A werewolf, or coyote, can be born to parents who are one of either species. However, it's known that not all offspring of a shapeshifter will inherit their supernatural genes.
They can also be formerly humans, or other heretofore-unspecified species, transformed by the bite of an alpha shapeshifter.
Normally, the bitten human will transform into the same species as his alpha sire.
Society, Culture and Rank
Like humans and natural canine animals, werewolves and werecoyotes are social beings. The actual wolf runs in a pack. The canine shapeshifters are featured as mystically symbiotic creatures. They have an instinctive kinship with their own. They feel naturally attuned, drawn and sensitive towards, and stimulated or empowered by their own species.
Due to this preternatural social instinct, these shifters naturally organize themselves into and live in packs. The leaders of a pack are the alphas, with the followers being the betas. They commonly form, or join, packs not only because of strength in numbers, but because their power and skill improves. They become more mature in using their abilities, more powerful or more balanced.
The basic structure of a pack requires a single alpha and a minimum of three betas, as displayed by Derek's pack. As demonstrated by the Alpha Pack seen in Season 3, a pack can also be comprised of only alphas, with one overall leader and all the others fulfilling the roles of followers.
This supernatural social relation can also apply to members of other species. A True Alpha, Scott McCall's unique pack comprised of inter-species friends, are shown to function similarly to the basic concept of a Pack. Due to the strong bonds of friendship between each member, their abilities and supernatural traits can be affected, even boosted by Scott's Roar.
Shapeshifters whom are not part of a Pack, who have no alpha or beta to support them are called omegas. A known consequence of this rank is they can be left weaker and vulnerable.
Alphas are at the top rank in the wereanimal hierarchy and are distinguished from 
Betas are the standard canine shapeshifter, the middle rank between 
Omegas are the lowest rank in the canine shapeshifter hierarchy. An omega werecreature is not a member in a pack,
Canine Eye Color
There are three general mystical eye colors for a werewolf or a coyote: bright gold, steel blue and red. Their rank and power are also reflected by how brightly their eye color shine.
Gold
Every canine shapeshifter, born or bitten, starts with the gold eyes. After being bitten by Peter Hale, Scott McCall's eyes as a werewolf were gold until he rose to alpha status. Other werewolves with gold eyes include Isaac Lahey, Liam Dunbar and Hayden Romero all of whom were also bitten. Cora Hale, a hereditary werewolf, has gold eyes. A werecoyote named Edgar appears who has gold eyes.
Blue
A werecreatures eyes will change from gold to blue after they take an innocent human life. Derek Hale's eyes changed from gold to blue when he gave his girlfriend, Paige a mercy-killing. Peter, Corrine, the twins and Sebastien Valet all have blue eyes due to being killers, Malia Tate from her accidentally killing her adoptive family and Jackson Whittemore sports blue eyes because of his time as a kanima. After Derek Hale descends back to beta rank in Alpha Pact his eyes changed from an alpha's red back to steel blue.
If a werecreature with blue eyes were to be losing their power, their eyes will change back to gold as in Derek's case in 117.
Red
A werecreature with red eyes is an alpha. When one rises to alpha status, their eye color, gold or blue, will change to red. Derek's blue eyes changed to red after killing a living alpha, his uncle Peter. Scott McCall's eyes turned red when he becomes a True Alpha. In Alpha Pact, if a werewolf were to lose their alpha status, they lose the red eyes.
Teal
