Alpha's Last Howl

5. The Change

The breeze from the sea was warmer on her face. Nessa stepped back, further away from the water and Jordan followed her trail until she stopped and turned around to face him, her face underlined with concern.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier," Jordan mumbled, earning a long look from Nessa. She wanted an explanation and good for her, he gave her one. "It's just that—I was shocked, okay? You're a crescent." His eyes were unsettling, darting left and right. One of his hands reached up and scratched the scar on his left brow.

"So? What does it have to do with whatever I said?" Her voice was sharp in the dark of night. She folded her arms, leaning her body weight more on her left leg as her neck craned to look at him.

He looked down at her, pulling up a defensive face. "I didn't expect it. We're rivals, right?"

"I don't know, you tell me," She challenged him, leaning forward. "Are we?"

For some reason Nessa did not understand, her words made him laugh. It was a sound sweet to her ears but it wasn't whole-hearted. She saw right through his eyes.

"We're not supposed to be talking to each other," he said, regaining a solemn look on his face. "I'm sure you've been taught the history of our packs?"

Nessa nodded. "A history decades old. It should have no hold over whether I speak to you or not."

"Do you really believe that?"

She nodded again. The edge of his mouth tilted up.

"I wish more of us did." Jordan shrugged, folding his arms and turning his head away from her face to look at the waves crashing ashore. "My father tried to bring the packs together when he first became the alpha. A few pretended to actually not feel enmity towards us but deep inside, it's always there, you know?"

She did. Her grandma never failed to remind her of that. "I don't see why you should stop the cause your father began." Her eyes involuntarily shifted from his face to settle on the red moon shining against the crisp white of his shirt.

"I don't know. Do you really think there'll be a day when the crescents and the blood moons lived harmoniously here in Bellpond? Not just as a mask but truly, deep inside their hearts?"

"The notion doesn't seem impossible to me," She said in a matter-of-fact tone, uncrossing her arms.

He brought his gaze back to her face, looking straight into her green eyes. "What of your alpha? Niall…? What does he think of that?"

Nessa gulped. Truly, the topic had never emerged whenever she had talked to Niall. She knew nothing of his thoughts on whether the two packs should forget all that was in the past and move on finally.

"He believes it's stupid to dwell on what happened in the past."

"Truly?" His brows knitted together, his eyes challenging her.

"Yes. The two new alphas can definitely bring about this change."

"But he has never even tried to talk to me."

"The opportunity never showed up," Nessa argued, biting her lower lip.

Jordan looked back at the open sea ahead and bobbed his head slowly. "An opportunity… hmm."

He was quiet for some time after that. With his arms crossed, he gazed straight ahead. Nessa did not know what to say so she stayed silent as well.

The beach was emptying. She barely found a dozen people as far as her eyes could see. The stalls were closing up, and above them the sky was dark, twinkling with stars.

He cleared his throat suddenly, the sound muffled by the sound of waves. "A beach cleanup. What do you think?"

Nessa shook her head, unsure of what he meant exactly.

"You're pretty popular in the school. You can gather some from your pack and I, from mine. Make sure your alpha's there. I'll find the chance to talk to him. You're his friend, right?"

More than that, she thought. "Yes."

"The main reason for the fights between the packs was for dominion over Bellpond. What's the point of having authority over the place if you don't care enough to maintain it?"

Jordan hovered his hand around and pointed at some corners where Nessa found trash simply lying around : empty plastic bottles, cans, sacks and other bits and pieces sprawled across the sandy floor. She was surprised at how it hadn't come to her notice earlier.

"Bellpond welcomes tourists but it's our home. Our territory. We can rule it together, but that means we also have to maintain it." For some reason unfathomable, the way he said 'we' made Nessa feel squishy in her chest. His gaze was firm on her face, unflinching. "That's the first step, isn't it? Having common goals and responsibility? If the packs wish to live together as friends, they have to work together?"

Nessa licked her lips and nodded. "Absolutely right."

His voice was firm and authoritative as suited to someone of his stature. "Good, then. I'll see you tomorrow morning. I hope your pack won't disappoint. Good night, Vanessa."

Nessa liked the sound of her name in his voice. She passed him a smile and waved. He didn't return it, but his eyes widened a little before he turned to leave and his lips spread slightly. Not into a smile, but it was surely something.

She knew she would not disappoint him. But she wasn't sure if she could say the same for Niall and the rest of the silver crescents. All she knew was that she would have to toil to convince them to join the cause. And she barely had a few hours to do it.

Without a second's hesitation, Nessa rang up Riley who picked quick enough to not test her thread-bare patience.

"Listen, something happened. And I need your help, Riley. Is Niall still around?"