The Wolf Pack of ____ is a prosperous pack that lives amongst an abundance of wild game, wide fields, rugged hills and mountains, powerful waterfalls, cascading streams and rivers, and thick green decidious and evergreen forests. The story takes place before the time of the settling of america when the land was wild and native americans were the only humans to be found.
Gerai and Darika (the alpha mating pair) have just had their third litter and it is a wonderful time for everyone in the group. New blood will replenish those lost in recent months and will reassure the pack's success. But another litter is born which threatens the ways of the wild wolf and the pack's well-being. Sacrifices must be made and lives will be lost, but within the circle of death, new life is found.
As the pups grow and find their places' in the pack, disease strikes down one of the most valuable hunters and fighters of the pack and pack members disperse from the pack in search of their own lives.
Just when all seems to have gone wrong, an even greater shadow falls upon the pack. A larger, rival pack in need of new territory begins plotting their assault after discovering the recent losses. After the rival pack executes their attack, the pack is driven in two, only to re-unite after a year of separation in a new territory to the North. Now the pack's will to survive and the future's of Gerai's and Takai's children, and the pack itself will be tested.
FAQ:
Q. Are the titles "Alpha, Beta, and Omega" applicable in wild wolf packs?
A. Yes and no. I myself do not like to refer to woves by alpha, beta, omega, because it seems too simple for such a complex society like that of a wolf's. A wild wolf pack tends to have a dominant pair which mate once a year. The 'Alpha Male' will only mate with one female unless she either dies or is no longer able to reproduce pups. Beta really doesn't refer to one specific wolf. Majority of wolf packs are broken down into further categories of rank. Some wolves rank higher then others but are not considered 'alphas'. Usually a pack has one or two omegas which do not hunt, get very little food from kills, and tend to stay home to watch over pups and dig dens for the higher ranking wolves.
Q. Why do you think rank titles are only for captive wolves?
A. In captivity wolves are unable to leave the pack and move out on their own to assume their desired positions.
"Ascending to the throne": the leader gives the alpha role to their son or daughter is cliche and unfounded in the wild. Captive wolf pups may actually kill their parents, siblings, and other pack mates on some occassions to assert their dominance in the pack. Incest may sometimes occur as well.
In the Wild, 1-4 year olds will leave the pack when they feel they are ready to search of their own territory and to start a pack of their own. In captivity, wolves live in the sanctuary and zoos throughout there life if they are in captive breeding programs and cannot 'leave and start their own pack'. In captivity, wolves tend to all be "betas" since majority of females are bred in captivity by different males and are all raised together.
There is no hunting done and pups are raised by humans: thus no role for omegas except for the occassional wolf that gets pushed around or has their food stolen.
In conclusion, One Wolf ranking titles (other then alpha pair) are unfounded and pointless to be given to wild wolves and I believe it should be stated so.
Q. Why is Sayen infertile?
A. I'm not entirely sure, I created Sayen to be the emobodiment of 'lust' that was meant to appeal the other wolves. She was written as an 'infertile wolf' because...well to be frank, "Lord! There would be a lot of puppies running around if she were in that pack and could have babies!" Sayen is the most physically attractive wolf in the pack and constantly goes into a pharamonal heat where she does not bleed or shed her egg cells like animals and humans do during menstration. Thus the males are even more tempted to mate with her even without successful impregnation.
Q. What Disease does the "Pack's best Hunter and Fighter" die from?
A. When i originally wrote the story I thought of a disease I had heard of before that mothers and unvaccinated puppies can contract at birth. 'Colinitis'. It is usually thwarted by the immune system very easily or with simple medications but the time period where disease was prominent and wolves were unvaccinated in the wild made it very easy for them to contract and die of diseases. The average life expectancy of a wild wolf is between 5-12 years with 7 being the norm. This character died at age 4.
Q. Why do you draw in realism?
A. After countless discussions with about everyone on youtube who draws wolves, I will repeat myself one last time. I believe that this story should be written within the view of the common eye where everyone can aknowledge that "this character is a wolf" not "this is a wolf with freakish hair and rave party colors".
EMO FLIPS ON WOLVES DO NOT MAKE A CHARACTER AWESOME. Human hair belongs on humans and wolves do not have flames or blue and gold fur, leave fantasy to the RPGs and Fan Fics.