Page 89 of Shifter Situations

“What? I’m not trying to be a dick. I’m genuinely asking. I know it’s a sensitive subject, but I don’t see why the alphas would be upset.”

“It’s okay, Palmer. I get what you’re asking,” Charlie said before sighing.

“The faction alphas like to have a reason to complain. It’s their prerogative.”

“I don’t really understand how the pack runs,” I admitted.

Sloane bounced her head, thinking of a way to explain. “Okay, think of the pack hierarchy as a layered cake.”

We all groaned.

“I know, I know. It’s just the best way to explain it. You have these layers. Cakes or onions, whatever you want to think about. It could be a stack of blocks for all I care. Just fucking imagine it.”

“Keep going,” Stone encouraged, fighting a smile.

“At the top, you have the Supreme Alpha. Right below him are two tiers. The faction alphas and the apprentices. An apprentice can fall under a local, faction alpha as well as the Supreme Alpha, or in Briggs’ and my cases, just the Supreme Alpha.

“After that, you’ve got the second-in-commands and then the betas. Seconds are betas, but there isn’t just one beta in a pack. And after that layer, there are Omegas and Gammas. They, along with Betas, make up the whole of a pack. The Alphas lead them.”

“How many packs are there?” the demon questioned.

“There are six large packs in the United States in addition to this pack,” Charlie answered.

Sloane expanded on her dad’s reply. “The number of packs and alphas in a single area depends on how many shifters there are. In territories like Africa and Asia, there are more natural predators, so there are more shifters, and as a result, more packs.

“It’s the same with places like, say, South America. And colder places tend to have fewer alphas but more shifters per pack. The space in those areas is the deciding factor, though. The packs meet less frequently because they’re so spread out. Polar bears aren’t exactly friendly animals, so there’s that too.”

“The shifters in the warehouse aren’t all from my pack,” Charlie confided. “Several of them aren’t even from this side of the world. I couldn’t understand how they got here at first.”

“Did you ask them?”

“I did. Most of them had similar stories. They seemed to have been conned into thinking they were coming here at my request. I’ve reached out to their alphas, and I’ve only had one refuse to step up. He doesn’t want to help the captives who were members of his pack, so I’ll be taking them on.

“I asked Blaire to check their minds again. Everyone is clear-headed, as far as the static goes. I didn’t know there were so many unwilling rogues.”

Jack squeezed Charlie’s shoulder in comfort. “Those aren’t rogues, Dad. Those are victims.”

Blaire nodded, frowning. “Safe from the drug but filled with trauma.”

Sloane narrowed her eyes, holding her hand out before Charlie could speak again. “Who doesn’t want to step up?”

He sighed. “Gerard. He’s the alpha of the pack in Colorado.”

“Oh, I had a lovely chat with him last night.”

“He mentioned that this morning,” Charlie said with a grin. “He’s worried that you’re going to kill him.”

“I will.” She shrugged, no remorse to be found. “He should straighten his act up.”

“Kill him,” Baylor commented. “He cheated his way to the alpha position. He’s been running pack members off for the last fifteen years.”

“You’re not wrong,” Charlie stated. “But I need someone to replace him. That pack is too big to go even days without someone in charge.”

“Appoint someone,” York suggested, and I agreed with that thought.

“It’s not that simple,” the Supreme Alpha admitted. “This isn’t a royal court. Positions are won, fought for, not given.”

“It never is,” Jack muttered.