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

Her daughter flung her little arms around Everleigh’s waist. Already she could feel the strength in her arms. Was it just her imagination, or were her arms stronger than a normal bear's?

She was a hybrid. Would that affect her strength? She had no one to ask.

She had some measure of peace in Juneau. When she moved there, she'd been approached by a male shifter who offered her a place in a pack made up of several different kinds of shifters, including wolves, bears, polar bears, and foxes. She'd been suspicious at first, but over time she got to know him and she mostly trusted him.

Every now and then they hung out with the pack, but she could not bring herself to commit. She never allowed them to go more than once a month, even though her daughter always had a fabulous time.

It weighed heavily on her mind. She'd made the choice that was opposite of her parents. Was there anything that she could do that was a definite right? She voiced this sentiment to a human friend one day, being vague on the details. Jenny, her friend and coworker, had just laughed. "That is parenthood. We constantly question ourselves."

Jenny lifted both hands. "Should we do private school, homeschool, or Montessori public school? We believe in public schools. We should support them. We already pay taxes for them so they're free for the most part. Private schools get more say in the curriculum. Montessoris are supposed to be great for encouraging kids' development. Homeschooling, we get total control. We get to see our kids and have a flexible schedule. But then, do we get on each other's nerves?"

They both laughed together at Jenny’s rant. There really were too many choices.

At that moment, Everleigh had wished that choosing a school was her biggest dilemma. Then she immediately felt bad because there were moms in her social circle who were dealing with serious medical issues with their children. That was something she would never have to face with her own daughter. She would be healthy, she would not break bones, she wouldn't even have cavities. She wouldn't suffer from stomach aches or flu or even something as trivial as acne.

But she had also deprived her of her heritage. Her birthright. She could hear her father's words in her head. Which was why she had never told her family about her daughter. In the back of her mind she was actually afraid that they would try to take her from her. She was afraid they would show up with the entire pack and forcibly remove her daughter.

Unlike the humans, the packs did not have formal law enforcement or child protective services. They policed themselves and they made their own laws and rules. In the end the Alpha came out as the decision-maker. There was usually a council of elders that could intervene if the Alpha became incompetent.

She had no idea what would happen if her family were to find out she had hidden her child.

She also knew that she had to come visit her eventually. Her family would come find her. So now that Eliza was older, once a year Jenny kept her daughter and she traveled back home. She’d told Jenny that Eliza had a rare condition that made her super strong. She wasn’t sure how long she could get away with that lie.

Her parents usually wanted her to stay longer but she couldn't bear to be away from her daughter that long. Just a week was hard enough.

When her daughter was younger, she had to befriend a woman in the local pack because there was no way she could leave her daughter with a human. At two, her daughter had been prone to lifting furniture and throwing it. Something no typical two-year-old could ever do. She would've also been concerned for the human children's safety. Not because her daughter was particularly rough for a shifter, but just because she was an exuberant child in her strength, so much greater than a human child.

Even though she struggled with her decision, it was made and she'd made some peace with it. It had worked out for five years and everything was going well. She was sticking with it.

That day, she was at work searching fruitlessly for a condo for a retired couple when she felt the first twinge.

She jumped in her seat so hard she almost broke her desk chair.

That shifter felt familiar, in a way that none of the shifters from the local pack felt.

She took a few deep breaths. There was no denying it.

It was Roman. Her mate. The mate who had left her five long years ago. Her child’s father.

She had not seen him since nor had she heard from him. Occasionally his name had come out of her brother's mouth on one of their infrequent visits. At first she had wanted to break down and weep but eventually she learned to hold it together.

She put her eyes back on the computer screen. The couple wanted to retire to Alaska during the summer months and she owed it to them to find them property that worked for them. Even if her former mate was in town.

After an hour, the feeling became stronger. She saved her progress and closed her laptop. "We should take a lunch break," she said, standing up.

Her coworker looked up and saw her looming. "Are you hungry? Do you want to go out today?"

She usually brought her lunch to save money, and she usually shared it with the office, but today lunch out sounded good. Plus, she could get a better feel for whether Roman was truly in town or if she was losing her mind.

"Yes. I would love to."

They strolled down the street until they spotted an Italian restaurant that was open.

"Are you okay? Your face is kind of white," Jenny said.

She learned long ago that it was easier to be at least partially honest. She hated lying all the time. "I thought I saw my ex-boyfriend walk by. But I'm hoping it was a false alarm."

Jenny put her hands on Everleigh's hand. "Oh God. That's the worst. Was it a bad breakup?"