Before we jump into my favourite chapter of Book 1, I have an announcement!

Book 2's cover has been created by the lovely and, as of now, you can all see it in BOOK 2!!!

I have published book 2 without any official chapters yet to showcase the beautiful cover artwork and to reveal the release date of Unraveled - October 25th!

So run on over, check out the cover art and add Unraveled to your library! I am so excited to embark on Book 2 with you all but, for now, enjoy one of the final parts of Frayed!

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"When you first proposed to Lydia, I'll admit, I was wary" My mother praises, her usual look of polite appreciation plastered to her face as she straightens the lapels of my marble white jacket - the closest you could ever get to prideful for her, "But now...You've made me so proud."

All I can manage is a weak, fleeting smile and a brisk, business-like handshake for my father. This would, for anyone else, be a happy occasion but not for me...the woman I really wished were preparing to walk down the aisle was nowhere to be found but I knew she wasn't going to come.

It was hard to admit, but she'd been right about everything. Getting into a relationship with a Fairchild? One of Valentine's children?

That would be the final nail in the Lightwood name's coffin.

"All right, are you ready for this?" Jace asks, eyeing me skeptically. Though I'd probably never tell her, I was beyond glad Izzy had forced a meeting between Jace and I to straighten things out. Without him...I doubt I could make myself go through with this.

"As ready as I'll ever be" I sigh, playing with my cuff

"Good" Jace confirms, straightening my lapels again...was that supposed to be a comforting gesture?

If so, it wasn't doing any comforting.

"I'm glad you're here with me" I admit

"Wouldn't be anywhere else" Jace assures me, clapping his hands either side of my shoulder, the black shining leather of his own suit glinting in the low light of the room

Making my way up to the podium, I stand by the large crystal-like rock, where Lydia would be joining me soon and I can't help but chance a glance at the empty seat in between Simon and Clary, where Cami ought to be.

I know my sister had invited Magnus and Camille to the wedding but I'd know better. Magnus would support Cami, no matter what and Cami would never come.

I knew it was painful enough to see me with Lydia at all, let alone watch me get married to her. I could always see it in her eyes, despite the calmness and composure she placed perfectly onto her face whenever Lydia and I were around...I could always see through her.

The thudding of the Brother's staff shatters the soft bubble of conversation and everyone falls silent instantly, even before the Brother can call them to attention.

"The ceremony is about to commence."

Mere seconds later, Isabelle rounds the corner, holding my wedding bangle and a ceremonial stele on an ornate pillow, her glamorous golden dress billowing a train behind her.

Trust my sister to upstage the bride.

Then Lydia turns the corner, her beaded white dress flowing neatly down her frame as she walks down the aisle, red roses clasped in her hands, a striking contrast to her white dress and blue eyes. She's beaming, practically soaking in happiness.

I had never been clear on where she stood with me. She clearly cared enough about me and my family to accept the proposal, to take my name but she'd never once attempted to kiss me, given any kind of sign that she cared for me romantically at all. It was both good and bad.

Arriving at the podium, she wastes no time in taking the bangle from the pillow, looping it easily around my right wrist. It feels heavy...wrong.

Tentatively, I reach behind me to take her wedding necklace from Jace, slowly hooking it behind her neck. My fingers don't linger - if anything they pull so fast from her neck they may have been shocked but it doesn't matter as Lydia takes my hand in hers, facing Brother Jeremiah.

"It is time for Alec Lightwood and Lydia Branwell to mark each other with the Wedded Union rune. A rune on the hand. A rune on the heart." He touches his staff to the glowing stone and it reveals the rune, ready to be copied and irreversibly marked upon me forever, "A union is born."

Isabelle reluctantly offers the stele to Lydia and she takes it, touching it to the centre of the stone. The rune glows and releases a plume of white, cold smoke and the stele's crystal glimmers brightly, the rune copied.

Taking my arm, Lydia pulls my wrist towards her and she looks up at me, her expression completely unreadable but nevertheless, I smile wanly, half-heartedly encouraging her to go ahead. She smiles back, lowering the stele to my wrist...

