By the time the shadowhunters and their mundane arrived to the port, the sun had set and the night had taken over with a fog that cascaded across the area. Not once did Charlotte complain during their rushing and running. All that was on her mind was reuniting with her brother and Clary. Seeing them being taken and not being able to do anything about it gave her a feeling that she never wanted to feel. Never had Charlotte felt so powerless, and it wasn't something she wanted to continue feeling. If only she was able to help them.

Her chest felt heavy with the thought that something happened to them. Simon had survived vampires, but werewolves too? She didn't have the faith that he would come out unscathed this time. 

"They're going to be fine, Charlie," Izzy says from beside her. The two girls quickly separated from Jace and Alec to find Simon while they would search for Clary. The sooner they got out of there with the two of them was better for Charlotte. All Charlotte desired was to escape the hellish port and get away from any enemies, vampire and werewolf alike. 

"I know." She didn't know if she was saying that to make Izzy feel better or herself.  If Charlotte was being completely honest with them, she was tired. Tired of all of it, and this was her last strike.

She was barely able to watch where she was going. Her eyes felt as if they focused less in front of her as she then started hearing the voices once more. Charlotte. 

"Charlie, here." Her attention turns to the loud ringing that came to her ears. It was Izzy with a concerned look on her face as she took her attention off of the room Simon was being held in. 

Charlotte shook her head and without a second thought to herself, her eyes trained on the bars in front of her and yelled, "Simon!" Charlotte runs over as Izzy takes out her whip. The whip wraps around the bars and with a loud metal thud, it was open. Charlotte peers inside as Izzy comes over, both of their eyes meeting Simon's. "Oh my god, Simon!" 

"I'm getting seriously tired of saving your life." Simon smiles up at Izzy and his sister, relief gleaming in his eyes while they dart between the two girls.

"I am not!" 

Charlotte, tired of the little quips from the two holds out her arm for her twin. "Hurry up and get your butt over here!" 

Simon rushes over, holding up his hand for Charlotte to take. She held back her glasses which threatened to fall off her face, as she pulls him up through the window with one hand. Izzy furrows her brow at the mundane girl, watching as Charlotte started to check over Simon like a pestering mother. Izzy felt wrong, something wasn't right with her, but she shook her head of any absurd thought that may have slipped in. 

Charlotte grabs her brother by his shoulders, looking him over more, tears building up as she did. She didn't say any words to him but her lip trembles slightly causing Simon to frown. "I'm okay, Charlie. Don't worry." She looks up at him into his eyes and hugs him close, causing her twin to hug her in response with a sigh. 

As much as Izzy wanted to give the siblings their moment, they had more pressing things to do. "Come on guys." Charlotte lets go and wipes her eyes of any tears that can possibly escape and turns to the shadowhunter. 

"Yeah let's go before the big bad wolves show up. I would like to not be eaten tonight." Simon sighs. She was back to her most usual sarcastic and joking self. He wraps an arm around her as they walk away from the building and to the middle of an opening. They were surrounded by the various shipping containers and the Chinese restaurant that was occupied by the wolves. 

"Clary!" Simon yells.

"Simon! Oh my god." Simon runs over as does Clary as the two envelope in a hug, overwhelmed by the thought of the other possibly being hurt based on the previous threats. 

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asks Clary as she approaches the two, relief flooding through her, though she wouldn't admit it straight out. Clary turns to Charlotte and pulls her in, her hand clutching the smaller girl beside her to join the hug. 

"I'm glad you're okay," Charlotte whispers. 

Jace leans over to the three friends while he glances around the area as he says, "I hate to break up this little reunion, but we've got a bunch of werewolves trying to kill us so maybe we should get going-" 

Clary reacts instantly, her mind switching to panic. "Wait, wait, the box. My backpack. I think I left it at the loft." 

"No we've got it. I didn't screw up everything," Alec tells Clary.

Simon took that as the green light as he turns and says, "Let's get out of here, then." Izzy holds him back with an intense stare in the open.

"Izzy what's wrong?" Charlotte asks in a whisper, scared to even think of what could be wrong now. 

"Whatever you do, do not make any fast moves." Charlotte's eyes glance around, they all heard the growling first. Not so soon after, werewolves emerge from the shadows. Their threatening stances loomed over the girl as she felt like cowering behind the shadowhunters. 

"This can't be good," Jace mutters while his back covers Charlotte and the wolves are no longer in her sight in front of her. All the shadowhunters brought out their weapons, but even then the threat grew larger. 

"We're surrounded," Alec says to the group. The wolves growled, jumping on the containers and the wooden boxes, their paws scraping against the metal and wood making the tension grow without anyone making a move. "Everyone, stay together."

"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere," Simon says. Charlotte felt as if her heart was the loudest thing in the port, she couldn't even focus on what the others were saying. 

The door slams open from the chinese restaurant, and from the restaurant, a wolf larger than any of the others comes out with a snarl. "Everyone stay back, that's the alpha leader!" 

The alpha doesn't take a moment before he breaks into a run towards them, everyone preparing for a hit. Charlotte closes her eyes but still heard Clary yell, "Jace, behind!" She opens her eyes in time to see the enormous green eyed wolf tackled in the air by another wolf. A gasp escapes her as she unknowingly clings onto the nearest person. They couldn't see what was happening behind the boxes, except for the movements and whimpers that escaped. 

