After she leaves, I scrub my hands over my face again. I need to focus.
“Hey, are you ready?” Shane asks, walking in.
“Yes, let’s get started,” I say.
Shane and I have gotten into a good rhythm of working together. Now that he’s starting to get a little more comfortable and have a better understanding of how things in the pack are managed, a lot of our day revolves around me asking him what he thinks of something and then talking through the possible ramifications of his ideas.
“Before Enya leaves for the Academy, you’ll need to learn everything she does, too, Shane. It‘ s a lot for one person to manage an entire pack and thankfully, you have me and Braden, but at the end of the day, this is your pack. You have to know what needs to be done and how to do it,” I say.
“Right. That was the problem with Dorian. I didn’t know anything about how the pack was managed, so I didn’t realize how much he was undermining me.”
“Exactly. It’s also important for you to realize that without a Luna, your job is much harder. On top of that, you don’t have a Gamma, but it’s not fair for you to lay half or more of the work on Braden.‘
”
“What are your thoughts about the Gamma position?” he asks me.
“What are yours?” I ask, turning the question around on him.
He gets up and begins pacing. “I was thinking about having a competition. Anyone interested in the position could compete.”
“What are the positives and negatives of that scenario?” I ask, pushing him to think through
his decision.
“Positives,” he says, and begins counting them on his fingers. “The pack wouldn’t challenge the person because they would have won their position in the pack. They could take on warrior training because they would have shown themselves to be strong warriors with a knowledge of fighting techniques.”
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Chapter 167
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He stops, then starts again. “Negatives. Braden and I wouldn’t get a choice in deciding who gets the Gamma position. We would have to accept the person who won, regardless of their compatibility with us. Winning a competition doesn’t mean that they are a hard worker. The strongest person isn’t always the best,” he says.
“Why?” I ask.
“Being strong doesn’t make you compassionate. I want my Gamma to be approachable, just like Braden is.
“Anything else?” I ask.
He smiles at me. “I feel like I’m missing something and you’re trying to lead me to it.”
you and I grin. “Well, you’re right about the person potentially not being compatible with Braden. But being a strong fighter doesn’t make a person a good instructor. Just because someone knows how to fight, it doesn’t mean they can teach others to fight.”
He sits back down. “So, Braden and I need to decide on someone we think is compatible with us, someone who is approachable and compassionate, is a good instructor, and will work hard for me and the pack.”
“Those sound like good qualities for a Gamma.‘
“So, how do I choose that person?”
“First, I’d say you and Braden need to make a list of people you consider candidates. I wouldn’t exclude someone you think isn’t the strongest if you think they meet the other qualifications. We can train them to be better fighters. Make your list. Find out if they are interested in becoming your Gamma. Then, put them through a trial. Have each of them work with you and Braden for a day or two. At the end of each trial, you can assess their efforts and decide if they can continue in the process or not. Then, have them work in the Gamma position for a week. You’ll have a better idea over time if they can handle the position and the workload. If you can’t narrow it down to one person after that, run another trial with the remaining candidates until you make your final decision.
”
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