As the Moon Teaches

New Moon Gathering. Part 2

After a short moment of silence, Loren could not help but whimper as Gregory still kept his nose pressed into his neck. The noise made Gregory pull back just enough to look Loren in the eyes. The Alpha’s eyes were shifting to red, and Loren found he could not fight the hold the man had on him.

Gregory leaned in, pressing their lips together in a rough kiss. His hips bucked forward against Loren’s hip, grinding a growing hardness against lean muscles. Loren gasped into the kiss and found himself lost in the sensation. It was as if he had no control over himself, that’s when he realized Zeala and Pelian were taking control.

Loren slammed his head back against the tree, fighting for the slim distance between him and Gregory. He gave a small cry of shock at the burst of pain from hitting the tree. At least that jolt was enough for him to take control back from Zeala.

“Gregory. Stop, Gregory.” Loren gasped at the other male. “Don’t let something happen we’ll both regret.”

It took a moment, but Gregory’s eyes returned to steely blue and he pulled away. He closed his eyes as he took a couple steps back. Once he had composure, he huffed and looked away, back towards the clearing where everyone else was.

“If you would live with me, I’m certain it would settle Pelian and Zeala some. Right now, they don’t know when they’ll be close, and I think they’ll take as much as they can get right now.” Gregory did have a point, even if Loren did not want to accept it at the moment.

“Yeah, well, we just need to control them better if we're going to have to be near each other for this ceremony.” Loren did not seem to be as upset as his words came off.

Gregory watched as Loren seemed to be fighting to control and calm Zeala. Loren actually looked a bit frazzled, like he was not as disgusted as he normally acted.

“Why won’t you move in? We’ll have separate rooms, separate bathrooms, the only thing we have to share is the living room and kitchen.” The Alpha sighed as he moved further from Loren. “It’s not like I really want you under my thumb… I just want Pelian to stop hurting.”

At that admission, Loren stared at the older teen. Was Gregory hurting when they were separate? Just like how Zeala made Loren hurt? Loren must have forgotten they were both in the same situation.

Sliding his back down the tree, Loren sat on the ground. He lowered his head into his hands and sighed loudly. He was distraught that he had not thought about Gregory’s suffering being just like his. They both did not want a male mate, but both their wolves were desperate for each other.

“Do you really think living together is going to be a solution?” Loren muttered from behind his hands.

“I don’t know, but how else will we know?” Gregory watched Loren for movement. “All I can say is that I’ll do my best to control Pelian.”

Loren looked up at Gregory and sighed again. This time more dramatically. Getting up, he crossed his arms and looked off in the direction of the clearing where preparations were still under way.

“You better… I’m not okay with this random snag and snog…”

Gregory could not help but laugh at Loren’s choice of words. That was totally out of place, but very fitting for some reason. He nodded and started the short trek back to the clearing.

“Same… funny but same.” Gregory snorted a small chuckle as he walked.

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The preparations took most of the day, only because everybody was working at a very relaxed pace. No rushing, as the gathering was meant for dark, when the moon would normally dominate the sky. As the sky darkened, several bon fires were lit up for the festivities.

By dusk, a majority of all three packs had arrived. There were several hunting parties formed, each with targets to catch for the feast. Keeping busy had helped keep Gregory and Loren separated for most of the day, but now that it was down to the hunting parties, there was not much to be done.

This time, Loren was the one to seek out Gregory. Carleigh, Lucy, and Marcus followed Loren from a distance, wanting to make sure their friend was okay. Loren found Gregory with his friends, Max and Mitchell.

Gregory paused in what he was doing when he saw Loren walk up. Getting up from his seat, he met the teen halfway. Before the Alpha could say anything, Loren was already holding up a hand to halt the conversation.

“I can’t be okay with how far Pelian and Zeala wanted to take it earlier.” Loren sighed and crossed his arms. “If being together more often will reduce that risk, then fine. We’ll try spending more time together.”

Gregory nodded his head in acceptance. “That sounds doable.”

“Seriously? He basically kidnaps you into the woods, and now you’re okay with him?” Carleigh huffed.

“I’d rather be in control, than lose control to our wolves.” Loren retorted, glad Carleigh did not know how close they came to making a big mistake.

“Which makes perfect sense, right Carleigh?” Lucy smiled and patted her friend on the shoulder. “Why don’t you come with me to meet Oskar?”

Oskar was Lucy’s mate, but from the smallest pack in the area, Autumn Wood Pack. It only took a short moment to pull Carleigh’s attention away, as she’d been interested in meeting Lucy’s mate. As the girls left, Marcus watched Gregory and Loren watch each other for the moment.

“I seriously hope my mate doesn’t cause me as much grief.” Laughing, Marcus went back to find some of his friends to sit with.

Gregory only had a little time to introduce Loren to Max and Mitchell before some of the hunting teams returned. This signified the start of the gathering, as now food could be started. The Alphas of each pack got up and went to stand near the largest bonfire. Slowly, everyone started to gather so that they could hear the Alphas speak.

The time to thank the Moon Goddess started, since the sky was darkening and the food was starting to be cooked. Each pack Alpha gave a speech, thanking the Moon Goddess and offering her safe travels. It did not take long before all pack members had something to feast on while thanking their beloved goddess repeatedly.

By the time the moon would be at its highest peak on a normal night, the animals in the nearby woods went quiet. Suddenly, the Alphas set to stripping and turning into their wolf forms. Everyone who could manage their wolf forms followed suit. As soon as the Alphas were fully changed, they began howling.

As all the members that turned into their wolves started howling, the younger members that could not did their best to howl loud enough to compare. There was little room for any other sounds that night. Howls could be heard for miles.

Loren was busy keeping up with the howling that he did not notice when Gregory stripped and shifted to wolf form. It was only when a large blond and white wolf pressed its shoulder into his side that Loren noticed. Green eyes met red and there was a pause in Loren’s world. Pelian was a gorgeous creature. Large all around, including rather big ears that Loren found the urge to play with.

“Pelian…” Loren whispered, in awe of the beast next to him.

Pelian reared its head back to let out a loud howl that sent shivers down Loren’s spine. It was definitely the howl of an Alpha. Loren reached out to gently place his hand on Pelian’s shoulders, fighting the urge to pet him like a puppy.

Returning to howling, Loren felt bolstered by having the Alpha at his side. He did not feel like a pup at the moment. Pelian shifted a little, pressing into Loren more. It only made Loren wish he could transform into Zeala. It must be freeing to be your wolf.

Standing together is how they spent the rest of the gathering. They ate next to each other, they sat together. Loren learned a little about Max and Mitchell, and talked about his sister some. The evening was a nice event, overall.