Greyson looked down at Indiana, panicked, as she moaned in pain. She was still unconscious, but that didn't stop those heart-wrenching screams from escaping her lips. He could feel her body burning in his arms, and he cursed under his breath as he ran deeper into the woods, careful not to hurt her.

"Come on..." Greyson murmured. "Fight, Sugar. You can do it."

There was another loud crack, and Indianna let out a bloodcurdling scream. Greyson could only watch as one of her arms twisted at an unnatural angle.

With Kal and Ace by his side, Greyson reached a small clearing deep in the woods, far from the lakeside party. He gently laid her on the ground just as her face contorted in pain and another crack echoed through the air.

Greyson grimaced and sat down beside her, holding her hand in his.

I couldn't do anything.

Just look.

"Ace, contact some members of the Pack. I want them to surround this area and keep an eye on it," Greyson ordered, not wanting anything to happen to his Mate while he was in such a vulnerable state.

Indiana screamed again, her eyes snapping open. She gasped, and excruciating pain coursed through her body. She screamed once more, making Greyson grit his teeth.

"G-Greyson!" he stammered as he tried to sit up.

"Don't get up," he said, gently settling her so her head rested on his lap. He stroked her hair softly, and she looked at him, filled with fear.

-That...?

A scream tore from his throat as his spine cracked and his back arched violently.

"Greyson!" she sobbed, clutching his arm. "It hurts! What's happening to me?"

"You're changing," Greyson replied sadly. "I'm so sorry, Sugar."

Indiana groaned and cursed as her fingers began to crack and bend at impossible angles.

"Make him stop!" she pleaded before shouting again. "Make him stop!"

Greyson gazed at her with profound sadness. He slowly shook his head as another scream escaped Indiana's lips.

—You can do it. You're strong. You're going to overcome this.

Indiana clenched her teeth and closed her eyes tightly as waves of pain coursed through her body.

"How long is this going to last?" he whispered.

Greyson remained silent.

And that silence gave him the answer.

That wouldn't end soon.

The hours passed.

Greyson did not move from Indiana's side for a single instant.

Her screams had become so intense that he had to cover his ears. He didn't even want to look at her anymore.

I couldn't stand to see her suffer.

Her body was covered in bloodstains where the claws had pierced her skin as they grew. The bleeding had stopped, but her fingers were still raw.

She had lost consciousness three more times, even though she had been awake for the last three hours.

I felt each of my bones breaking.

And the pain increased with every passing minute.

Indiana remained curled up on herself, crying uncontrollably and letting out small whimpers every few seconds. Greyson stayed beside her, sliding a hand down her back. His touch did little to ease Indiana's suffering, but it was better than nothing.

From a distance, Kal contemplated that horrific scene.

I had heard that the first transformation of an Alpha or a Luna was not like that of an ordinary werewolf.

But she never imagined it would be so awful.

His own transformation had been completed in just twenty minutes.

His bones broke and quickly mended again.

Indiana's, on the other hand, broke slowly.

Every bone in his body had to be broken in order to be reformed like his wolf's.

It was an unbearable process.

The Alphas and the Moons possessed wolves far more powerful than the common members of a Pack.

That made their first transformation much more difficult.

The body had to struggle harder to take the shape of the wolf.

The human side had to prevail over the savage side and force it to transform.

The wolves of the normal members of the Pack were not as strong as those of an Alpha, so they did not suffer as much.

But the Alphas and the Moons...

They did suffer.

And very much so.

-How are you doing?

Kal looked up as he saw Kirstie and Mac arrive, both with gloomy expressions.

The entire Pack knew that their Luna was going through her first transformation, and they were all worried.

"You just have to listen to her to get the answer," Kal murmured, shuddering as Indiana screamed again.

"It's been like this for hours. It should be almost over," Mac said quietly.

"Greyson's transformation took eight hours," Kirstie remarked. "How long has she been in it?"

—Five hours —sighed Kal.

The three of them froze as Indiana's scream turned into a muffled howl.

Greyson stood up immediately and took a few steps back to give her space.

"Come on, Sugar," he murmured. "You're almost there."

Indiana screamed again, but this time the scream transformed into a powerful howl.

His back arched violently.

With a chilling crack, his spine twisted as he threw his head back.

Wolf ears began to emerge, and his body bent painfully as dark fur began to cover his skin.

For several minutes, Indiana writhed on the ground as her bones continued to break with a terrifying sound.

Then, a final howl escaped from his throat.

The sound of fabric tearing filled the clearing as her clothes were ripped to shreds.

Everything happened so fast that they only managed to make out glimpses of skin and fur.

And suddenly...

In the place where Indiana had been, there was a she-wolf.

Greyson stared at her, completely astonished.

I didn't expect it all to end so suddenly.

"Indie?" he asked cautiously.

The black-furred she-wolf stared at him with wide eyes before collapsing to the ground.

Greyson cursed and ran up to her, stroking her soft fur.

—Indie—he said as he gently shook her—. Indie, wake up.

"Greyson!" Kal called, stepping forward. "Do you want me to get Doc?"

"Don't come any closer!" Greyson snapped.

He looked back at Indiana just as she slowly opened her eyes.

—Indie? Indie, that's me.

She looked up at Greyson and blinked several times.

Suddenly, her hair seemed darker.

Her skin, softer.

He took a deep breath.

Hundreds of scents invaded her sense of smell at the same time, causing her to sneeze in her wolf form.

Greyson moved to her side.

She jumped slightly.

It had processed that movement a thousand times faster than before.

His ears caught the sound of his footsteps on the ground, and he frowned.

I couldn't turn anything off.

His heightened senses had not disappeared.

They were going to accompany her forever.

Indiana looked down at herself.

He nearly had a heart attack when he discovered a large body covered in silky black fur.

It was a loba.

"Indie..." Greyson said sweetly as he gently scratched behind her ear.

His touch ignited a torrent of sparks deep within her, with an intensity she had never experienced before.

A satisfied grunt escaped his throat.

He closed his eyes.

She didn't want Greyson to stop petting her.

"How are you feeling?" Greyson asked.

Indiana yawned.

"Tired," she murmured. "Exhausted. Everything hurts."

"Close your eyes," Greyson said gently. "The first transformation is incredibly tiring. Just sleep."

Indiana never heard Greyson's last words.

Darkness enveloped her once more.

And she received that peace with open arms.