TWO YEARS AGO.

People are not happy with me.

I broke a time honored tradition of promoting the Under Delta, the second highest ranking warrior in the force, to a position that would be naturally his once Delta Marcus Andersen retired.

The warriors looked at me so perplexed, so baffled that it took them some time to process the news. My decision sent shockwaves throughout the pack or at least to the people who actually care about those things. Most pack members live their lives blissfully unaware of our work.

Even my father is mad at me. He taught me that my job as Beta was to approve the nomination, not selecting the person in charge of one hundred and twenty warriors. However, that is not how I see it.

The pack chart states:

'The Beta of the pack shall select one exemplary warrior among the force who demonstrates the qualities of leadership to serve as Delta, the highest ranking warrior, a person able to lead the entire army, demonstrating the finest qualities that a warrior should have.'

In no way it says that I have to respect tradition and promote the man my father and his friend chose. This is my time now. It is my choice to promote whoever I see fit. I would never demote Marcus who already was Delta when I ascended as Beta, of course not. But I have no obligation to promote his second in command.

Not to say I have anything against Mr. Clarkson, not at all. But it is not about him at the end of the day. It is about who I would like to see as the head of the force. That is Iris Carpenter, not that she is very appreciative of my choice.

The warriors are all against Iris because somehow they are blaming her for Clarkson being passed over for the position. No one can understand why I went with a different name and they are certainly demonstrating their dissatisfaction to me.

The day after I announced Iris' promotion, I was welcomed with cold indifference or glaring by the warriors inside the training center. Usually, I am greeted by everybody with respect and admiration, but not today.

It is worth saying that werewolves are deeply loyal people. Not only to their mates, of course, but to their pack as well. Everybody saw Clarkson as the next Delta of the pack. He was the man they looked up to whenever Marcus wasn't around and they felt like he was cheated out of his deserved promotion.

"Good morning, Delta. Have you been able to get your bearings yet?" I greeted Iris as I approached her in the mix of an angry mob.

"Clarkson should be Delta. I don't know what the hell were you thinking when you announced my name. The men think I bewitched you or something..." She looked really annoyed at me, at odds with her coworkers.

"I'm sorry they feel this way. It was my choice and I stand by it." I declared, putting my foot down.

"You know they are not going to let that slide, right? You are facing an insurgence, a mutiny among the ranks." She cautioned me, wearily.

I imagined there would be some resistance. I am rocking the boat and people tend to frown upon it. Wolf packs are riddled with traditions and ceremonies. It took decades for females to even be accepted as warriors within the ranks. In fact, there are only ten percent of women among the force. Basically, there are a lot of angry men today.

"Do you feel unprepared to take on the role of Delta?" I questioned her with a serious expression on my face.

Iris is taken aback by the question, looking at me perplexed.

"No, I don't. But it's not about me–"

"If you are prepared for it, then I don’t need to know anything else." I declared, decisively.

I raised my hand in the air, making a fist. It's a signal for the warriors to file up in front of me. One by one, they presented themselves before me as if they were soldiers of an army rank. Which they are.

Once I had them all standing in organized fashion before me and Iris, I began speaking.

"Listen up. I am aware you are not happy about my choice for Delta. I am also aware you all expected Clarkson to be promoted. I understand that and I want you to know I have absolutely nothing against Mr. Clarkson. I really mean that." I started off in a dead serious tone, addressing the dozens of men [and women] present.

Naturally, Clarkson glanced at me as he heard his name, looking uncomfortable.

"I am the Beta of the Regency Falls pack. Selecting the new Delta is my duty. I am sorry if you are unhappy with my choice, but rest assured it is absolutely my choice. This is a place of employment. I only answer to the Alpha, nobody else. It is my responsibility to select the person in charge of leading the force. To me, that person is Iris Carpenter." I continued, sternly.

"Please know that I respect each one of you for your contribution to our pack and to our force. But make no mistake, I am Stephano Cortez. My word is your command. You are all free to feel whatever you want, but inside this building I expect professionalism. I expect the most respected werewolf army in the South to behave as such."

"Lastly, I would like to make it clear that Iris never campaigned for the job. She didn't ask me to take over as Delta and was surprised by my decision just as much as the rest of you. I can only hope you'll show her the respect the position she now occupies is earned. Dismissed."

