Inside Choices: Alpha 3
Being pack Alpha is harder than it looks.
Alpha 3 throws you into the deep end of leadership at Woolsey. New recruits who test your authority, shifting pack dynamics, and decisions that carry real weight. You're starting to find your rhythm when supernatural politics come knocking at your door.
Suddenly you're facing choices that pit loyalty against survival, and every decision ripples through your pack in ways you can't predict. The stakes keep climbing, and everyone's looking to you for answers.
We caught up with the writing team to talk about crafting these leadership challenges and the impossible situations they've built into every chapter. They shared insights on the creative process and what makes this installment hit different.
Origins and Development ✨
Alpha has come such a long way since book one. What was the "aha" moment when you knew exactly what Alpha 3 needed to be?
Jayne: The first Alpha book centered around having your world turned upside down when you join a pack of werewolves and meet your sexy soulmate (who just so happened to be the alpha of said pack). In Alpha 2, you’re taken out of your comfort zone, both physically when you head to the Alpha Tau Sigma Retreat Camp and mentally with your journey to becoming an alpha yourself (and all the shifting dynamics that came with that change). So for Alpha 3, we knew we wanted to return to campus and see the aftermath of that big change. While Channing remains at your side, they have their own new responsibilities as the head alpha for all of Alpha Tau Sigma, so any local issues are not officially down to you. With Alpha 2 introducing the existence of other types of supernaturals in the world, we knew bringing in these beings would be the perfect way to stir up some trouble for your first year as alpha of your pack.
Cat: We also knew we wanted this to be the last year you're at university. You transferred into Woolsey as a junior, so this is the start of your new school year. Jayne did a great job bringing everything full circle: you started as a fresh face struggling to impress an alpha. Now you're the alpha recruiting new members.
What's one thing you learned from player reactions to Alpha 2 that completely changed your approach this time?
Cat: We don't want to spoil too much, but suffice it to say… there were a few reactions to some new plot stuff that people responded well to, as well as some new characters and character types. During brainstorms, we made sure to incorporate those elements into Alpha 3. Again, it's hard to say much without blowing our cover, but I will say we've shaken things up quite a bit.
Characters and Story ✨
Everyone has their ride-or-die Alpha character. Did any of them fight you for more screen time while you were writing?
Jayne: I adore Kala, so I jumped at any chance to include her. But how could I not love all the rowdy, memorable members of Alpha Tau Sigma?
Cat: I think it's pretty clear that Kala is a favorite of mine, or I wouldn't have made the narrator in Main Character Energy so obsessed with her. My ride-or-die Alpha character, however, is obviously Channing. I will write Channing date chapters for the rest of my life if they let me.
Which new character walked onto the page and immediately started causing problems you didn't expect?
Jayne: In Alpha 3, you find yourself interacting with another supernatural fraternity on campus. And when a large number of supernaturals come together, things are bound to get a bit messy…
Cat: Kind of making fun of myself here, because in Alpha and Alpha 2, your main antagonist is a member of a certain family. I joked that it would be funny if there were yet another Barnes sibling involved, but wanted them to be different. Do with that what you will.
The romance in Alpha hits different than most games. What's your secret to writing relationships that feel this intense?
Cat: I'll be completely honest: self-indulgence. Channing is my ideal type of love interest: commanding and broody, prone to outbursts, but becomes a total puppy when you break down their defenses. Just because they're an alpha, I didn't want Channing to be a controlling ass for no reason at all, so it was important for me to explore the trauma that led to them becoming who they are.
Similarly, it was important for the "you" character to not be fully submissive – I knew I wanted to make you an alpha from the start, for one thing. For another, "emotionally intelligent brat" was the perfect kind of love interest to force Channing out of isolation. You helped Channing realize they can rely on people in Alpha – by Alpha 2, when you're the one struggling, Channing is now equipped with the emotional tools you gave them, so they can now help you. Under the intensity of a soulmate bond and werewolf instincts, I wanted a foundation of genuinely healthy romance dynamics to evolve, and I'm happy with how players respond to that.
Choices and Gameplay✨
What's the most morally gray decision you've thrown at players this time? (No spoilers, just... how evil did you feel writing it?)
Jayne: Without giving away any spoilers… let’s just say being the alpha means being the one to make the hard decisions. And one of those decisions in particular left me feeling quite evil… 😈
Cat: Yeah, I can't spoil this one either, but Jayne has done something in Book 3 that is far more evil than anything I put in Books 1 or 2. I've never been more proud.
Was there a choice that split the writing team because you couldn't agree on what the "right" answer was?
Jayne: There’s actually a choice that we collectively decided we didn’t want to have a “right” or “wrong” answer. There’s benefits and consequences no matter what you choose. That one will be really interesting to see what players decide to do.
Cat: For some background, I no longer have much time in my schedule to do longform Choices content. When I handed Jayne the reins on Alpha 3, some people joked about me "giving up my baby" and asked if it was hard. It was not hard at all. Jayne is a great writer with awesome supernatural romance chops. She has done something truly killer with this book, and as the mentor, there wasn't a single time I thought, "this story is going in the wrong direction." I think people are going to really love it. (Plus, now I get to enjoy Alpha as a fan, which has been a lot of fun.)
