The Alpha Wolf's Sacrifice (Wolves of Anchorage 1)

Oddly enough, that made Roman feel better. His father had done his job. He'd saved the most vulnerable members of their pack.

The leader slapped him on the back. "That's why we have this shifter academy. It's not just Alphas that have to help their packs, it's any of us who can. We have to use our strength in our skills. More than once we've escaped vampires or witches or even humans based on what we learn here. We learn problem solving. We've been able to catch fish when the lakes were low, we’ve been able to hunt when there were no deer, we’ve learned to find water in a drought, and we’ve perfected giving first aid when needed.”

"I understand, sir."

Roman agreed with the premise.

A few years ago, his pack had been lying around, lazing in the sun after a long hard hunt. They’d caught quite a few elk and some caribou, and everyone had feasted. His father was a traditional pack leader, but he was also a chivalrous man. He insisted that the elderly eat first and then the children, and then the rest of them. One of Roman’s cousins had complained. "We're the ones who hunted. Why don't we get the first pick of the meat?"

Roman’s father had grabbed him by the collar and shook him just a little bit. "Because if you're still hungry you can go out and hunt for more. They can't. A good Alpha and a good male always provides for his family."

"And so does a good female," his mother added.

Roman's father nodded. "Yes, those of us who are young and able-bodied enough for hunting do what we can. When the pack is well fed everyone benefits."

His cousin looked properly ashamed. But Roman's father didn't hold it against him. He just gave him a chance to make up for it on the next hunt, and his cousin did, bringing down quite a few rabbits that were favored by the older members, because their teeth were not quite as sharp.

They didn't speak in private again that week, but that conversation stayed with Roman. And it made him a believer in what the academy was doing.

After that day, the tasks got harder. They had to take groups on hunting expeditions. They had to hold their breath underwater. They had to learn the best way to kick in a wooden door, how to pick a lock, and how to hotwire a car. And they had to learn how to rescue people from a fire.

The leaders offered for Roman to skip that part. But he went ahead and did it. There was no guarantee he wouldn't face another fire one day, so the more practice the better.

He made it through the exercise just as well as anyone did. He didn’t have a flashback, and he didn’t freeze. But that night he threw up for five solid minutes. He knew he wasn't sick. He was just nerves. The flames never touched him. He’d passed the test.

As soon as he was done vomiting, a couple of other guys from his class picked him up and dragged him toward the lake. They weren't supposed to be away from their sleeping area, but the guys didn't care. When he'd envisioned sneaking out at night with friends from the academy, he had not envisioned this. One of the guys handed him some leaves. "That's meant to make you feel better." He held his hand out. "My name is Jameson."

Sutton, the guy he’d met on day one, was there too. "Why don’t we all go for a swim? That'll help wash away the ash."

Another guy helped him stand up straight. Roman’s own cousin, Derek, helped him walk.

In total, there were ten of them there, just to help him. From that night forward, they became his brothers. They weren't related by blood, but their bond was stronger than blood. The bond they shared made them family.

Once they dried off, they made their way back to camp. The leader was waiting for them with his arms crossed.

"Sir, I can explain," Roman said. "They wanted to help me."

"I know exactly what they wanted to do, and I commend them for it. All of you have tomorrow off."

They spent the entire day lying on the rocks and drinking some ale Derek had bought from a human camper on his way to the academy.

"Let's toast." They clinked their bottles together. "To the Blackwood Academy brothers."

"We’ll be loyal to each other until our last days."

"And we’ll get together every year for the rest of our lives." They tapped their bottles together again and drank. They fell asleep, warm and content.