Unfinished Business • Alec Lightwood

Chapter 25 {Edited}

Leona sighed as she walked behind Lydia and Alec, the trio at the docks heading towards the Jade Wolf. Birds yelled through the air as the ocean waves crashed by the pier.

The brunette couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust at the smell that surrounded her as they all walked between the crates.

"I can see why all the girls in Idris are clamoring to meet you," Lydia said to Alec, breaking the silence around them. Leona couldn't help but huff at her words in amusement.

"What do you mean?" Alec asked the blonde, cluelessly.

"Rumor has it you're looking to settle down, get married," Lydia told him.

"Damn it," Alec cursed with a sigh. Leona held back her surprise at the news, having no idea that marriage was something the Lightwoods had been talking about.

"Let me guess. Not your idea?" Lydia asked amused.

"Not even close," Alec said shortly.

"I guess it's because your wedding didn't go through." Lydia offhandedly said, turning to look at Leona from behind her. Leona rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear it.

"Wow, you really have no filter, do you?" Leona asked her sarcastically.

"I'm just stating the facts," Lydia said pointedly. "Michael was a Dearborn, a powerful Shadowhunter family. If you two had gotten married, lots of things we've fallen into place."

Leona let out a humorless laugh. "You mean the Clave would've used our marriage as their bargaining chip whenever they needed something."

"The Clave knows what they're doing," Lydia told Leona causing the girl to scoff and shake her head.

"My parents tried to set me up, too," Lydia said, turning the conversation back to Alec as they all continued to walk.

"And how'd that work out for them?" Alec asked her.

"Not well for them," Lydia said. "I made my own path."

Leona laughed, cutting her off. "Yeah, as the Clave's lapdog, congratulations."

"I'm just doing my job, Leona," Lydia said as they approached the entrance of the werewolf's hideout.

"Yeah, yeah you always are," Leona murmured to herself.

"I married the love of my life," Lydia told Alec, getting back to her story. "John Monteverde."

Leona couldn't help but smile at the man's name. She hadn't known John very closely, but he was always a man who treated her with kindness whenever she saw him in Idris. She remembered he had always defended her against those who openly called her half-blooded, even when the Clave was present, he stood up for her.

How he ended up with someone like Lydia who followed the Clave no matter what? Leona had no idea.

But Leona couldn't help but think maybe opposites did attract when it came to love, but then again it was a shame how their love had ended.

"Together we were going to run the Lisbon Institute," Lydia spoke more softly this time, her voice turned sentimental. "And then John was killed. And everything was ripped away."

Leona swallowed at her words. Of course, Leona didn't like Lydia as much as she liked others, but she could understand the waver in Lydia's voice, the pain that the blonde had probably gone through when it came to her late fiancé.

At Lydia's words, Alec couldn't help but turn back and look at Leona. The brunette's hostile attitude had faded into a gentle posture, her face blank, but Alec could tell that the brunette was listening to Lydia's words very carefully.