44. One Knee

Alex's POV

I fell back onto the dirt as the hole in the air closed, and I hardly had the energy to get back up. My back and shoulders stopped working, and I was trying to see just one of the trees above me. Suddenly, my nose got a whiff of something, and I had to make sure it was right. I sat up, and the other three people had been flung backwards 20 feet. I staggered towards the place that the fourth person was supposed to be, and my legs gave out when I saw him laying on the grass.

I crawled towards him, and I just managed to make it before my exhausted body could go no longer. I ended up reaching my arm and dragging him towards me. Ash... My beautiful, beautiful Ash... He's alive and in front of me. I lay down on top of him to make certain that he wouldn't leave if I ended up passing out.

I could feel his chest rising and falling, and it was getting my now returned wolf giddy. My hair was falling into his face, so he was twitching slightly at the disturbance.

"Mmm." His mumbling was really cute, and I pushed my face farther into his neck. "A-Alex."

I nodded my head with the little energy I had left, but I found myself rolling. Suddenly, his lips found mine, and I widened my eyes before immediately kissing back.

It was just an innocent one designed because of the time we spent apart, but I craved more. I just didn't have the energy, and neither did he. As soon as his adrenaline wore off, he dropped onto me heavily. I held him to my body with an iron grip before allowing myself to go back under.

***

"It's a miracle." What's a miracle, and how long have I been out. I forced myself awake with a loud groan, but I found it hard to sit up since my soulmate was on my stomach. Wait... Soulmate? Ash? Holy shit on my waffles he's alive!

"Alex! Thank God, you seemed to put more energy into that thing than the rest of us. We were worried your heart would just stop. Ash was worried that he finally found you just for you two to fall apart again."

I looked at the boy on my chest, and he had a lot of worry lines etched onto his face. His hair was kind of all over the place like it had been the last time I saw it, and I was tempted to wake him up. However, he still looked peaceful, so I refrained.

"What happened to the demons?"

"The spirits gave me a prophecy from ancient warlock text, and it tells us what will happen."

"What's this prophecy."

"Darkness lurks around each corner, do not be discouraged. A warlock of Cashire-Evans blood will be the key to light prevail, but he must mix with the Half Moon heir. All must come together, or the world shall fall. That isn't exactly the wording, but they summarized it for me. We cannot tell Dan until 16, you hear me? It expressly says that in the original text.

Ash began stirring on my chest, and began to get excited to talk to him again. It's been way too long. His beautiful blue eyes popped open with a yawn, and they got brighter still when they saw that I was awake.

"I missed you so much, Alex." His right arm caressed my head, and I leaned into the touch.

"I went insane without you, Ash. Don't you ever get blown up again, m'kay?"

"Wasn't my intention."

"What exactly happened to you?"

"I'll have to tell you some other time."

***

1 month Later

I sat in my office while Ally carried ominous news. "The earth spirits reported that the demons holed up underneath the earth; they're waiting for something... Something huge."

"Ally?"

"Yes, brother?"

"Do you remember when we met?"

"It impossible to forget."

"Back then, I was protecting you. Now, we protect each other. I'm proud of you for making your own way in the world, Ally. I mean, you're very good at manipulating both good and bad spirits, so that's saying something."

"Than–"

"Alex!" I looked up suddenly at the door when Ash came running in with out child.

"What? Did he do too much of a poop for you again?"

"No, look!"

When I looked at the place he was pointing, I saw sharp little canine teeth popping out of his top gum. "Oh my God he's fanging! Let me get the camera!"

I pulled up the little camera I had bought specifically for childhood photos before snapping a few images of the moment. I may have failed the other one, but I'm going to be the best damn parent to this kid whether he likes it or not!

Suddenly, the little boy began crying, and I rocked him slowly back and forth until I realized that it was just his diaper. "Ash it's your turn!" I handed him the child before running away to go do my Alpha duties– hah, duties! I've been spending too much time with my brother.

That night, I stood out of our balcony, and I felt Ash's presence beside me. My body still hadn't quite gotten used to him being back, but it was slowly adjusting.

"Alex, is this world going to be safe for our boy? With the demons right under the crust of the Earth..."

"I will make sure they don't hurt Dan. I don't know what I would do if I lost him, but it wouldn't be good."

"We're going to be fine, baby. Everyone's happy, the demons are at bay for now... Let's enjoy our life while we still have the chance, m'kay. One day you're going to turn into your father yelling at me for going too hard on your old man bones, and we'll be okay. I'm going to stay right here with you."

When I turned to look at him, he had dropped to one knee. Oh my cheeseballs, is this actually happening. "Alexander Canfield, will you join me forever in marriage?"

"Of course I will!" Ash stood back up, and I had a silver ring slid onto my finger. Ash hit something, and a slow song began playing from his phone speakers.

"May I have this dance?" I gratefully took his extended hand, and we began to loose ourselves in the music until Dan began crying. "Cockblock," Ash cursed before turning off the music. "Oh, don't worry about the whole picture thing, I recorded the entire proposal not just for us, but for when our parents bother us about it."

"You're so smart."

"I know, and you love me like this."

There's no doubt there. I am absolutely, insatiably in love with the man in front of me, and I enjoy looking forward to the life we'll have. The life that our children will have. It'll be perfect. Well... Almost. A storm lingers on the horizon. We assume it's a normal storm, but it turns out to be a tornado capable of destroying us all.

Be prepared for when the tornado strikes.