Pack (canine)
Animals which typically predominate over others are associated with the term "alpha". Among pack-living wolves, alpha wolves are the genetic parents of most cubs in the pack. Such access to mating females creates strong selective pressure for intra-sex competition.
Shaman (novel)
The next section of the novel describes Loon's life among the Wolf Pack, a small band of hunter-gatherers who migrate according to the seasons, hunting caribou in the winter, fish and deer in the summer. Loon's parents are both dead, and he is being raised by Thorn to be a shaman, teaching him about the spirit world and the stories of his people in addition to more practical survival skills. Thorn is a wise but crotchety master who flicks Loon's ears when he makes mistakes. He also teaches Loon to paint cave art in a sacred cave. Another prominent member of the Wolf Pack is Heather, a wise woman skilled in medicine.