The impact was sudden and jarring. Before Bella’s newfound wolf reflexes could fully engage, the heavy ball—dense and traveling with unnatural shifter speed—connected with the side of her temple. The world tilted, a flash of white light blinding her as she hit the manicured grass.
She groaned, her head throbbing in rhythm with her heartbeat. Her long hair was a tangled mess across her face, blades of grass sticking to her skin. For a moment, she just lay there, the iron-rich scent of the academy’s soil filling her nostrils, mixing with the fading, familiar scent of cedar and rain that still clung to her clothes from the night before.
”Welcome to Lycaon Academy, Freshie,” a voice sneered from above.
Bella squinted, brushing her hair back to see a group of boys standing a few feet away. T