"He's challenging the alpha," Alec informs them with his bow still held up. 

"He's helping us!" Clary says in disbelief.

"Or cutting in line to kill us," Simon mumbles.

"Shut up, Simon," Charlotte whispers with a hit to her brother. 

The snarling continues until a sudden whimper releases in the air and a thud. In a moment of quiet after the boxes fall over, the group moves forward. A man lay on his stomach with his head facing them, eyes wide open.

"Oh my god," Charlotte whispers without any breath, "why do I keep seeing dead bodies?!" 

"The alpha's dead," Izzy says out loud. 

Another wolf limps towards them, a bright light shimmering before a tall man stands before them. Luke. 

"Oh my god, Luke." 

"Wait Clary-" Charlotte starts, remembering when Luke said at the police station that he was using Clary and her mother. There was no way they could trust them, especially now seeing that he was a werewolf who killed the alpha. It couldn't be to cut in line like Simon said, right, Charlotte asked herself.

The wolves around them howled into the night air, causing Charlotte to flinch and turn. The wolves transform into a couple of men standing on the containers and boxes with intimidating stares. Yet they bent down, their knees down in surrender and showing their loyalty.

"What is it?" Clary questions, "What's happening?" 

"When a werewolf kills the alpha leader, he becomes the new alpha," Jace explains. Even Charlotte could explain that, Charlotte thought, but there were no jokes to be made now. Not when Luke was another possible threat to her friend and her own life. "Your friend Luke's the leader of the pack now."

"Clary," Luke begins, but all Charlotte could do was glare at him. He had the audacity to speak, she could almost laugh. 

"No," Jace argues but Clary stops him.

"It's okay." She turns from Jace and walks forward. 

"I promised your mother I'd always protect you." Charlotte ignores Jace's questioning stare as she moves towards Clary and stands next to her. 

"So you didn't mean what you said at the police-" Charlotte starts to say but turns her face to see Luke's smiling face begin to fall, his eyes closing. The large man collapses, falling into the broken box. "Oh god!" 

"Luke! Oh my god!" Clary rushes forward along with Charlotte as they both check over him while he leaned on the box. Even as Charlotte knew what he said, seeing Clary worry was enough for her to hold out a bit of trust to check over him. 

"Luke," Simon calls out as Luke is held onto Charlotte and Clary. 

Jace moves forward getting Clary's attention to come with him. Simon and Clary switch positions, the twins holding him up now. "I don't want to trust him, Simon. You didn't hear what he said about Clary and her mom," Charlotte tells her brother. 

Through Simon's worried expression, he spoke. "Maybe there's an explanation. Either way, he doesn't look good." Simon looks up then at Clary to find her standing close to Jace. Even Charlotte could see the look in her eyes as he gently cupped her face for a second. 

"Simon," Charlotte mutters in a warning tone as her eyes train on him. She didn't want him to get caught in her brother's love triangle when she knew it would end in him getting hurt. 

"Clary, we gotta go," Simon says without looking Charlotte in the eyes. 

"We have to get him to his car." She looks up again at the two shadowhunters. Both Jace and Clary moved closer, both of them ready to hold onto Luke. 

"Here, I'll drive. I got you. I'm the only one with a mundane license. Come on." 

"Shotgun," Charlotte announces as she walks behind Clary and Jace. She then turns to the Lightwoods with a questioning look when she sees they kept still. "Are you guys coming?" 

"No," Alec answers bluntly, but Charlotte could tell something was off. He was still blunt yet looked more hurt than mean. She kept the thought to herself though and nodded at the two before waving goodbye and walking off towards the others. 

"I never should have doubted you," Clary says to Luke.

"It wasn't your fault, Clary. Luke, were you trying to make them think you didn't care or something?" Charlotte asks him as she peers closer. The man weakly nods causing her to sigh. She felt bad for questioning him, but how could she trust just anyone when things like someone you saw as a father figure turns into a large wolf? 

"I'm sorry," she says as she climbs into the passenger side, letting Clary and Jace get into the back seat with Luke. 

After Simon gets into the driver's seat, he looks at his sister in the corner of his eyes, seeing her close her green eyes and take a deep shaggy breath. All Simon wanted to do was protect Clary and make sure his twin was alright, yet everything was going wrong, and Charlotte was almost not herself anymore. That was what was worrying him the most. 

Charlotte clenches her jaw tightly, ignoring everything. Ignoring her brother, and Clary's desperate words for Luke to stay alive. "Where are we even going?" Charlotte asks them without looking back. 

"Magnus Bane." Her eyes open wide as Simon starts the car and drives off to go back to the streets, leaving Charlotte to her own thoughts.

----

A/N: please read :) Hey guys!  I got a tiktok related to my wattpad and fics. My first two tiktoks are for Infinite so please go check them out if you have tiktok and maybe give a follow! 

And I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I see all your comments,votes, and adding the story to your reading lists and it means so much. I can't believe this has gotten to 18k views already. 

I've been going through a lot and also writer's block has been bad with this story. But now, I feel like I'm getting a good grip now on what I'm going to do in the future of these chapters. I'm excited to continue Charlotte's story and see her grow too. Thanks again!