"You gain strength, courage, and confidence

by every experience in which you really stop

to look fear in the face. You must do the thing

which you think you cannot do."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Behind closed doors. That's how it should have been handled. Instead of the public display of malice and hate, of tears and sadness. Of old memories brought anew, and thoughts that were long wished to be forgotten brought back from the dark.

Behind the watching eye.

There they went. As it should have been.

The King realized as he watched his son embrace the girl, how wrong he had been to bully his way to her tears. She didn't back down like he thought she would.

When was the last time he saw his son openly embrace someone? When was the last time he had embraced his son.

Just as quickly as the thoughts had entered, jumbling the King's mind, they left, leaving him watching the couple below.

The crowd wordlessly watched with the King, the display.

Yet he still had questions that he needed answered. Still had doubts. Still did not like the girl. Still found an odd satisfaction in her tears. The King stood with his mind whirling around. He needed answers and he needed them in that instance.

"Alpha Bruno I feel that we should take this matter behind closed doors," the King said, facing Alpha Bruno as he gave a curt nod in reply. "The rest of you are dismissed," the King barked.

The shuffling of feet was heard as the quiet whisper of voices rose with the exiting of the nobles, soldiers and whatever other important people who had found their way into the throne room.

Prince August and Fayette had separated by then. Fayette walked slowly to Alpha Bruno's side, tense the whole way. All of her secrets were out in the open. Many knew of her true nature now and of what she was capable of. She shuddered, as she remembered the looks in the eyes of those around her. Fear, surprise, panic, confusion. But the shuddering stopped when she felt a touch of warmth on her neck. Turning around in confusion her eyes met Prince August's surprised ones.

"Did you...." She couldn't finish the sentence, not knowing exactly what it was that had just happened.

The only sign of recognition that he knew what she was talking about was the slightly widened eyes that held fear and surprise in them. "It's the bond," Prince August whispered to Fayette. Without another word he turned and followed his father, Queen Rienna and Alpha Bruno to a secluded room behind the Throne room.

Fayette followed with faltering steps. She was the Prince's life mate. The enormity of it all hit her in the stomach, leaving her breathless.

The Bond

Fayette thought about what she had been told of life mates. Lifemates were said to have the ability to feel each other's emotions, to be able to connect more with their partner through not only the mind but also skinship. She had read books on it, interested in what sort of bond had led her father into a crazed mind.

Fayette walked into a room with a huge oak table in the middle. The King, Queen, and Prince sat to one side, while Fayette and Alpha Bruno sat on the other side. Entering the room however through a different door, were two people whom Fayette did not recognize.

A man and a woman. They both seemed to be in their early 40s. The man was lean and tall, with combed brown hair and eyes resting on his head. The woman had green eyes, with chin-length black hair. There was something odd about the pair though. The way they held themselves. Always some part of their body seemed to be touching one another. A slight brush of the shoulder, a move of the hand, a lean.

They sat down together at the head of the table, each sharing the seat of power.

Fayette realized then that this pair was actually a couple- they were lifemates.

The King's eyes flashed to the couple at the head of the table. Clearing his throat he motioned to them saying, "My beta Gavin and his lifemate Crystal."

Alpha Bruno's back straightened with the mentioned that the two seated before him were lifemates. Gavin and Crystal both nodded their heads at the same time towards Alpha Bruno and Fayette. Gavin kept his face void of emotion, similar to the Prince and Queen, however, Crystal could not help the huge smile that was overflowing her features.

A slight pause filled the room until the King cleared his throat again. The Queen, however, said the first words.

"Fayette dear, I'm so sorry you had to do that."

The King's eyes flashed golden at the Queen, however, she did not spare a glance at him, instead reaching across to grab Fayette's hand and give it a comforting squeeze.

Fayette exhaled loudly, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders, "It's okay Queen Rienna. Now you know sooner rather than later."

The Queen gave a nod and leaned back in her chair, spine still straight, but eyes quickly casting a calculating glance at the King.

Through the whole encounter, Prince August's eyes never left Fayette.

Alpha Bruno addressed the King, "I will pardon the hostility that was displayed to my pack member." The King's eyes stayed their fiery gold, showing to the room his anger and displeasure. Alpha Bruno continued, "What I want to know is what is going to happen now that the Prince has found his life mate. What will happen to my pack member? Her safety and well being are my main concern."

The King arched an eyebrow and said, "No King has managed to find a life mate beside the first wolf king. He laid down laws and procedures that we must follow in the event of this happening." With that the King nodded to Gavin, who stood up and pulled a stack of papers from a nearby cabinet, setting it down in front of him.

"We will go over first, the fact that our future Queen is a murder and an omega though," the King spat out. A low growl escaped Alpha Bruno's mouth as his eyes flashed gold. "Do not deny or defend the actions of your pack member," the King warned, "she herself has stated these crimes."