After I concluded my speech, the warriors filed out, whispering to each other as they did. Iris was looking impressed at me. Clarkson approached me with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Beta, what about me? Where do I stand in this new order?" He was curious about my decision, though incredibly disappointed by it.

"What do you mean by that, I'm not following." I frowned in confusion at the question.

"When a new Delta rises, his first job is to select a new Under. Am I to assume I'm no longer the Under Delta?" He questioned me with clear concern in his voice.

At this, everybody turned to look at me, including Iris.

"No, Mr. Clarkson. You are still the Under Delta. The only difference is that Iris is your leader instead of Marcus. But your rank remains the same, unless you'd like to step down. In which case, I respect your decision." I told him, showing the deference that he deserves.

He breathed out a sigh of relief, as did the rest of the men and women by default.

"I can't afford to get demoted, Beta. I have two kids in college. I need the paycheck. I'll stay on as Under Delta, if you'll have me." He declared, feeling relieved by my decision. He is a family man like most warriors, so I get where he's coming from.

"Of course, Mr. Clarkson. Please know that my decision in now way reflects the outstanding work you do here. And I would never strip you of your rank. Nor will I allow Iris to do so either." I confirmed it in a respectful tone.

Iris gulped awkwardly as I said that. Then she told him to provide her options for a team leader to be promoted in her place. Each group of ten warriors has a team leader, who is in charge of the operations under the guidance of the Delta or the Under. On the field, they are responsible to lead the warriors to complete the assignment. Our pack has 12 such leaders and now that Iris was promoted, her team needs a new one.

The force is a well oiled machine with more than a hundred moving parts that require meticulous planning. It is not easy to lead this many people, so the team leaders are the Delta's voice on a day to day basis. Especially when they are on patrol, away from the training center.

It didn't take long before I was summoned by the Alpha today. Phillip was livid by my decision, just like the rest of the men.

"You passed Clarkson over for an untested warrior? Are you crazy? What the hell were you thinking, Stephano?" Phillip was berating me inside his office, which the door was fortunately locked. It always is, to be fair.

"She is not untested. She has been a team leader for–"

"A year! 12 fucking months! Clarkson has decades of experience!" He yelled at me, furiously.

"She has more than a decade of experience as a warrior." I declared, not that Phillip was listening to me.

"I don't care! Clarkson is the Under Delta! It was his time to rise. Your job was to help him pick the next second in command, not to pass him over for a promotion he bled for it!" He berated me, impossibly mad.

"That is not how I see it, Alpha." I declared, calmly. If I learned something from my father is that when people are mad, the calmer you seem the better. If you escalate to their tone, things will blow up.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I thought your father trained you for this job even more than my own dad trained me!" He jabbed at me, possessed. I don't usually get to see his eyes glowing, but they are beautiful to gaze at.

"He did, Alpha. Like I said, it was my decision and I stand by it." I reiterated in a respectful tone.

"Your decision? The Wolf Council is in uproar! Even my dad was called. They are urging me to overthrow your decision." He told me, breathing out a tired sigh.

"I see. And what did your father tell you?" I inquired, curiously.

"He told me that I could never disavow my own Beta. I can never pull rank and demonstrate discourse between the pack leadership. That would be even worse and demoralizing to you. If I call into question your decision, it will jeopardize the confidence the warriors have on you. It would hurt the chain of command." He replied, upset about the whole thing but a bit calmer.

"My thoughts exactly, Alpha. Your father is a great man." I contemplated, feeling thankful. Phillip gave me a poignant look, like I was only saying that because he was on my side. He isn't. But it would look bad for him to interfere with my authority. My position with the warrior force could be weakened.

"With all due respect, I don't answer to the Wolf Council. They can't impeach me for making an executive decision under my authority. They can try to find any wrongdoing, but they would never find any. She didn't even know she was going to be promoted before I announced it." I declared, stoically.

Phillip glared at me.

"You do know this is the person in charge of training the next Alpha of the pack, right?" He raised an eyebrow at me, sounding annoyed.

"Yeah, I am well aware of that, sir." I concurred in a low tone.

"Don't call me sir, I am barely four years older than you." He chastised me, rolling his eyes.

"Sorry, sir. I mean, Alpha." I stuttered, nervously. I realized this stunt could have gone horribly wrong for me. It still might, depending on how Iris performs as Delta. But I am here to shake things up.

