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“Everything.”

“He doesn’t know everything.”

“He was standing six inches away from me last night,” I admitted.

Patty’s eyebrows rose. “Six inches?”

I waved her off. “Please, just continue the presentation.”

“No, ma’am. What happened?” She watched me for several seconds before clicking the remote with unnecessary force. “Fine. But there will be a post-presentation review.”

The next section covered physical traits. Shifters healed faster than humans, though not instantly. Broken bones still required treatment. Severe injuries remained severe. Silver burned them.

Full moons didn’t force transformation, though they increased restlessness, sensory sensitivity, appetite, and the desire to run. First shifts often clustered near them because the hormonal and lunar effects overlapped.

Wolves could transform whenever they wanted after puberty, provided they were healthy enough and had sufficient energy. Repeated shifts burned enormous calories and left younger wolves exhausted.

Clothing transformed with them.

“I assumed that, from what I’d seen on the videos,” I said. I didn’t add that I had watched Hudson shift.

“Many humans don’t. Movies have created expectations of nudity before shifts.”

The slide changed to a diagram featuring a series of concentric circles and intersecting lines, looking less like a simple organizational chart and more like a high-stakes corporate hierarchy designed by someone on three espressos.

PACK HIERARCHY & ALPHA DYNAMICS: HOW TO NOT ACCIDENTALLY START A COUP

Patty lowered the spoon. “Now, since you already know what an alpha is in abstract terms, let’s talk about how it plays out in our pack. Because if you’re going to survive around Hudson and Hilary without making a fatal faux pas, you need to understand how the power structure works in practice.”

My pulse gave a small, traitorous flutter at Hudson’s name, but I kept my face blank. “I know Hilary is the alpha. She runs the council, right?”

“Hilary is the top of the food chain, yes,” Patty confirmed, tapping the center circle of the diagram. “Her word is ultimate law for our pack. But because she’s planning to step down in the next few years, Hudson is effectively handling half the alpha workload already. He’s the heir apparent, which puts him in a weird, hyper-visible middle ground.”

“How so?”

“An alpha’s authority isn’t just a title. It’s about territory resonance and dynamic presence,” Patty explained, waving the spoon. “Call it aura, vibe, commanding energy… whatever you want. Hilary’s scent and voice carry absolute weight. When an alpha sets a boundary or gives a direct directive, it triggers an instinct in other pack members to fall in line. It’s a biological protection mechanism.”

I nodded slowly, putting the pieces together. “And Hudson has that same authority?”

“The full weight of it is developing in him,” Patty said. “Which means people already treat him like the alpha in their daily interactions. He doesn’t just run his business, Sloane. Hilary has him coordinating territorial boundaries, mediating member disputes, and handling security. The safety of every person in this pack is on his shoulders while he waits for her to officially retire. If a rogue wolf passes through? Hudson handles it. If someone almost breaks secrecy?” She gave me a pointed look. “Hudson fixes it.”

I thought about the exhaustion in Hudson’s eyes during our late-night conversation, the heavy sense of obligation he carried. He wasn’t working himself into the ground because he was a workaholic. He was carrying the weight of an entire pack on his back to prove he was ready when his mother finally handed over the reins.

“And what happens if a regular wolf pushes back against that kind of authority?” I asked.

“Depends on the situation. Most reasonable leaders—like Hilary and Hudson—lead through respect, not fear. But if someone challenges the pack’s safety or tests them openly, an alpha’s presence can feel like physical pressure. It’s overwhelming.”

She clicked to the next slide, which showed two cartoon wolves facing each other, flanked by tiny clip-art shields.

SUBMISSION CUES: A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR UNDERCOVER HUMANS

“Which brings me to submission mechanics,” Patty continued, her tone taking a slightly more practical turn. “If Hilary—or Hudson, when he’s acting with alpha authority—gives a direct command, local wolves react instinctually. Since you don’t have those instincts, you’ll have to fake the body language so you don’t look like a threat or a total weirdo.”

“Like what?”

“Exposing the throat, dropping eye contact first, relaxing your shoulders. Basic ‘I’m not challenging your authority’ signals.” Patty grinned wickedly. “Of course, given that you and Hudson were standing six inches apart last night, dropping eye contact and exposing your throat might give him a very different impression.”

I hurled a throw pillow at her head. Patty ducked, cackling as the pillow bounced off the wall behind her.