Running Through the Ranks

1 - First Steps

“Tiffany, pay attention. A lot is riding on your shoulders as the only heir to the Alpha.”

My mother, Regina, drilled me in another lesson. She thought that I didn’t remember anything from the other lectures.

We were in the dining room of the Alpha’s house. She thought that as the Luna, she had to prepare me when I wasn’t with Dad training. So now I sit at the table and Mom stands across from me as she talked.

“I know, Mom. You say the same thing every day. I understand that you and Dad are going to retire soon. I understand that I will have to run the pack myself. I also have been with Dad and learned everything about running the pack.”

Mother slapped the table in front of her. “Tiffany! I don’t care what your father says. It is the Luna’s job to keep peace and set an example. You have to play both the Luna and Alpha till you find your Mate. That means you need to learn from both of us.”

I huff and cross my arms over my chest. Mother always thought that she ran the pack better then Dad. They both had Alpha blood and believed themselves royalty.

Truth is that we have one of the country’s smallest packs. Only 100 wolves. While the other packs have from 200 to a thousand.

I stood up from my chair. “Regina! I understand. I’ve helped with the pack for years. I’m almost 17. I know how everything works and I understand how to keep peace and mange everything. Cole and Elizabeth are going to help too.”

Mother growled and snapped at me. “You maybe 16 but I’m still your mother. And the Betas don’t run the pack. The Alpha does.”

I growl back and stomp out the room. I feel my body heat up and my wolf fights to get out of my skin. I run outside and shift mid jump.

I take off running as my feet touch the newly fallen snow. I could hear Mother yell from behind me but she doesn’t pursue me.

I near the border and turn to run along it. I pass a few of the patrolling wolves and nodd a greeting.

After 20 minutes of running a grey wolf joins me to my left and a white wolf to my right. I bark a greeting and link to my Betas.

Cole, the grey, is the first to say anything. ‘My, my, the new Alpha is angry again. You should really control your temper.’

I shake my head. ‘Like your any better? I remember the fight you started a few years ago when you first started.’

Elizabeth, the white wolf, laughed over the link. ‘No kidding. I’m the one who broke it up with my appearance.’

I laughed at her lie. ‘Liz, you broke up the growling. I was the one in the middle of the fight tearing up Fay’s ear.’

Cole giggled. ‘Yeah Liz, you may be my Mate but you’re not a fighter. And Tiff, you have to give Liz some credit. I probly would’ve killed Fay’s whore ass if it weren’t for the both of you.’

I smiled mentally. ‘True. But we all know I’m respected as much as I am because I’m the Alpha’s heir.’

Liz shook her head no. ‘You’re loved because you’re a good person and you are the one holding the pack together. Regina can think she is the glue but it’s you that keeps us here. Your speeches, your skills, and your actions are the reason why the pack isn’t worried about you. Hell, if we were attacked by the Kingdom Pack, you would be the one to save us. We could win even against them with your brains.’

I blush mentally. ‘You really think so? You think I’m good enough for us to defend against the world’s largest pack?’

Cole gives me a wolfy grin. ‘Of course we think that. You have stopped some of the biggest fights way before your mother even knew what happened. You remember the fight between Fay and Jason? If you wouldn’t have stopped that, half the pack would be dead.’