All wolves are ranked.

The ranks are as follows:

BLOOD ALPHA:

These are rare and the most powerful. They are born to lead a pack. On the rare occasion that more than one is born to a pack, a Mahani Blood Alpha can tell which one was supposed to take charge and why there was more than one. In most cases, it's the next leader of a different pack.

Blood Alpha's put out an aura that can bring a wolf or human to its knees without ever striking out.

ALPHA:

This is the top of the five ranks. Alphas are big, fast, intelligent, and usually the leaders. Most are in charge of whatever they do. They are CEO's and business owners. They are born to lead. They have trouble taking orders from anyone but the Blood Alpha.

BETA:

These are loyal and follow directions from the Alpha in charge. They usually will do the grunt work or are given the supervisor or manager roles. They are also the enforcers and jailers of a pack. They are as fast and as strong as an Alpha.

DELTA:

These are your information gatherers. In the current day, they are information technology experts or spies. They know everyone and are the best sources of gossip.

GAMMA:

These are your psychological experts. Most are therapists, strategists, or psychologists.

They can see how a situation can go wrong or how something will turn out based on statistical data.

OMEGA:

These are the helpers of the pack. They are doctors, firefighters, nurses, medics, or any role known to help others.

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PACK WOLVES:

This is any wolf belonging to a pack. They can be of any rank.

LONE WOLVES:

These do not choose to belong to a pack. They can be born this way or declared a Lone wolf by the Mahani.

ROGUES:

These are wolves without a pack for any reason who are actively searching for a new one.

However, they have a reputation as wolves thrown out of their pack and could not go to the Mahani for Lone Wolf status because of crimes committed. Most rogues are lawless and create havoc.

RIFTERS:

When wolves have more control and are the primary, they are called Reverse Shifters (RIFTERS).

Rifters are only allowed in human communities if trained by the Mahani and given permission by the Council. If one breaks the law, it is sent to the Mahani for training unless it is feral, which is when the human side no longer exists.

FERALS:

These are wolves that have lost their humanity. They are generally aggressive and killed on sight.

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There are exceptions to every rank! Pack members and Mahani alike can have a calling to do a job not typically within their rank. Most packs will allow it, but some will not.

Children are conditioned from birth to respect their elders as well as how to treat the different ranks.

In the old days, ranks were the equivalent of titles, and the lesser ranks were disrespected and abused. The children of the higher ranks would bully those born from the lower, and mating outside your rank was forbidden.

However, children of any rank could be born from these unions, so there were many disowned teens when, for example, an Omega was born from an Alpha pair. They will not know their rank until the wolf emerges.

As time passed, most packs let go of these old ways and allowed the ranks to intermingle, but there is still prejudice within most packs.