Last chapter of this story…! Yeah and boo…I published the first chapter of this on 3/14/12, and this last chapter is being published on 12/22/12, wow…that's a long time. That's writing a story over the course of 9 months! This has been great doing this, and I look forward to writing my next chapter in the Longest Alpha and Omega Story. I do have a role in that. Anyway, here's the final…long await Moonlight Howl! Fun fact...did you know this story was originally going to be 9 chapters long? And now it's 24, how life likes to screw with you...

Better Than This

Final Chapter

Quicksilver

All four of the newly mated wolves began to head back to the Howling Rock at exactly the same time. Each of them was careful to clean up and remove the scent of their hormones and respective fluids from their bodies and personal areas, neither wanted awkward looks as they walked to the rock to howl their love for one another. Age and Hayley walked with skips in their steps, and neither of them was looking at one another. This wasn't because they had regretted what they had just done, but both were already so lost in thought with what they'd be doing once this was all resolved. Did she get pregnant after all? What would they name the pups? The basic run down of questions following an act such as mating. Humphrey and Kate, or the Heart and the Fang, had mutually the same feelings and emotions, only they were less worried about having pups and pregnancy because the only reason that they had mated was to get their first time over and done with. Kate also highly doubted that she got pregnant; after all, their mating was out of season, and the chances of conception when courting out of season were radically low, so low in fact that if it did happen, it almost became an annual holiday for the pack because of the rarity. Humphrey was more so just happy that it was done and out of the way, mainly because no one likes anything to be awkward or strange around that kind of thing.

The two couples began to take the same road towards the rock, and once the paths met and they saw each other, everyone was instantly frozen with shock and embarrassment. "Uh…" Humphrey started with, "Hi guys…off to do…" He realized what he just said, a terrible slip of the tongue, "To go…to the Moonlight Howl?"

Age and Hayley both noticed his little slip up, the indication being that he was thinking really hard on something else to say that. "Yes…we were. Is that where the two of you are going?" And they nodded, "Good, we can walk together then." Hayley was speaking clear, despite her still shaking back legs. Humphrey and Age joined each other's sides and chatted ahead while the two girls stayed behind. Girls have a sixth sense about these things, and both knew it from the look in the other's eyes.

"Did you…?" Kate asked, not being able to hide it.

"Yes…did you?" And Kate nodded to her question. "Well then…at least now we have something to talk about…!" And both of them laughed and walked together after their boys.

As the Pride and the Heart walked forward ahead of their girls, the two were walking in an uncomfortable silence that made both of them reflect on a single thought, like how a leaf breaks from a branch and fall into its destined spot in a small pool, causing ripples to appear and transcend. The sound of their paws patting on the earth beneath them was amplified by the maximum, their ears twitched, and their nerves were wreck. Both could feel it through the way they saw each other walking, and the tingle to talk about it burned. Soon enough, the overwhelming presence that their senses caused was just too much, and one of them split a little earlier than the other.

"Humphrey…" Age started, not being able to resist anymore. "I did something with Hayley that I really enjoyed, but there's this aura radiating off of you that tells me you did the same thing. I know we probably shouldn't talk about this, but do you think that we…"

"I get it cuz…" Humphrey stopped him. "Yes, it's true alright…? Kate and I had our first time a short while ago. However, it was only because we wanted our frits time together out of the way. I talked about it a lot with her and now we don't have to worry about it." It was a deep conversation, crude, and yet still humorous, neither wanted to mention it, and yet both had the urge to discuss it, they assumed it was a guy thing, being completely oblivious to their girls having the same conversation.

"Good to know then…I'm still trying my hardest to walk straight." Humphrey snickered at what his cousin just said. Age picked up on it right away. "Humphrey…! That's not funny…!" But Humphrey sprinted ahead to laughed in peace.

They all wound up meeting where the pathway just started heading up to the rock, and they saw that Lilly and Garth were already there howling together. Lilly showed a remarkable ability to recover and get back on her feet after being in a dormant state for so long. They smiled upon their sister and brother-in-law as everyone lined back up with their respective mates as Tony and Eve arrived to greet them. "Fang, Spine, Heart, Pride…" He said proudly of the four. "We are graced by your arrival at our small ceremony. I offer you the place at the very top of the peak, in honor of our thanks for your services against…"

"Me…!" And Joe pranced up behind them and brushed against Age. "Hi little bro…! You gonna do some singing tonight?" He asked them.

"Of course I am Joe…who do you think I am?" Age complimented himself. To which everyone had a hearty laugh. Eve stepped in front of Tony and looked at Age and Hayley.

"I think you guys should be at the top." They were graced by her request, but truth be told, they didn't want it.

"Thank you Eve…but where we are doesn't matter. As long as we're howling together…" Humphrey heard Hayley's remark, and he jumped right in.

