Cordelia feels different.

It's not a bad feeling. No, it's the exact opposite. It's a great feeling. She feels powerful and alive in a way she never has before. Truly strong. Like she can make the world get on its knees and worship her. The way it should. The way everyone should.

She laughs. Everything makes her laugh. Everything's just so funny.

She had been wrong about Rhonda, Heidi, Kyle, and Tor. Oh, they were still losers, Cordelia was never wrong about that. But they were her losers. Her court more than her Cordette's, even. Certainly more obedient that Harmony had ever managed to be.

She was their Queen. Not just a name, a pathetic little tittle that some head cheerleader had held before her. No, Cordelia was their true Queen. And they were her ever loyal subjects.

They strolled through the mall, school had let out at the zoo. As the alpha, Cordelia chose where they went after. And most loyal subjects or no, her pack had to dress to her standards, and they could not be trusted to outfit themselves.

She needed a new wardrobe herself regardless. One that would let everyone know who the alpha was. More than her usual fabulous clothes did anyway.

They headed towards a store she knew to be well stocked with leather.

xXx

Cordelia smiled in satisfaction as she reached her home. Her pack was well taken care of. She had fed them shortly after their shopping trip, and they all knew exactly what they would be wearing for the rest of the week.

She had even gotten Heidi a decent haircut. She was such a good alpha, no wonder they worshiped her.

She took a deep breath, enjoying her heightened senses. The world was in full Technicolor now, there was so much more of it. Cordelia briefly wondered at how blind she been before, how weak. Then she dismissed the thought. What did it matter? She had her eyes wide open now. She was strong. Strong enough to protect what belonged to her.

And so she would.

Cordelia watched the sun set from her room. She could feel it under her skin, other predators beginning to walk the night. She turned back to her bed. Her pack was safe enough for now. She had made sure they all made it home when she dropped them off. Tonight she would rest. Tomorrow she would find those predators that would harm what was hers. Then make sure they would never walk the night again.

She nodded to herself, decision made. She was such a good alpha.

xXx

Cordelia laughed as Tor slammed yet another loser into the locker. Poor little Delta. He'd gotten the least attention at their flashy entrance and was now taking it out on those who were actually lower than himself. Kyle had won the beta position as former alpha. Heidi had settled into gamma along with Rhonda. Though Rhonda was easily more dominant than both of them, she simply didn't feel the need to assert control, and that landed her as gamma-beta. As for Tor, well, he was lowest on the totem pole. Delta. Rhonda trumped him without even trying.

He resented it terribly.

Cordelia laughed some more. The rest of the pack joining in.

"Hey, Cordy" Harmony approached her. False bravado rolling off her in waves. Harmony was far too used to losing to her to truly expect to win. Not that it would keep her from trying."I thought leather went out of style int he eighties, or did you miss the memo?"

Cordelia snorted, not lady like in the least. But then why bother trying to be a lady when she was so much better? She was alpha."Please, in fashion there's only looking good and looking stupid, since all the boys are drooling over me, that means your the one making a fashion blunder. Or did you miss the memo?"

Her pack laughed, loud and jeering. Harmony glared at her, flushing and walking away. It was hard to argue the truth. With a body like hers, she would always look good. Her taste and style only meant she choose to look even better.

xXx

Cordy sighed as her pack descended on the raw meat aisle of the grocery store. To think they would have actually eaten that thing live. Not that Herbert hadn't smelled yummy. And Cordelia had seriously considered it when it started freaking out, the fear scent was absolutely delicious. But then she realized it probably hadn't even gotten flea shots, and that was unacceptable. Besides, descending on prey just because it was there showed a lack of control she would not tolerate from herself or her pack.

Not that it meant she wouldn't feed them when they were hungry. And while it wasn't as fresh as Herbert would have been, the raw meat isle would fill them all up. Something the pig wouldn't have managed. He would have just been a snack.

They piled into her car and began to eat. The Forrest hams she'd chosen were really tasty. It took six of them to fill her up though. As alpha Cordelia ate the most. The rest were sated by much, much less meat. She yipped at her pack, feeling sleepy. There was a graveyard nearby with plenty of grass. They could catch a nice sun nap there, then get up and head to the Bronze.

All that was missing from her life was a mate. And then everything would be perfect.

xXx

"...So then Cordelia glared at them, and they left. But when she looked at him. Herbert was totally wigging out like twice a bad." Buffy finished her story.

Xander nodded in complete agreement. Glad that it wasn't just him,"Queen C and those guys she's bringing into the in crowd have been acting really weird."

"I don't know" Willow interjects, "I mean Cordelia wasn't nice to begin with, and now she's hanging out with guys that are bigger jerks than she was. Maybe they're just making her even meaner."

"I believe Willow has a point" Giles agreed."People, teenagers in particular, don't always choose the best company to keep. While it's not a pleasant change from what I've gathered it's perfectly natural. No supernatural element's involved."

Buffy began to nod hesitantly, but she still seems unsure.

Xander frowned at them, "Natural? This is Cordelia Chase we're talking about! If those guys were suddenly ten times more popular or rich or something, I might understand. That's what Cordy likes. But they're not. And Cordelia doesn't let anything that isn't pop culture or fashion related influence her at all."

Buffy lets out a low whistle, "I didn't think you knew her that well."

"Yeah." Willow mutters, and she doesn't sound happy about it.

Xander feels heat rise on his cheeks and absolutely hates it, "Keep your friends close and enemies closer. I'm a founding member of the we hate Cordelia club, remember? Of course I know stuff about her, if I didn't, how could I hate her for them?"

"Oh." Willow says, and she sounds cheerful again.

But Buffy's still smirking at him, and he's getting a feeling Giles is totally laughing at him. It sucks.

"Well," Buffy says, "I hate Vampires a lot, but I don't think I know any of them that well."

"Well, I've hated Cordelia since I was six years old." Xander justifies, once more."I've got a good decade more of practice at it. So give it time, give it time."

"Since you were six?" Willow actually sounds surprised, then playful."Geez, and we only started the club in six grade, that's when I really started hating her. All that time wasted."

They laugh, and the tension in the room breaks. He hadn't realized how bad it had gotten.

"So is there an application or something? How do I join?" Buffy quips.

Giles gives them a fond smile as they snicker and laugh, and then brings the conversation to patrol routes. As usual, they decided to meet up first at the bronze.

XxX

So the whole pack structure thing was interesting to research in the whole; some people actually take this stuff way too seriously kind of way. Because there are social human dynamics that echo pack dynamics pretty eerily. On the other hand it gave me a totally boss idea for the CordyxXander romance. Which you guys will be seeing next chapter. I want to point out that Cordelia is an alpha female. And while that's what Xander seems attracted to, he's not an alpha himself. I'm totally using that as an excuse to make primal!Cordelia way stronger than primal!Xander and also more in control of the pack, I don't think Xander in the episode acted like an alpha at all. But my Cordelia definitely will. Also, sorry I took so long to get this out. I was in something of a rut and forcing myself to write makes it come out awfully. So it's something i try to avoid doing. Anyways thanks loads to those of you who reviewed and added this story to your alerts and favorites lists. I made me very happy! And I assure you a happy author is one who tries to write!