a
human, but Dean knew exactly what Will meant, and he was over the moon that his
mate felt the same way about him. "Maybe it is," he replied,
"but we can be crazy together."
It must have been the right thing to say, because the smile
Will offered him was so bright it lit up the entire tent. Dean would have loved
to just lie there with his mate and enjoy it, but sadly, their stolen time was
running out. He sensed the approach of some people and he forced himself to
release Will.
"Okay, we gotta get ready to go," he told his mate.
"Quickly, let's clean up."
He helped Will wipe down and pull on his clothes as quickly
and efficiently as possible. His hands probably lingered a bit on Will's skin,
but he forced himself to move away. Finally, he removed his own clothing and
readied himself for the shift. "Wait!" Will told him. "What do
we do with the wolf?"
The plush toy. Right. Will couldn't take it with him, since
his brothers would ask questions, and they definitely couldn't leave it here
because someone would just walk off with it. Dean thought a bit, then finally
said, "I'll take it. It's dark enough outside that no one should see me,
even with the wolf."
That was how Dean ended up carrying a large plush toy by the
scruff as he sneaked through the shadows in shifted form. He watched Will meet
with his brothers, and experienced a pang of yearning with every step he took
away from Will. He only managed to turn away because of his new plan, and
Will's agreement to it. Soon, he wouldn't have to hide. Soon, they would be together
forever.
Chapter Four
Over the next couple of days, Dean completed the preparations
for their departure. He packed supplies—food, clothes, maps, money—and left
everything at the cabin. He ironed out every detail of what needed to be done.
He and Will even agreed on the day they would leave—the night before the ending
of the Gathering, when the rest of the werewolves would be distracted by the
unavoidable celebration and would not notice his absence. The preparations cut
into the time he could spend with his mate, and while they made love two more
times, it was rushed and frantic, the two of them taking advantage of the few
stolen moments they had at their disposal. Dean had been more than tempted to
claim Will, but in the end, he'd decided to do so once they started a life of
their own.
It was with a hammering heart that Dean went to the
celebration. He wanted to leave this all behind already, to stop being forced
to pretend, but he had to play this game up to the very last point so that his
father wouldn't realize the truth. That would be disastrous, since with the
power of the pack—and perhaps, the Gathering—behind him, he could make things
very difficult for Dean.
As such, Dean pretended. He put up the front of the perfect
born Alpha, ready to take over for his father once the man decided it was time
to step down. He listened to the proposed policy changes and provided his own
input, careful not to sound either too controversial or too approving.
It all seemed to go well—until the mingling started. It was
an unofficial tradition. After all was said and done, young unmated wolves
would wander around in search of a mate. Naturally, Dean had no interest in it,
beyond the fact that he knew it would also mark the beginning of a wild party.
Sometimes, even mated shifters were drawn in, and Dean knew of instances his
father had been among the shifters in question. In fact, he was relying on it.
It didn't happen this time around. Dean had been on the right
side of the meeting grove, deep in conversation with a young Alpha from Saigon
who was expressing his concern over the effects of the current political
climate for his pack. He'd been trying to convince the aggravated man that he
empathized with his plight when his father manifested by his side and grabbed his
elbow.
He nodded in acquiescence of the other Alpha, then said,
"Come on, Dean. I want you to meet someone."
Dean said his
human, but Dean knew exactly what Will meant, and he was over the moon that his
mate felt the same way about him. "Maybe it is," he replied,
"but we can be crazy together."
It must have been the right thing to say, because the smile
Will offered him was so bright it lit up the entire tent. Dean would have loved
to just lie there with his mate and enjoy it, but sadly, their stolen time was
running out. He sensed the approach of some people and he forced himself to
release Will.
"Okay, we gotta get ready to go," he told his mate.
"Quickly, let's clean up."
He helped Will wipe down and pull on his clothes as quickly
and efficiently as possible. His hands probably lingered a bit on Will's skin,
but he forced himself to move away. Finally, he removed his own clothing and
readied himself for the shift. "Wait!" Will told him. "What do
we do with the wolf?"
The plush toy. Right. Will couldn't take it with him, since
his brothers would ask questions, and they definitely couldn't leave it here
because someone would just walk off with it. Dean thought a bit, then finally
said, "I'll take it. It's dark enough outside that no one should see me,
even with the wolf."
That was how Dean ended up carrying a large plush toy by the
scruff as he sneaked through the shadows in shifted form. He watched Will meet
with his brothers, and experienced a pang of yearning with every step he took
away from Will. He only managed to turn away because of his new plan, and
Will's agreement to it. Soon, he wouldn't have to hide. Soon, they would be together
forever.
Chapter Four
Over the next couple of days, Dean completed the preparations
for their departure. He packed supplies—food, clothes, maps, money—and left
everything at the cabin. He ironed out every detail of what needed to be done.
He and Will even agreed on the day they would leave—the night before the ending
of the Gathering, when the rest of the werewolves would be distracted by the
unavoidable celebration and would not notice his absence. The preparations cut
into the time he could spend with his mate, and while they made love two more
times, it was rushed and frantic, the two of them taking advantage of the few
stolen moments they had at their disposal. Dean had been more than tempted to
claim Will, but in the end, he'd decided to do so once they started a life of
their own.
It was with a hammering heart that Dean went to the
celebration. He wanted to leave this all behind already, to stop being forced
to pretend, but he had to play this game up to the very last point so that his
father wouldn't realize the truth. That would be disastrous, since with the
power of the pack—and perhaps, the Gathering—behind him, he could make things
very difficult for Dean.
As such, Dean pretended. He put up the front of the perfect
born Alpha, ready to take over for his father once the man decided it was time
to step down. He listened to the proposed policy changes and provided his own
input, careful not to sound either too controversial or too approving.
It all seemed to go well—until the mingling started. It was
an unofficial tradition. After all was said and done, young unmated wolves
would wander around in search of a mate. Naturally, Dean had no interest in it,
beyond the fact that he knew it would also mark the beginning of a wild party.
Sometimes, even mated shifters were drawn in, and Dean knew of instances his
father had been among the shifters in question. In fact, he was relying on it.
It didn't happen this time around. Dean had been on the right
side of the meeting grove, deep in conversation with a young Alpha from Saigon
who was expressing his concern over the effects of the current political
climate for his pack. He'd been trying to convince the aggravated man that he
empathized with his plight when his father manifested by his side and grabbed his
elbow.
He nodded in acquiescence of the other Alpha, then said,
"Come on, Dean. I want you to meet someone."
Dean said his
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