I'm at the part where Ox has just become the Alpha and it's odd to me that nobody seems to know why. He took care of them. The pack was drifting apart, stuck, lost, and Ox took care of them, he kept them together and even his friends were drawn in. He became the Alpha because he did the work to take care of each of them, giving them space and patience but also gentle nudges. He became the alpha because he didn't give up on them or let them give up on themselves.

Perhaps I'm just eager, and Elizabeth is about to say just that.