Chapter 6 The First Lesson

Morning came heavy and bright.

Abby had barely made it back to her cabin before collapsing into a few hours of deep, dreamless sleep - the kind that left her groggy and disoriented when she woke.

Her body ached, but it wasn't the dragging exhaustion she was used to. This was a soreness that felt earned, like the aftermath of a hard climb or a long run.

Power still hummed low under her skin.

When she stepped outside, the resort grounds looked different.

Not physically - the same trimmed lawns, winding trails, quiet lake - but her perception had sharpened.

She could see the glint of a spiderweb thirty feet away, smell the sun warming the cedar planks of the porch.

The world was alive in a way it had never been before.

And she was ready to meet it.

At breakfast, a simple meal of eggs, wild greens, and berries, Marla found her.

"You're late," she said without malice, tossing Abby a water bottle. "Come on."

No further explanation. Abby followed, her legs moving with more certainty than her mind. They wound away from the main lodge, past manicured paths and yoga pavilions, into the deeper woods. It wasn't long before the sounds of other guests faded completely.

Marla led her to a clearing - not the same as the night before, but similar. Rougher. Raw. A ring of stones marked the perimeter, and a fire pit sat cold and blackened at the center.

Already waiting were the others: the scarred man, a wiry woman with sharp, appraising eyes, and two younger figures - teenagers, maybe - their expressions a mix of excitement and nerves.

Marla clapped her hands once.

"Lesson One: Instinct over intellect."

Abby blinked. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," Marla said, circling them like a coach surveying new recruits, "you've spent your whole life thinking first, doubting second, acting third - if at all."

A muscle twitched in Abby's jaw. Not wrong.

"That won't serve you anymore. In the wild, hesitation gets you killed. In the Pack, hesitation gets you challenged."

Marla stopped in front of her, dark eyes steady.

"You are not a professor here, Abby Stafford. You are a wolf in human skin. Start acting like it."

Before Abby could respond, Marla threw something at her - fast, heavy.

Abby flinched instinctively, but even as her rational brain screamed danger, her body moved.

She caught the object midair, stumbling back two steps with the force of it.

It was a thick stick, roughly the length of her forearm. Weighted.

"Good," Marla said, a gleam of approval in her voice. "You're faster already. Now let's see how you handle pressure."

She nodded to the scarred man, who immediately lunged toward Abby, no warning, no hesitation.

Abby barely had time to brace.

Training? She had none. But instinct rose hot and clean, washing over her thoughts.

She ducked under his swing and lashed out with the stick - a wild, messy move - but it connected with his ribs.

He grunted and retreated a step, grinning like she'd passed some unspoken test.

Around the circle, the others watched with interest. No laughter. No mocking. Just the hungry gleam of respect.

Abby lowered the stick, heart thundering, breath ragged.

Marla stepped closer and touched Abby's shoulder - not gently, but firmly, grounding her.

"You're built for this," she said.

"You just forgot."

Abby swallowed hard. She was trembling, but not with fear. With exhilaration.

The fire that had flickered to life inside her the night before was growing, fed by movement, instinct, challenge.

She had thought she came to Wolf Harbor to heal.

Maybe she had come here to fight.

Marla smiled, sharp and knowing.

"Lesson Two starts tonight," she said. "And it's not so forgiving."

Abby nodded, gripping the stick tighter in her hand.

For the first time in years, she wasn't looking for an escape.

She was ready for the next fight.