarta. I haven’t been back in many years but it’s a place I’ll never forget.”

 

Alec paused for a moment, taking in Magnus’s words and for a brief minute he thought that he’d said something wrong. He was about to open his mouth and apologize for being too forward when Alec dipped his head, a blush rising to his cheeks. “Well, I’m glad it’s something good then. I couldn’t imagine if my scent was something like…dead fish or freshly sprayed skunk or something.”

 

Alec’s easy acceptance and attempt at a joke got a chuckle out of Magnus. “No, nothing of the sort. Raj does smell like rotting wood, however, and not in a good way. Even before he started to try and torment me, I knew he was someone that I wouldn’t be spending very much time around.”

 

“It must be hard,” Alec added quickly, “picking up on so much in such a short amount of time. Doesn’t it get overwhelming?”

 

“It can be,” he agreed with a thoughtful hum. “When I was first changed, I didn’t understand why everything was suddenly too much — too strong, too loud, too different. It took me quite some time, and a lot of help from Luke, before I began to sort through everything and understand. To this day, sometimes it does still get to me. Riding the subway is nearly impossible now and takes every ounce I have not to tear the door out and escape into the tunnel. Strong and overused perfume burns my nose until I’m afraid I’ll never be able to use it again. Loud music with screeching vocals or a lot of bass makes my ears ring.”

 

The taller man frowned. “That sounds horrible. I’m sure it can be helpful sometimes, like it was yesterday at the scene, but the thought of living when everything is dialed up to twenty is something I don’t think I could do. If I ever do anything to set any of your senses off in a bad way, please let me know? I don’t want to hurt you, even if it isn’t intentional.”

 

“You don’t have to do that, Alexander,” Magnus replied softly. “I’ve learned to live with it — we all have. We’d make pretty poor werewolves otherwise.”

 

Alec’s hand reached out and covered Magnus’. His skin was soft but calloused and his hand was warm. “No, Magnus. Stop that. I’m your partner and if this partnership is going to work, I need to know when I’ve crossed a line - about anything. I don’t know much about the way wolves work but I want to learn. So if I mess up and make a mistake, tell me, alright?”

 

“Thank you, Alec, you have no idea how much that means to me,” Magnus whispered with a grin, turning his hand over to take Alec’s and giving it a squeeze. “My people aren’t exactly used to being treated with kindness. Fear, certainly. Disgust too, but never kindness.”

 

“Well, I hope we can show people just how wrong they are,” Alec answered with a grin. “Starting with solving this case when no one else could. Tell me what else you noticed yesterday, we’ll add it to the board then we’ll catch Jace and Izzy up to speed and maybe jump in the car to visit some of the prior crime scenes and see if there’s anything that they missed the first time around. Sound like a plan?”

 

“A perfect one, Agent Lightwood. Let me grab the photos and I can point a few more things out.”

 

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