"If that is all, Alpha, I don't want to be late for lunch." I told him after some uncomfortable staring in silence.

Phillip grunted in annoyance before he dismissed me.

"From here on now, any false movement on her part will reflect on your tenure as Beta." He warned me, tensely.

"I am aware of that, Alpha." I conceded, knowing full well what he is alluding to.

Philip and I got up from our chairs and walked away from his office towards the dining hall. Linda welcomed us with a radiant smile.

"Good afternoon, Beta. Did you really promote a woman to be Delta of the pack?" She greeted me, impossibly cheerful at the news.

"I did, yeah. It was the right choice in my opinion." I replied to her, humbly.

"That's fantastic! I ordered a special desert today in your honor." - She announced, giddy with excitement.

"Oh, thank you Luna. That is so nice of you!" I am moved by this gesture, while her mate grunts in annoyance. She glared at him for a moment before turning her attention back to me.

"It is my pleasure, Beta. I am glad you were chosen for this position. You are a forward thinker and I really appreciate it. Women rule." She said, smiling wide at me.

"They do. For my money, the Goddess couldn't have picked a better person to be our Luna. And I'm not just saying that because you're my cousin." I complimented her, prideful.

Oh by the way, Linda Pullman is my cousin by my mother's side. Coincidences, am I right?

"I just hope she does a good job." Phillip chimed in, mistrustful and suspicious.

"Me too, Alpha." I agreed, considering my reputation is on the line for choosing Iris.

I ate the tres leches cake that was prepared in my honor as if it was my birthday. I loved that Linda thought of me in that way, especially when everybody else seems to be mad at me.

When I arrived at the training center the next day, people were still at odds with me. They were pleased that Mr. Clarkson was still the Under Delta, but still pissed at me for promoting Iris over him.

"Good morning, Delta. Have you been able to reunite with the team leaders? Talk to the warriors one on one?" I greeted a distraught looking Iris.

"Not as of yet, Beta. I have been met with some resistance, but I am working through it. I promise you." She replied, feeling uneasy about the situation.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." I said, breathing out a tired sigh.

"LISTEN UP! FORD, FLORES, SMITH, SANTANA, DeANGELO, WILKINS, McCLEOD, WILLIAMS..."

One by one, I called every single team leader that was present, immediately catching their attention and making them approach me attentively.

"I AM DONE WITH THIS BULLSHIT! YOU ARE WARRIORS AND SOLDIERS TAKE ORDERS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING TO HAPPEN, BUT NO ONE WILL COME HERE TO SAVE YOU!"

I am screaming at the top of my lungs, grabbing everyone's attention inside the training center, from warriors to the janitor. Upstairs and downstairs. Everybody will hear me.

"I AM STEPHANO CORTEZ, BETA OF REGENCY FALLS. I WILL NOT BE DISRESPECTED. YOU HAVE ONE HOUR TO TALK TO YOUR TEAMS AND SQUASH THIS MUTINY, OR I WILL FIRE ONE THIRD OF THE FORCE! IF YOU WANNA KEEP YOUR JOBS, PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE I SHALL NOT REPEAT MYSELF!"

"Is that understood?" I concluded, eyes glowing in rage at this high school bullshit. Sorry the man you thought was going to be promoted did not. It was my decision and I answer to no one but Phillip.

"Yes, Beta." They replied, respectfully.

"Clarkson, call the roster. I want ten candidates here tomorrow morning to replace the men I'm going to fire today." I ordered him in an angered tone, causing him and everyone else to gulp awkwardly at the request.

There is a wait list for a warrior position formed every June after the tryouts.

"Yes, Beta." He complied, taking my words in stock. Everybody started to break out in whispers about who I am possibly firing today.

I bet they get my point now.

"I swear on my life, people will take you seriously. I will burn this entire place to the ground before my Delta is disrespected. If anyone thought reporting me to the Alpha or to the Wolf Council would achieve anything, they are not paying attention. Here I call the shots. What I say goes. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let people disrespect my command. No, sir. I am not the one you should battle, this battle was already won from the moment I opened my mouth."

I told Iris, impossibly mad at this. People are trembling in fear of being fired. This is a job like any other and as far as I am concerned, the only person who cannot be fired here is me.

I didn't want to scream at anyone, but I had to get their attention somehow.