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They returned to the Alphas’ home to get her car. As they drove away, she asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I think so, anyway. He said that after he got the call from Byron about the mating laws changing, he was out on the back patio looking at the stars and heard some people walking by. He caught only a bit of their conversation, but they were complaining about the alpha changing the mating laws and allowing humans into the pride and that it’s ruined now.”
“Ruined?”
He shrugged. “I thought everyone was on board with the changes – certainly it sounded as if they were, but clearly some didn’t feel the same happiness that we do.”
“Does he know who it was?”
“No. He walked around to the front to see, and they were gone, and he didn’t recognize the voices but thinks it was an older couple.”
“Why does he think that?”
“Because they didn’t shift for the hunt. Sometimes the older members don’t care to shift – their joints ache and it can get harder to do as they age. Donnie only shifts a couple times a year.”
“You’d think shifters wouldn’t get aches and pains like that.”
“Well, we do heal quicker than humans but aging attacks everyone at one point or another.”
“Do you think the couple who was complaining are unique in the pride or are there others who won’t like humans being in the mix?”
“I honestly don’t know. But it’s something to keep an ear out for. If someone doesn’t like humans being in the pride, it could just be a general feeling and not something they’d act on, like ask Byron to refuse human membership in the pride. But, even if several people rose up and asked for things to go back the way they were, Byron’s made the declaration and his word is law, period.”
“That’s good. I’d hate to think people don’t want me and Ree around.”
“Well, that’s how life can be sometimes, I guess. Not everyone likes everyone else, but the important thing is that you’re safe and happy, no matter where we live.”
“Speaking of living,” she said, glancing out the window, “are there a lot of empty houses?”
“There are a few, but we could always build. I’ll have to check with Byron because I’m not sure about houses near my grandpa’s place. There’s lots of room, though.”
“How big is the pride territory?”
“Almost a thousand acres. We like a lot of room to hunt.”
“I guess so.” She watched the scenery blur by as he accelerated on the main road and headed toward the apartment. “So Duke and Ree will take over the pride in thirty days. She’s going to have a lot to learn to take over.”
“Yep.”
When Byron had announced that he was handing over the leadership of the pride to Duke and Ree, as well as changing the mating laws, the whole pride had lifted their heads and roared. It had been a happy sound, like they were congratulating the couple and excited for the new laws. She’d thought the mating laws were strange when she first heard about them. Honestly, that anyone would care whether both people in a marriage were lions or not seemed absurd. But there were marriage laws for humans, and they did need to change with the times. There were still places in the world where people couldn’t choose their own husbands, or where young girls were given away in marriage without their agreement. Like the lions, there were human families who disowned their sons and daughters for making romantic choices they didn’t agree with, so what the lions had been doing wasn’t really that different when it came right down to it.
At least Barron had been willing to go against tradition for her, even if it meant that he couldn’t be part of his pride. Though she was thankful he hadn’t actually had to walk away from his people.
Returning to the statement about her sister and Duke, she continued, “You mentioned about being mid-ranked in the pride. And Duke’s going to be the alpha, which I take it to mean the big boss. What’s the deal with rankings? How are they decided? Is everyone ranked, even the women and kids?”
He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “All the males in the pride are ranked by fighting skill from the top – which is the alpha – to the lowest, what we call the omega. Only the males are ranked. While the females are taught to fight in their shifts and hunt, they’re not ranked, and it’s just always been that way. The alpha position is hereditary. Byron’s father was the alpha before him, and his father was alpha before him. If Duke and Ree have any sons, the firstborn would become the future alpha, assuming that he can shift. If he can’t, the pride laws as they stand right now state that only a male who can shift can be the alpha. Of course, I think a lot of rules are going to go the way of the dodo once Ree and Duke take over. It was time for an overhaul anyway.
“When our males first shift, sometime around sixteen, they’re taught to fight and hunt in their shifts. At twenty, they’re allowed to petition to join the ranks, and they start at the bottom – as omegas. The alpha sets up some fights and the males square off, the winner taking over the position of the one they defeated. Unless, of course, they lose, in which case they’re stuck in that position until the next set of battles, which could be a few months or longer.”
“You fight in your lion form?”
“Yep. I heard that some lion prides let males choose whether they fight in human or lion form, but I don’t know what the point would be. We’re trying to figure out who the best lion is, not the best human.”
“What if someone doesn’t want to fight?”
“Do you mean if they want to stay in their position?” He cast her a questioning look.
“Well, yeah, or someone higher ranked. Like if someone came at you and said they wanted your position, could they just fight you?”
