Board Thread:WARNING ALL USERS False Info\Spoilers/@comment-11489125-20130829192954/@comment-6207588-20130829204021

As far as we know Derek gave up his alpha status by using his power to heal Cora...neither of them are alphas.

As for the spark...that's what Peter called it...it's just that added extra power that gives a werewolf the ability to be more than just a beta wolf...to go beyond the rest of the pack...makes him stronger and gives him the power to command the rest of the pack. It normally has to be taken by a beta or an omega from another alpha by killing it. Of course Scott is the exception since he was able to bring it into existence within himself by sheer force of will or that's my understanding of it.