THE TRUE MEANING OF FRIENDSHIP

It was decided that this would be my last term in Winderhill and I would be transferred to the Lorent Girl's Academy in Spring. Noooo....

But the Alpha had spoken, so I could not contradict it. Not right now anyway.

Okay, but Wolfie didn't totally humiliate me. In fact, most of the other people in the room barely noticed the shift from human to wolf to human control again. Good Wolfie.

Now that my safety and education had been assured, the negotiations continued. I wouldn't need the armored car anymore, would I?

More jewelry, not once off but in a subscription format, maybe a monthly catalogue to choose from.

Would the princess require beauty treatments?

Should clothing be provided in the form of an allowance or a credit card, or should a tailor be sent over every three months with material?

Of course I would receive my own set of stationary. Was it necessary that the designer be that particular one?

No, none of these things were unreasonable or too much to ask for, but in total, it was more than what Rebel was getting. But Alpha Sam was a girl, was it as much as Luna Edith's annual allowance?

I'm not sure what was going on, but the ladies continued and it felt like we would be stuck at an impass for a long time more.

To Lady Amber's credit she had not once demeaned me in an attempt to push the price lower.

Finally, I think Dad had enough of the haggling back and forth, he asked "Is there anything you particularly want, Sam?"

Why was he asking me? I looked at Mate.

Rebel only shrugged and gave me a crooked grin, "Ask whatever you wish, Princess. They were the ones who wanted to waste their money."

"Che! How could you call this a waste of money?" Lady Amber chided Rebel, "It is only right that we officially receive your mate into our family and provide for her accordingly."

Rebel only chuckled, it seemed he was close to Lady Amber. At least he had no angst whatsoever towards her the way he seem to have with everyone else in his family, "See, ask whatever you want Princess."

"What I want..." I said, "Isn't an easy thing."

The room got so silent, you could hear a pin drop.

"I want a safe town - house. Do you remember the destitute house at Morning Light, Alpha James?" I asked, "My parents had spoken about opening a larger one. I want that, for now, just the building, but over time I hope to expand it as we take in more homeless wolves. Eventually, it will be a small town, with its own shops and essential services, with simple employment opportunities, for Lycan who just needed a chance for a fresh start. That is what I want."

"I actually have no need for armored vehicles. Nor do I care much for beauty treatments or jewelry."

"My parents had provided for me well all these years and if I needed anything, I would simply ask when the need arose."

"I've been very blessed, I never knew what it was to be without."

"To me, I am content with whatever you had wanted to give. I thank you for accepting me in your family so wholeheartedly. And if there is anything more, then perhaps your contribution to the safe house. Any amount is fine."

The adults were still looking dumbfounded, "It doesn't have to be called a safe house... I haven't thought of a name yet. Just somewhere safe for Lycans who need it." I tried to explain.

"You could call it a slum." Beta Lorent suggested snidely. Unfortunately for him, Rebel heard it and snarled warningly back. Beta Lorent shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but smiled. He looked like a weasel when he smiled.

"Oh, Sam, is this really what you want?" Mum asked. I remembered this project was in Mum's heart for the longest time. Of course she was thinking of housing widows and their children. I was thinking about ex-fightdogs and other Lycan slaves.

I nodded.

"With recreational and health facilities and stuff like that. And its own administration and basic security. Sort of like a pack house building with connected apartments blocks." I was thinking of an ad I watched at the train station on the way to school. "Like a condominium, but ah, not fancy and expensive. Just practical and nice."

Mum's eyes lit up.

"Sam." Beta Lucas spoke, "I know your heart is in the right place, but a project like this would take a long term commitment. How to fund it sustainably would be another issue. And with the war approaching, we might want to postpone this to our post war rebuilding efforts."

That's true. I didn't think that far into it.

"The princess has been thinking about this for a long time. She had spoken to me from the first time we met. This new town will fall under my portfolio." It was Killion who spoke. "In fact, you could say, she saved me for this purpose."

The adults looked at me, I think Killion's words surprised them.

"So this was the 'personal project' you said you wanted Ki for." Beta Lucas realised.

"Impressive!" Gamma Harry said, "What foresight! You mean, you had picked him out and had been training him for this purpose all along?"

"Not just anyone, she picked the true heir of the Lorent Beta family." Alpha James added with a tinge of pride.

"What?" Beta Lorent gasped then, "Impossible." He stared at Killion.

"Surprise." Killion said coldly.

"Ki? Is it really Ki?" Lady Amber looked surprised.

"The one and only, Lady Amber." Ki smiled gently.

"Ohhh...ohhh..." Lady Amber said. She covered her mouth with her hand and teared up.

