Many state have enacted statutes governing the time frame in which an employee's last paycheck must be paid.  North Carolina is one of those states.  It provides that a final paycheck must be paid as follows:

If an employee is terminated: next scheduled payday; if an employee quits: next scheduled payday. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 95.25.7.

If your employer is in violation of the law, then you can file a compliant with your state's labor board.