Swinging his feet into the water, Alec considered the question. The concept was completely new to him. Maybe Clary had asked Jace something like that but it wasn't something one Nephilim would ask another. Most Shadowhunters didn't associate with Mundanes so it wasn't something he'd ever considered except in those panicked moments when Alec tried to decide if being with Magnus was worth the risks.

"There wasn't really a choice. We're born Shadowhunters. We take a vow to fight demons when we're ten." Putting it in a Mundane's perspective, it probably seemed too young to make that kind of decision but any other life would be impossible for him unless he had his marks stripped away. "There is no other life for a Nephilim. It's our sacred duty to protect the world from demons. I could have chosen a trade or teaching but it would relate to hunting."