Alpha Elijah

What You Need To Know

Unique aspects of story:

 - live along side humans (who know about wolves) though they rarely get involved in each other's business

 - They transform into full wolves though rogues can have trouble shifting properly, if never taught how, so the common image of werewolves is a half human, half wolf/beast.

Pack ranks:

Alpha, Luna - top of the pack, in charge of everything that happens, gets position by birth or mate

Beta, Beta Female - second ranked, directly under alpha and appointed by alpha or mated

Gamma, Gamma Female - third ranked, appointed by alpha or mated

Delta, Delta Female - Fourth ranked, appointed by alpha or mated

Epsilon, Epsilon Female - Fifth ranked, appointed by alpha or mated

Zeta - Pack doctor, gains rank through skill and experience, has higher authority than any rank in pack when they are treating them (be it alpha or omega)

Eta - In charge of Luna's safety, gains rank through skill and loyalty, highly respected rank

Omicron - Pack trackers, hunt down rogue wolves by the boarders

Sigma - Pack warriors, defend the pack boarders, first to fight when pack in attacked

Upsilon - The normal pack wolves, often hold down regular jobs

Omega - Rogues who have joined the pack and are not trusted, a mixed breed (human and wolf),  A naturally weak wolf.

Rogues - Wolves who have never had a pack, have lost their pack or who have left their pack. Often stay in groups for protection, can be irrational and attack for no reason, though that is often only the ones who have never had a pack.

Wolves:

 - Can live for thousands of years but are not immortal

 - Average age of 400 because of wars, rogues and humans

 - Mate is often found before the age of 100 or you are classed as mateless (your mate is probably already dead.

 - slow ageing process naturally. Ageing first slowed when you shift, then when you meet your mate, then when you have mated with your mate

 - the earlier your first shift, the higher your final rank is said to be

 - When you mate with a person of higher rank you take on their rank and lose your previous rank, unless it is a Zeta then you just become the Zeta's partner.

 - Rogue wolves who join a pack go through a re-intragation course but they will often never reach a rank above a Sigma because most Alphas never fully trust them (though it's not always true)

 - Each rank in the pack hierarchy also has a world ranking (e.g. strongest Alpha in the world is number 1,  most skilled Zeta is Number 1)

 - Each pack has a bond which is a way to talk to each other through their mind but it only works if the people you are talking to want to talk to you, you cannot force your way into their mind and find out their secrets unless they allow you (even the Alpha)

 - Once you are over 800 years old you are classed as an Elder as you have exceeded double the average age of a wolf and you can go to the Elder meetings (if your pack Alpha allows you to - most do but some don't)

 - If you are an Elder you also get another bond, similar to that which you have with your pack. You only get this after your initiation as an Elder (which is once again the Alphas choice if you go but your name must be recorded whether you become a fully-fledged Elder or not).

 - The Elders hold a lot of power as a collective but because of the lack of Alphas that are elders (as Alphas often die young in wars or battles) they hold more of an advisory role to the Alphas through their life experience.