The door to the church slams open and everyone in the room turns to face the interruption and my heart stops, my breathing accelerates and I feel myself really starting to struggle.

Camille.

Pale, scared and determined, a look of wild resolution on her face, her beautifully long, red hair racing to catch up with the rest of her body. She's panting, as if she'd run a mile to get here, but she wasn't wearing the clothes you'd wear to a wedding.

Jeans, a casual T-shirt with the words 'I don't' written on them, dirty, worn converse...

She wasn't here to watch a wedding, she was here to stop one.

"What's that mundani doing here?" My mother's cynical voice not-so-subtly rings through the dead silent room and I watch as she wrenches from her seat, striding towards Camille with vicious resolve.

"Camille Fairchild, leave this wedding now!" My mother growls

"I was invited, Maryse" Cami smirks, waving the pristine invitation, "Besides, this is between me and your son. I'll leave...if he asks me to."

Camille's words ring through my ears as if they were hit by a gong and I pull my eyes away from them, hyperventilating

"Are you gonna be okay, buddy?" Jace whispers from behind me, "You know it's...it's not too late..."

"Alec?" Lydia's voice beckons, her smile encouraging yet confused, "Hey."

"I..." I stammer, breathing heavily, "I can't breathe..."

"I know" Lydia whispers consolingly, "It's okay."

Cami standing less than 10 steps away was messing with my head. If she was here, was she willing to...to what?

She'd made it perfectly clear she couldn't be with me...so why?

I look back over at her, her face glowing with hope and expectation. Her mouth forms the words but I read them on her lips before I hear them.

'I change my mind.'

"I can't do this." I announce, unwillingly drawing my eyes to Lydia and I watch her face fall, "I thought we were doing the right thing, but...this isn't it."

"You don't have to explain" Lydia shakes her head but, to my intense surprise, she doesn't seem angry, only understanding

"Lydia, I'm sorry" I apologise

"Hey...you deserve to be happy" Lydia breathes, her own eyes drifting to Cami, "You both do...I'll be fine."

Breathing deeply, I turn on the spot, facing the sea of confused and intrigued faces but see only one...Cami.

Her eyes had lit up and I could tell, though she hadn't heard the conversation, that she knew what I'd decided.

Without giving myself the time to back out I leap down from the podium, walking towards the only person I'd ever fallen for.

"Alec, what are you doing?" My mother demands, intercepting me as I walk but I don't stop moving, instead striding right past her

"Enough."

Then, finally, I reach her, pull her into my arms and kiss her.

She was warm, her lips smooth like satin, pressing to mine so softly yet so strongly it was confusing and thrilling to experience. Her lips were parted - she was smiling into it, relieved beyond thought, beyond belief.

After everything we'd been through and done and pushed away, we'd finally gotten here, finally said 'to hell with the world.'

Kissing her was like coming home, it filled me with a warmth and passion I'd never felt in my life and it was amazing yet agonising at the same time as if the built up longing and lust and want we'd been feeling for weeks had all come to the surface, rushing forward at once.

Pulling away from her was hard, practically impossible but I knew we'd have to face the damage...and my mother sooner of later.

"You never cease to amaze me, Camille" I breathe, the nerves beginning to encroach on my happiness

"What can I say?" she beams, "It's one of my many charms."

Finally, the full weight of everything I'd just done, what I'd thrown away hits me and the breath leaves me, my eyes widening in shock.

"What did I just do?"

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Won't you look at that, it's an entire Alec POV chapter! Were you expecting it?

Also...who was scared af that I wasn't gonna bring Cami to stop the wedding after the last chapter? I'm (kind of evilly) hoping I scared a few of you! I want this story to be thrilling and unpredictable, especially since a fair amount of it is basically coming from the show, but for Cami's story and character.

((BTW did you get the subtle 'I don't' t-shirt pun? I hope you did haha)

How did you enjoy it? Would you like more Alec POV chapters to see his side of things or do you prefer Cami's?

ALEMI IS HERE! FINALLY! But trust me, it's not gonna be easy for them...

Happy Reading! xx