I immediately tried to steer the conversation away from any emotionally charged reunion, "It's true that Killion was meant to run the new town. But I do not have the details worked out, just a rough direction. And I neither have the resources or experience."

"You want to build a new town?" Lady Amber seemed to have recovered enough to remark, "What a unique dream for a princess."

I shrugged. I just wanted a safe place for the fight dogs I rescued... Grrr... What should I do? I didn't have the words or confidence to say it.

"The Princess Town." Killion decided, "That would be the name of this new town until Princess thinks of its official name. We can begin with a seed fund for now."

He made it sound almost businesslike and real.

Then I remembered Shannon's mum, who got tired of being a charity case. This part of it had always been on my mind.

"It's not a charity." I added, "It will run, well, not for profit but... Like in Night Leaf, the income earned is returned into building the town... Or something..."

"You are setting up a new pack?" Dad asked.

I shook my head, and then I nodded my head, "It would be run like a seperate pack, like Night Leaf, Morning Light, and Lorent. I mean, like seperate towns and administration. But we will all be one pack, with one army."

"You are not physically merging the packs?" Alpha James asked.

"Well, I was thinking, the merger will not be so physical. It might be better to preserve each Pack's distinct culture, the way Morning Light is run, with a Beta administering it, and it's own financial wallet?" I'm struggling to say the words, "Harvey will administer to Morning Light. Ben to Night Leaf, Killion to the new town. Lorent is actually the new addition, and I don't have a Beta loyal to me to run it, but for now I will leave it to my mate."

"I don't wish to make stressful changes or impose unnecessary buderns for the pack members too suddenly." I sighed. This was getting frustating. My brain was tired.

"Anyway, we'll figure it out as we go along." I decided, waving it off.

"That is a very new idea." Alpha James said, but he was nodding. I was almost worried he hated it. But I'm tired and I'm the Alpha and I DON'T CARE! Opps, Wolfie was surfacing. Why?

"These three Betas you named, are pureblood Beta wolves?" Beta Lorent questioned.

"Of course!" Beta Lucas was quick, answer on hilt.

"We are talking about Morning Light's Beta Gerald's only son. And Night Leaf's Beta Lucas' only son. As well as myself, the sole survivor the of Lorent Pack's Beta family." Killion explained.

Apparently, there was weight in these names, they were taken in with serious consideration. This was new to me, seeing this reaction to the names I grew up with. I mean, you must remember, Beta Lucas was my rather unorthodox babysitter right?

The one who gave me permanent markers and a stapler to play with when I was a pup. The one who thought it was a good idea to put me up in a tree alone so he could help Dad dispose of some rogues along the border...and then forgot which tree he put me in. (But that was another story, quite a funny one that my Dad still told around the dining table sometimes.)

"And you already have these three Betas' allegiance?" Beta Lorent asked testingly. I almost didn't want to answer him.

But I nodded. Or Wolfie did. I wasn't sure.

The adults looked uneccesarily impressed. I was sure they were all over-thinking some strange interpretation again, but as long as they didn't speak out their thoughts, I had no way of knowing or clarifying them.

Lady Amber laughed then, her laugh was warm and delicate, "It had just occured to me that teaching you the different types of teas and their recommended preparation times, or how to arrange flowers or host balls might not be necessary. In fact, forget it! Let someone else pour your tea and plan your parties."

Wolfie was definitely surfaced now, "I'm just lucky." She informed Lady Amber.

"Oh really?" Asked Lady Amber, "What do you mean lucky?"

And then Wolfie said something I wouldn't had known if she never said, "The Moon Goddess made me to win."

At that moment, I thought of the image of a chess board. I was the king of the chessboard. All the other pieces played by my command. And I was going to win all the other colored pieces to myself.

"Is that so?" Lady Amber laughed again.

Did I go too far to assert that out loud?

I nodded and smiled, "I am Bell's mate. Whether or not we betroth, it will not change anything. Yet just by sitting here tonight, I get all these gifts, I get a new family, I get a new mentor and a new education opportunity, I get funds to begin building my new town, and I get a chance to share my ideas with everyone. I win."

I stood up, "Let's end the negotiations here. I will leave Alpha James and Luna Edith to decide my dowry and request they consider contributing to the seed fund for the new town."

This way we all win.

Everyone else stood up too.

"Well, if that is agreeable with everyone, then let us proceed this way." Dad decided. He held up his hand to Alpha James who took it promptly and the two Alphas shook on it. It was done.

"I must say, this is the first time I shook hands without confirming any of the terms." Alpha James told my Dad with a grin.

My Dad smiled back, "That is the true meaning of friendship."