Setting and Plot
Within the United States, there are multiple safety zones in which one could take shelter in from the outbreak. Safety zones are meant to keep the infected out, and for those who are attempting to survive this whole thing to resume somewhat normal lives as before. One major safe zone is held up in Colorado out of an old, abandonded Insane Asylum called Twin Peaks. So far only two military-trained Pack members, Sgt Maj Devereaux and Staff Sgt Harper, are remaining who are defending this safe zone. They do what they can to protect the people who have chosen to stay under their protection.
About the Wolves / Shape-Shifters
How They Came To Be:
Back in the early 1900's, the government had finally created a stable "virus", if you will, only administered by injection. It would turn the average soldier into an almost-unstoppable killing machine. The idea of werewolves was brought to life, injected into the brave, willing soldiers to make the change to their lives permanent, because of course there was no cure for what they were given. The new power these soldiers held was kept under tight lock and key, no one spoke of it or even slightly hinted at it. The empowered soldiers were referred to as "The Pack". The first Original Pack was made in the Navy Seal branch, but soon the other branches began to complain, and not too long after that every branch of the military had twelve of their very own Pack members at their disposal. When a member of the pack was KIA(Killed in Action), a new member was "born".
Over the years, the first Pack members who survived the wars they were put through have since died of sickness or old age. Those of their descended offspring have also had children of their own now. The werewolf strain somehow attached to the Original hosts' DNA and was passed down through the generations. These children who have managed to retain this gene were either made to join the military or trained how to control their "other half". A few cases have been found throughout the US and UK of kids just shortly after their eighteenth birthday making the change--RARELY does a child make the change before then. In some instances, younglings who have been put through tragic events become so emotionally overwhelmed it pushes the “virus” to activate in them, causing them to shift at younger ages. Very few of these younglings who are put through the change early in life make it-- 99% of them die because the shift is so overwhelming for their small frames. The government kept a constant watch on these kids, and if they thought they might screw up somehow and leak the secret, they were terminated.
Shape-Shifter Description:
Shape-shifters normally tend to be about half the size as their human selves, quite a bit larger than your average grey wolf. Placing humans beside the wolves,
a wolf’s shoulders would come up to the mid-stomach area of a fully grown man averaging at about 6ft. They have exceptional hearing, sense of smell and eyesight, even in their human forms. The actual transformation between human and wolf is quite painful, but some have managed to master the change so much that it's hardly painful at all and happens within a matter of seconds. Initially, one breaks every bone in their body as their "other half" fights it's way out of it's human form. Bones reforming into that of a wolf, they "shed" their skin to be replaced with fur and acquire a tail. How such a large wolf could fit into their human forms, we still haven't quite figured it out yet. Overall the initial transformation is not easy, and is very disconcerting and confusing. With the wolf’s eyes, however, they differ depending on pack rank. Alpha’s eyes glow a
deep red, members of a pack have
light golden-yellow eyes.. Betas eyes are a
bright orange, an in-between color of the average Member eye color and an Alpha's. Omegas, also known as lone wolves, have a bright shade of
violet color for eyes. For those who have taken an innocent life, their eyes have been permanently changed to
electric blue. Every wolf has their birth-given eye color in human form, and only glow just before the change, and throughout the time that they are in their wolf forms. (-->
See Here for an example<--) The ONLY Alphas, are the highest ranking officers in the pack. If the original Alpha is KIA, then the next high ranking officer will become the next Alpha if no other Alpha is to be made.
Pack Behavior:
In their wolf forms, shape-shifters show the general behavior of their titular animals, though they retain their human intelligence, memories and character, up to and including showing their human eyes. Pack members are also telepathically linked with each other, enhancing their coordination during hunts and fights but allowing little to no privacy at any time. The Alphas of two different packs are able to communicate telepathically, and can control what thoughts they share, while the subordinates of different packs don't show this ability.
The dominant male/female, the Alpha, can force the other pack members to obey his/her orders against their will just as they can in their human forms as commanding officers. A Beta can also do this, though he/she can't command his/her own Alpha/Commanding Officer. Even if it's implied, it is unknown whether this characteristic is also extended down the pack ranks.