"In that case…may we have the peak?" No one saw why not. Tony and Eve nodded their heads, and Kate shook her head playfully and followed a bounding Humphrey up the rock. Pride and Spine followed them, as well as Tony and Eve, but Joe remained on the bottom. He had no one to howl with, but he didn't care. That wasn't important to him, or at least so he thought. As he sat there, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, his eyes locked a pretty, attractive young wolf, female of course, and she blinked once.

"Hi…you're Joe right? The former killer…?" And he nodded his head, "Well…I just wondering if…well…I know this is crazy but…my name is Cara…would you like to howl with me?" And he nodded his head vigorously like an idiot who was crazy in love. Cara giggled after putting her paw over her mouth, "Okay then, cool…I know a cute little spot on the rock where we can howl." And Joe slunk after her, what a sucker he was for Cara.

Humphrey and Kate had arrived at the peak during the conversation Joe had had, and Age and Hayley took their places right below them. Everyone was set, the night was quiet, and the wolves were waiting for their lead couple at the top to resume the choir of beauty and harmony, even though the pack was quite a bit smaller than it was. Humphrey pointed his head to the gibbous moon, and from his lungs and throat came magic. His angelic voice filled the ears of everyone who heard it with hope for the future, even his three friends, Mooch, Shakey, and Salty down on the lower levels. Even Hutch sat down on the ground and listened. Hutch was satisfied with all he had done, and now he was ready to live life like a real Alpha should. "Good job Humphrey…good job everyone…" Hutch said to himself and then turned around to go into the forest. He wasn't leaving forever, but he'd be back soon enough, after all, the pack still needed him. He would only be gone for a little while.

Kate joined it, adding her own heart stopping voice to the mix. The song stretched for miles, and made mockingbirds jealous. Age and Hayley listened, and as they, plus Joe, were the only wolves who figured out how to sing instead of howl, Age gave Hayley a wink, and following the ethereal melody provided by their friends up on high, they sang. (With These Silver Eyes-Joei (Theme from 'Better Than This'))

Age: I'm blind to the winds of the night, that freeze every flower they touch

Hayley: I stared at the sun, now all I see is blue and yellow dots

Both: But for what it's worth, I met you regardless

Blood dripped down from his fangs, but we held on together

And that's the way I want it to be

So long as I'm here

Age: So long as I'm here

Hayley: So long as I'm here

Both: If I could go back in time, the only thing that I would change

Is to say what I was feeling sooner

Like an inertia, to the speed of light

Wasn't it you who said to me

A fire starts with a spark, a spark of two hearts

So with these silver eyes, I can see

All of you…

The moment was it, it was the best that they'd get under the waning gibbous moon. The wolves on the rock were in awe of their skills to talk and howl, or as they called it, singing. Hayley had also learned how on her own after only one lesson from Age, that only showed her true prowess. Kate and Humphrey saw Age and Hayley nuzzle under the moonlight and both of them looked at each other. "I love you Kate…" Humphrey said to his lover, full hearted and welling up.

"And I love you too…Humphrey the Heart…" And the rubbed noses, and embraced; the night was still young, even though they had mated, howled, and now embraced, it was still long before anyone was going to bed. Humphrey was actually surprised that the mating he had undergone didn't work him out to the point where he couldn't howl, let alone have any strength to do anything whatsoever. Humphrey looked up at the moon, he then took a deep sniff of the night air, and it smelled alluring and misty. But his nose picked up something else, almost like a rugged smell. He then heard move in the brush down below them over the waterfall, his ear twitched as he pulled away from Kate to look down at where the noise came from. There was nothing, and Kate got worried. "Humphrey…? What is it…?"

"Nothing…" And Humphrey turned away.

Down in the brush, two sets of eyes stared up at the happening, and one of them decide it was time to conceal their voice and get out of range of the Pures up on the rock. "It seems we have more Pure Wolves here than I thought. We'll send a message out to the Alpha about this. For now, let's just make sure that she does her job. She's our whole operation plan, without her, we would've been spotted already." The one wolf said, and raced off with the other one into the night.

"So we're not ready then? We're way more skilled than those Pures! We could take them right now!" The other one said.

"You underestimate them my comrade, but be patient, soon…soon we'll be strong enough to march on this pack, and finally take back what belongs to us." And off into the darkness, they vanished.

I have never done a cliffhanger ending before have I? No, I don't think I ever have! Anyway, I don't have much to say, only that now I know I'm screwed because I want to focus all my time into my next story, but I have two others I need to finished first! Take it from me kids, I've been on this site for a full year now, and I made classic writer's mistake number 1! Never…under any circumstances…ever…EVER…write more than one story at once. Well, I'm out…! Have yourselves some good holidays since I know that time of year is coming up! Later, and…as Midnight Trekker would say…stay in touch everyone!