–(Mark)–
The following morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon. I checked my phone and saw that it was 6 AM. Stretching, I slowly got up from my bed and went through my morning routine. I entered the kitchen and plated myself a large breakfast and a cup of coffee.
"Wow, thanks, James, for making me breakfast. Oh, it's no problem, Mark, it's my pleasure," James talked to himself like a person with a few screws loose.
"I think you've finally lost it, James." I got a head slap for my comment.
"Thanks for taking the time out of your week to set up this trip for me and Noah, though."
"It's no problem. I know you will have your hands full once school starts, so it's good to get as much family time in as possible. Trust me, you'll regret not spending time with family once they're gone." He stared off for a moment before coughing a bit and continuing,
"Besides, Noah is your family, so he's part of ours too."
"Also, this will be the most stress-free camping you will ever have. And the safest too, since you will be with me and on pack land."
"Alright, let's go surprise Noah."
"Alright, but he'll know the second I step a foot in the house. My steps are 'heavy'—his words, not mine," I mentioned.
"Do you know if he leaves his window unlocked? Also, we'll work on getting you to walk quietly through the forest. It's a necessary skill when stalking prey."
"Yeah, he likes the breeze and songs in the morning."
"Perfect."
We pulled up to the house, and my parents were already out front with a bag of Noah's packed stuff.
"Hey, Mom, Dad, is Noah still sleeping?"
"Yeah, he doesn't wake up until 9 normally. We keep telling him that the first week of school is going to suck with his sleeping schedule all messed up, but what do we know?"
"Hey, James, I think we can scrap the window idea."
"The window idea?" my dad asked.
I waved it off. "Hey, Dad, do you think you can carry Noah from his bed into the car?"
"Sure, unlike some people, I'm still able to carry him."
"Great, first Noah calls me fat, now this. It's all muscle!" I exclaimed.
James grinned. "Uh-huh, you didn't go light on breakfast," he added. "We both know I could eat a lot more and not gain a single ounce of fat."
"Shh, you'll wake Noah up," Mom shushed me.
Flabbergasted, I just pointed at Dad and James. "They're calling me fat."
"Well, you did gain weight," my mom pointed out.
"IT'S MU-" James clamped his hand over my mouth. I did the only thing I could and licked his hand.
"Oh, come on, that's gross." He removed his hand and wiped it on my sleeve.
"You're the one that tells me there are no rules in fighting," I said. "Take that!"
"Just wait in the car while your dad gets Noah," he pushed me into the car.
In just a few minutes, we had a sleeping Noah, and I said goodbye to my parents. We pulled out of the driveway.
We made it about halfway to the start of the hiking trail when Noah woke up.
"Where am I?" he sleepily asked.
"On Earth."
"No shit. Wait... Mars, why am I in a car with you and James and not in my bed?"
"Surprise! Bet you didn't see being kidnapped as part of your birthday present," I joked with him.
"No, it was definitely next to my brother turning into a werewolf on my bingo card," he said with sarcasm.
"James, why am I not home?" he asked the man.
"Mark wanted to take you camping before the school year started, and so you're here unwillingly with the consent of your parents," he said with a smile.
"Great, a hike is the first thing I want to do when I wake up. Not."
"Here, brush your teeth, your mouth stinks," I handed him his toiletries.
"I wonder why."
"Shh, more brushing, less talking. Mom also packed your breakfast."
After another hour of driving, we reached the woods. We stepped out of the car, and I grabbed Noah's stuff to carry it.
"Where's your guys' stuff?" he asked.
"It's already at the campsite with the tents and all," James answered.
"Aren't you scared of people stealing it?"
"We're on pack land. No one's supposed to be here anyway. And if they are, we have regular patrols to take care of any wayward people and lead them back to public land," James answered his question again.
"Let's get a move on. We can reach the campsite in an hour or so. Mark, hand me Noah's stuff and put Noah on your back."
"I can walk," Noah said.
"We're running there," was his only response before he started to run at full werewolf speed.
"Well, get on. This is probably one of the last times I'll give you a piggyback before you claim to be too old for that."
"But I am too old for that."
I fake sniffle. "They grow up so fast."
"Ugh, crouch a bit so we can get this over with."
Noah jumped on my back, and I gave him a minute before I started to run after James. In an hour, we got there, and Noah jumped off.
"Great, I smell like your gym rags," Noah said.
"Well, guess who's walking on the way back," I said.
"That would be preferable."
The campsite was nice. It had an outdoor shower, a fire pit, and a beautiful view of the lake. There was also a concrete slab where you could set up tents on flat ground.
It's the site that we use during the full moon where we can hunt animals away from people, lowering the risk. I'm still not allowed to hunt during the full moon since I can't really control myself. Once the full moon is over, we can have a shower to wash away the dirt and blood from our skin and enjoy a bonfire.
We set up the camp, and I showed Noah around. The view from the hilltop was stunning, and Noah seemed to appreciate the beauty of nature despite his initial grumpiness. We spent the afternoon exploring the trails, fishing and even swimming in the lake.
As the sun began to set, we returned to the campsite. James started the fire, and I helped Noah with dinner preparations. We roasted marshmallows, made s'mores, and talked about everything and nothing.
"So, Noah, nervous about the new school year?" James asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"It's alright. I'm not looking forward to the new year. Too many changes," Noah admitted.
"Change isn't always bad. Sometimes it brings new opportunities," James said thoughtfully.
"I guess," Noah replied, still sounding unsure.
After dinner, we sat around the campfire, the flames casting flickering shadows. The air was cool, and the sounds of the forest surrounded us. Noah leaned back, looking up at the stars.
"This is actually pretty nice," he admitted.
"I told you it would be," I said, smiling.
James nodded. "It's important to take time to appreciate moments like this. Life moves fast, and it's easy to get caught up in the chaos."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the peacefulness of the woods. The fire crackled, and the night deepened around us. Noah started to nod off, and I nudged him gently.
"Time for bed, kiddo."
He yawned and got up. "Okay, okay. Goodnight, guys."
"Goodnight, Noah," James and I replied in unison.
Noah went into his tent, and I stayed by the fire with James for a bit longer. We talked about the pack, our responsibilities, and the future. It was a rare moment of tranquility and reflection.
Finally, we decided it was time to turn in. The day had been good, and I was grateful for the time spent with my brother and James as I drifted off to sleep.