Jacke's POV
Alex took hold of my hand as we left home to go out on a walk, and followed the trail leading to where we hoped to find Mallow still there. We walked hand in hand with my music playing on my phone, I was more or less pestering Alex into telling me what her 'surprise' was but she wouldn't budge. She insisted that she wasn't going to spoil the surprise no matter how many times I asked, and I took that as a personal challenge. So, I did what I do best, and tried to tease her with a small whimper, but that didn't do anything but make her smirk.
"You keep making those kinds of noises, and we'll see who's really in charge here, love," She said looking at me, smirking with a look on her face that screamed 'Test me'.
"You're lucky I love you, Alex," I said trying to ignore the blush that was creeping on my face. I don't know how she did this, taking the stone-cold attitude I usually had, only to cast that aside to reveal my shy side without any issues.
"You're right, I am quite lucky to have you, love."
We continued down the path in a pseudo-silence, enjoying this time we had together away from our responsibilities, just me and her and not a care in the world. As we got closer and closer to where we had last seen Mallow, it became clear to us that he wasn't there anymore. The dragon was gone, as was its rider, and all that was left was a note on the ground. Alex picked the note up off the ground and opened it, showing it to me as she read it.
"I must go now, my people need me; In all seriousness though, it was nice to spend time with you guys, but Taydhes and I have some things we need to attend to. Make amends for lost time and all that good jazz, but don't stress over it. You have each other and your families, you don't need to worry about anything else. Jacke, if you ever need me, you know what to do," Alex said reading the note aloud, then looked at me in confusion, "What does he mean by that last bit?"
"I think he knows how he brought him here in the first place and would need to repeat the process to bring him back here," I said as she put the note in her pocket, we turned around and continued on our walk as I explained to her how we met Mallow in the first place. I explained the process of energy manipulation, and how that was how I was able to find who would join me and my brothers in our war in The Necropolis.
"You know, if I hadn't known you as long as I have, I wouldn't believe a word you just told me. However, with that being said, I think you're right in terms of the ending of his note, it would make sense that that's the only way to bring him back here."
"I mean, he was the tipping point in our favor in the war, our final hope if you would," I said as we continued walking the path away from home, and looked up to the sky as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sight, the colors of red and purple meshing to create a beautiful image before us, and so we took a seat to watch it.
"It's moments like these that mean the world to me, Love, moments where we don't have to worry about our families or our responsibilities. Times like these make the best memories, in my opinion," Alex said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to her. I cuddled up against her and held her hand for dear life, to be frank, I was a little afraid that if I didn't I would wake up and this entire thing would just be a dream.
"Do you think it's too much to ask for moments like these to never end, Alex? I mean, time won't sit at a standstill for two hopeless romantics, but you know what I mean."
"I do, Love, and No, I don't think that's too much to ask for, even if we won't ever get it. It just means that this moment means that much more to me, where I just get to sit here in peace with my mate, and just be happy. Not having to worry about what tomorrow will bring, or if we'll have to worry about packs that want to bring war this way, I just get to sit here with you and enjoy the moment," She said before kissing my forehead, leading me to smile in a way I never thought would happen in my entire life. A genuine smile that wouldn't be able to be ripped away from me by anyone just because of how beautiful this moment was for us.
As the sunset, and the moon came out, the stars started shining again and a shooting star shot across the sky. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and when I looked up at Alex, I knew she'd beaten me to the punch on the whole 'Make a wish' thing because she was looking down at me with a smirk. I thought for a second before realizing I didn't even need to make a wish, the one I made before had already been granted, and I had everything I needed right there with me.
"I made a wish a long time ago, after a brutal night, for someone to come and find me, who wouldn't be scared of me and just love me regardless of my past," I said as I looked back up at Alex, "I think that wish was more than granted, and I'm going to treasure it every day of the rest of my life, however long it lasts."
"Took the words right out of mouth, Love," Alex said as she stood back up and grabbed my hand, leading me with her as we walked back home, "I hope this time it won't be in shambles."
"You always know what to say to get a laugh out of me, don't you?!" I said trying and failing, to stifle the laughter she'd caused, "It doesn't matter what the situation is, you could say something so stupid that everyone else would think you're drunk, and I'd be trying to not choke on my own laughter."
"I'm not as think as you drunk I am!" She said intentionally slurring her words, trying to impersonate one of her drunk parents, which just made me laugh like an idiot even more. I meant every word I said to her earlier, it was difficult to find someone in this crazy world that could light up your life even in the darkest moments, and she did all that and more for me. I wasn't letting go of her ever, and if the day came when death knocked on our doorstep, I would be the first in line for a swing if Alex was her target for the day.