Shadow Mate - Jen L. Grey Page 0,42

population size of wolf shifters is what determines how many regional alphas are in the mix. Then, the next layer is district alphas, who report to the regional. You’d compare them to the House of Representatives. Then, you have the normal pack alphas who cover a city or large county, who was there from the beginning of our history and who support and advocate for their individual pack’s needs."

"So it's like the human's hierarchy just with different names." I'd always known enough of shifter history to get by. However, being a young shifter attending a human high school, it wasn't easy to learn this type of information. "The best man wins."

"Do you really think that?" The right side of the professor's lip curved upward. "Humans are corrupt, and that's how they get their leg up. With us, it's not necessarily about the best but the strongest and sometimes the most vicious."

That's not how my parents raised me, and I almost interjected until Liam flashed in my mind. He sure wasn't caring, not even with people who weren't me.

"Ah... you're figuring it out." The professor grinned.

"Figuring what out?" Someone in the back of the class asked.

"This isn't something I can teach you. It's something you have to learn for yourself." He turned back to the board and placed an O right in the center over the four letters below. Then, drew four lines down from the O so it connected with the E, W, S, and N. "You see, the Overseer was like what Americans view as their President. No law could pass without their support, but the Overseer couldn't enact any laws on their own behalf without a majority vote of the members."

"A balance of power." Tripp pursed his lips.

"Exactly. The first Blood Council not only managed to make all their packs flourish. They also decided to found a school where all promising shifters could come to learn how to become effective leaders and help move our society forward." He lifted both hands and motioned around. "Which is known as Wolf Moon Academy. And the original Blood Council vowed that their family would always protect their packs."

"Family?" That didn't make any sense. "Wouldn't the stronger alphas, who took the position after them, be driven to protect the packs too?"

"Remember, we aren't human, Ms. Davis." He held up his pointer finger and arched an eyebrow. "They meant family."

"But only the strongest are alphas, so that wouldn't make sense." Tripp shook his head.

"Are you serious?" Gertrude huffed and shook her head. "Why do you think they are called The Blood Council?"

"I think what Ms. Williams is trying to say is that alphas are born of blood." The professor began to pace. "Strong blood makes strong alphas. The original council was made up of the strongest of the strong, and thus the heirs are the same."

"But people can become alphas even if their parents aren't." That same guy in the back snorted. "So that destroys that concept."

"Does it? There are rare times when someone might become the alpha of a single pack, but that's where it ends. Do you see the four heirs that will be replacing their fathers soon ever being challenged?" The professor walked in between Tripp’s and my desks. "Would you like to challenge them?"

"Uh, no. Of course not." His voice shook with fear.

"And that's my point exactly." He headed back to the front of the class and shook his head. "No one at a district alpha level... hell, I'd even say regional alpha level... could ever be beaten by someone not of pure, unadulterated alpha blood."

That shook me to my core. It didn't make any sense. I didn't cower to them, so what he was saying was impossible.

"We lost one of our most important leaders and one of the strongest bloodlines of all time nineteen years ago. You see, they were similar to the heirs who roam the halls here. They were strong, best friends, and arrogant. However, that all changed about two years after they took their positions and the Overseer, Brent Forrest, found his fated mate, Laurrel. They were publicly together one month before tragedy hit."

It was odd that it was my mother's name. It must have been more common than I realized. "What happened?"

"No one really knows." The Professor took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the desk in front. "The crime still remains unsolved today. Some rumblings have started recently saying it was because of some policies he was going to