"I do not see how being an omega is a crime," Alpha Bruno growled, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning in closer.

"It's how she became one," the King said, leaning in also.

Both men stared at each other until the Queen spoke. "As Queen of the Hundred Wolf Pack Kingdom, I declare you, omega Fayette, cleared of your crimes."

There was a stunned silence in the room.

"You can't- it just- it's not that simple Rienna!" The King sputtered.

The Queen turned to the King with a frosty smile planted on her face. "I believe it is actually. She has been cleared. Therefore she is no longer an omega and is now elevated back to her original status." At that, the Queen's face faltered and she turned to Fayette. "What was your original status?"

"My father was Beta," Fayette said. The room absorbed the shock of Fayette's words. The Queen looked on with sad eyes at the girl before her. How far she had fallen in her packs eyes because of events that were beyond her control.

"Fine," the King said, "Even though this is abusing your power as Queen- I, King of the Hundred Wolf Kingdom, pardon you of your crimes."

Gavin clapped his hands loudly, rubbing them together, "Great! Now that that is cleared, let's move on to the actual issue at hand."

Fayette's eyes widened at the snub towards the King, but the King did not look angry in the slightest. Gavin opened the folder, spreading out the papers before him. Looking down at the documents, his eyes skirted across the page.

"There is quite a bit that needs to be done," he said weakly.

Prince August moved his eyes from Fayette for the first time, shifting them instead to Gavin, "What?" he said.

The room silenced and stilled with the Prince's involvement.

"Well," Gavin said, picking up a paper and giving it a closer look. "It is much more than what Crystal and I had to do.The first wolf King was very organized." Gavin looked back from Fayette to Prince August. "The first thing you must do is declare yourself to your new mate."

"What does that mean?" Fayette asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion. She suddenly started to snap her fingers, overtaken by nerves. The Queen gave a sigh and shot Fayette a look, promptly making her stop.

Gavin looked down at the paper and read, "This is a sacred bond that must not be treated lightly. It is important for the two to make the bond stronger before the actual ceremony. In order to do this, emotions must be shared among the partners. This will help the King and his Queen both become stronger mentally and physically."

"So.." Crystal gave a small chuckle. "I guess this might sound silly but just start with introducing yourself."

Fayette looked at Alto. "We already did at the Blue Moon Ceremony." The Prince straightened up and looked Fayette in the eye then. His own dark brown eyes, melting into black, took her breath and train of thought away.

"Why did you leave me at the Ceremony?" Prince August asked. Fayette's mouth gaped open like a surprised fish. The room was silent, as the other occupants watched the interaction. Fayette's eyes softened.

"I'm sorry about that." She said, her eyes never leaving his. "I was scared. I was frightened. It was all coming so fast. You were coming so fast. I never thought that I would have a life mate and he would be..." the words died in her mouth as the Prince's eyes sparked even more and power bristled off him in waves.

"It is me," he said, "and I'm glad it's you." Without taking a breath in between the Prince unashamedly said, "You're the best thing I've ever waited for."

Fayette inhaled sharply. Gavin and crystal flashed each other a triumphant smile. The Queen gave a small smile herself. The King rolled his eyes and huffed. Alpha Bruno ever like the watchful father examined Prince August closer.

"I do need to ask though Fayette," the Queen interrupted, "do you have any education?"

Before Fayette could answer Alpha Bruno spoke, "She has not completed her basic wolf courses, nor has she gone through training, however, she has been privately trained by me and another wolf." At that, the Queen raised her eyebrow. "Fayette did leave school when she became an omega, however, but as you can tell she is superior in knowledge of science and technology, having developed x-bane and the Blue Moon Ceremony Light show."

"A dropout," The King muttered, clearly not happy. "And has she ever shifted?" Suddenly an appalling look overcame the King, "Can she even shift?"

Fayette gave an uncomfortable squirm in her chair. "I have shifted only twice in my life to my wolf but those were both times when I was under a lot of emotion."

The King put his hand over his eyes, not moving. Fayette knew it was not good that she was not trained to at least be able to know how to shift into her wolf form. The two times she had, had been at the death of her mother and father. Images of her small tan wolf howling with the larger tan wolf next to her danced around her eyes. Flashes came again as she saw the image of her father's form on the ground and Alpha Bruno having to shoot her with X-bane to stop her wolf from going rampant.

"Untrained then and uneducated," the King said. He and the Queen exchanged glances with each other. "There is only one option that I can think of to correct this before we even think of going through with the bonding ceremony or a wedding."

"There is a royal academy, set in neutral ground where nobles and royals alike of different races go to receive proper training in their supernatural form and education," the Queen said. "And You Fayette, will have to attend."