Without giving anything away, which decision are you most curious to see how players handle?
Cat: Again, we really can't say this without spoiling a ton, but there are several choices in this book that I'm going to be curious about. The stakes are really high in this one.
Art and Atmosphere ✨
What visual element made you go "okay, THIS is Alpha 3" when you first saw it?
Kelly: I love the cover for this one. Our cover artist outdid himself with this moody addition to our Alpha series. And while developing the ideas for this one, I was reminded that Channing has a back tattoo! We so rarely see our characters from the back, haha – it’s a treat.
Jayne: The cover is absolutely stunning and I feel like it captures the vibes of this book perfectly.
Cat: The outfits are beautiful. There are a few that stuck out as favorites of mine – I think players will like them just as much as we do!
How do you make supernatural college life look both appealing and terrifying at the same time?
Kelly: It’s appealing because we get to introduce new hot characters… but probably terrifying because some of those hotties are out to get us. Maybe that’s appealing too? Right? Just me?
Cat: It's not just you, Kelly.
Behind the Scenes ✨
Let’s stir the pot. What idea got shot down that you're still a little bitter about?
Cat: I don't think there's any bitterness, but given that I wrote "what if your new friend turned out to be a backstabber" in Alpha 1 and Alpha 2… I asked early on for Jayne not to do that again in Book 3. So, no need to be suspicious of any of your new friends. Or is there…? (There really isn't.)
…Unless?
How do you keep Alpha feeling like Alpha while still surprising longtime players?
Jayne: At the end of the day, the beating hearts of Alpha are the relationship between MC and Channing and the unforgettable characters in Alpha Tau. While the plot itself might take some twists and turns, we want to keep the characters and relationships Alpha fans know and love feeling true to themselves.
Cat: I think the new characters Jayne has introduced in Book 3 are going to make things feel very fresh, even if the core premise is still centered on Alpha Tau Sigma!
Fan Connection ✨
The Alpha community has opinions. What fan theory made you think "oh no, they're onto us"?
Cat: Obviously a lot of people called out Ryan in Book 2. I was actually pleasantly surprised that a few of my red herrings worked at all, given the trauma I inflicted on the MC with Markus.
What's the one thing you want players to remember as they're making all these impossible choices?
Jayne: What might seem like the right decision in the moment might not always prove to be so in the long run.
What scene are you secretly watching social media for reactions to?
Jayne: I personally love some angst, so there are a few scenes I’ll be looking out for, but as for when they happen, my lips are sealed…
Just for Fun ✨
If you could join the world of Alpha, would you rather be a wolf, a hunter, or something else entirely?
Jayne: I’d totally want to be a wolf. I love nature and hiking, so getting to run around the woods with wolfy senses sounds like my idea of a good time. Plus having a psychic connection with all your best friends would be a blast.
Kelly: I had fun designing some of the new supernatural characters you meet in this book, so I’d probably want to be a part of their group. But it might just be for the outfits. :P
Cat: I've always been more of a vampire person than a werewolf person, but ever since writing Alpha, it's a 50/50 split. Not sure I'd wanna live forever. But the uncontrollable anger of a werewolf might get old. I think I'd probably just be a witch.
Honest question: would you survive a year at Woolsey?
Jayne: …Let’s be real, probably not. I’m a very slow runner and the Hunters would probably catch me very quickly, RIP.
Cat: Given that every single Alpha Tau member seems to have a penchant for hooking up outside, I think I'd respectfully exit partway through. Like… they know there's bugs outside, don't they?!
Which Alpha character would be the worst roommate and why?
Jayne: Hate to say it, but probably our lovely MC. They’re always wrapped up in some crisis, I wouldn’t be surprised if they fell behind on their share of the chores. Plus MC and Channing have a tendency to be particularly… affectionate, which isn’t always an ideal trait in someone you share a room with, if you catch my drift.
Cat: Plus one to Tal being a bad roomie. I'd also say Channing, because despite looking and acting so cool, Channing is as Type A as it gets. Minor spoilers for Chapter 1: You're now the alpha, which means you get to move into that big alpha bedroom with Channing. I have a headcanon (weird to say about your own characters) that before Book 3, Channing had to listen to some soothing meditation podcasts to keep from wolfing out when you started moving their meticulously organized stuff. You're lucky they love you.
What's your go-to "alpha move" when you need to feel powerful in real life?
Jayne: I find putting in headphones and listening to songs with really great guitar solos helps me channel my inner alpha. And if all else fails, throwing on a leather jacket always helps (Channing gets it).
Kelly: I go to an early morning HIIT boxing class where we really let that boxing bag have it. I feel like I’m at peak-Alpha then, haha!
Cat: Music! Sometimes I will run an unnecessary errand just for an excuse to get in my car and blast my playlists as loud as possible. A heavy work out is another great alpha activity.