At this point the large clearing was crawling with people, and the sun had almost set. Golden light shone through the trees, casting everything in a magical light, and pretty soon the full moon would be showing its face.
Carter looked out at the pack that he now admitted to himself that he was never going to lead. It hurt, but compared to the thought of giving up John it was nothing.
He’d have to call Alpha Tiller and let him know that he’d changed his mind. Spencer would want to start preparing himself to take over: learning the names of everyone in the pack and how they contributed, not to mention preparing for the actual fight.
Grayson wasn’t going to go down easy.
The sun set and the full moon hung heavy in the sky, big and bright and calling to Carter’s wolf like a siren, and without a second’s hesitation he stripped off his clothes and let his human form slip away.
The first thing his wolf wanted to do was turn around and find John, but Carter quickly managed to push that instinct down. John was too far away to reach on four legs, and a wolf didn’t abandon his pack during a run.
That he even wanted to was shocking.
But Carter didn’t waste any time worrying about his unnatural instincts. He was a wolf, he was with his pack, and there was plenty of fun to be had. Finding his family, Carter knocked into the bulky form of his father much like he had when he was younger, initiating a game that consisted entirely of trying to knock each other over.
It was fun, and from the enthusiastic way his father participated he agreed. It had been a long time since Carter had spent a run with his family, and he’d almost forgotten how nice it was.
There was no judgment when they were like this, and Carter wished that they could be like this all the time.
***
The next morning Carter woke up to the sounds of birds chirping in the trees above him, his naked body nestled in a patch of moss that was a little too wet for comfort.
Elijah was staring down at him.
“Hello, Elijah,” Carter said, sitting up and scratching his face. He looked around, listening intently, checking to see that they were alone before he talked to the younger man.
“Are you going to challenge my dad?” Elijah asked, crouching down and watching Carter’s face intently. The question was blunt and to the point, and Elijah looked like the wrong answer would wreck him.
“No, but he won’t be the alpha for much longer. The Texas pack is sending one of theirs to challenge him.”
Elijah blinked, looking like he had no idea what to do with that information.
“What?” he sounded utterly shocked.
Carter rose to his feet, running his hand through his hair and taking a step back. Elijah was still crouched down, his face right at the level of Carter’s junk, and Carter motioned for him to stand. Elijah obediently rose to his feet.
“They issued an ultimatum. Either I take over or they send one of their own to do it.”
“But you could take him,” Elijah said, biting his lip and looking confused. “I know you could.”
“That’s not it. I’m…” Carter trailed off, wondering what to say. His excuse would have to pass muster with the entire pack, and it couldn’t be something that inspired suspicion. He made his voice firm as he continued. “I just don’t want lead. I know people think I do, but I don’t.”
“Oh,” Elijah didn’t say anything else, looking awkward.
“It should happen soon. Before the next full moon. Are you going to be okay until then?”
Elijah shrugged, mumbling something and not really answering. Carter felt bad, but there wasn’t really anything he could do. Elijah had survived his father this long—a few more weeks wouldn’t kill him.
“Take care of yourself, Elijah,” Carter said, clapping him on the arm. “Just toe the line for another month.”
“I will,” Elijah said. He shuffled from foot to foot, looking awkward and like he wanted to say more.
“You should go to your father.”
Elijah nodded, his expression reluctant. He turned on his heel and traipsed away, leaving Carter on his own.
Carter started the walk back to his truck, the cold morning air making him shiver. He started jogging, rubbing his arms to keep warm as he ran, his dick flopping around and slapping his thighs like it had a mind of its own.
A human might have been embarrassed to be naked, but in the woods with his pack Carter didn’t even think about it.
When he got back to his truck he got dressed in a hurry, climbing into his truck and turning the on the heat. All around him people were doing the same, the loud noise of the morning after a familiar and comforting sound.
No one was really in a hurry to leave—everyone taking their time and catching up with their fellow pack-members—except Carter.
He just wanted to see John.
***
