(Warning: This chapter contains instances of gore and blood)

Mia's POV

She made me stand ordering me not to open my eyes and I complied.

Turning me around she said, "Okay, you can open your eyes now." I came face to face with her looking at me proudly and in excitement.

She grinned brightly and said, "You can look in the mirror now."

I turned around and gasped in shock.

The girl staring back at me looked completely different.

She had light brown hair cascading down her back in natural waves with a few from the front of her head leading to the back in a loose knot.

Her light blue-grey eyes seemed to have life in them for the first time in many years. They held a shine I had never seen in them before.

They were outlined with light silver eyeshadow and a very thin and delicate line of eyeliner making them pop. She also had light blush on her cheeks and a light pink lip gloss on her full lips.

I turned back around and jumped on Shadow, tightly hugging her. "I can't believe how pretty you made me look, thank you so much Shadow."

She laughed and said, "Yeah I know I'm the best and I didn't make you look like anything you always had this beauty I just helped it come forward." making me laugh in happiness in return.

She pushed me back slightly, "Okay we don't wanna ruin your look."

I just grinned brightly looking at her with gratefulness.

"Always keep that beautiful smile on your beautiful face."

I turned red making her chuckle.

"Alright, it's time," after a slight pause, she added, "Wait I almost forgot, you need some flats." and walked over to the closet.

When she opened it I noticed it was a walk-in closet.

I don't gasp this time, instead, I sighed thinking, everything had to be big here.

Handing me a pair of beautiful silver flats she said, "Try it on, I'm sure they are your size."

Slipping them on I was surprised to see that they were a perfect fit. "How did—"

She cuts me off saying, "Oh come now that doesn't matter, what matters is you look beautiful and we need to get going."

Alpha Taylor's POV

All the preparations were done. Now, all we had to do was wait for all of the members of my pack to come to where the ceremony was to take place. I couldn't wait to see how Mia looked, I know Shadow has a good sense of fashion and judging people's character, that's why I left it to her to pick out her attire for tonight.

This is one of my favorite parts of being an Alpha. The connection that forms with each member is undeniably beautiful and energizing. It feels like a sudden breath of fresh air.

I smiled in wonder thinking about the first time it happened. The first-ever pack member to get accepted outside of our original pack is currently my gamma. He is a very hard-working man. From the beginning, he put so much hard work into training and learning the ways of our pack that I undeniably knew that the gamma position was meant to be his.

I wonder what type of magic she would have. She is having enough power to be a true warrior as Sel said so she must also have some sort of powerful magic too.

Mia's POV

I couldn't imagine how big this pack was. Maybe over a thousand. I suddenly felt nervous knowing that I would be standing in front of thousands of people.

But I'm getting accepted in a pack, not just any pack, The Crescent Moon Pack.

I know the ritual as I have witnessed it numerous times. Sadly enough, sometimes it is also forced in packs. Even though it's a crime, they can be carried out in the shadows.

And not surprisingly my pack is one of those packs that do this cruel torture. It is said that a forced connection is one of the most painful things to happen to someone.

It is known to be one of the worst ways to die in our supernatural world.

The punishment from the werewolf council isn't enough, even the Moon Goddess punishes the Alpha that allows such a horrid thing. They suffer equivalent pain to the person they are forcing.

Even after such a harsh punishment, so harsh that the person comes close to death, for some stupid fucked up reason people still do it these days.

Not wanting to damper my mood on such a joyous occasion, I focused on my ceremony and felt blessed. I prayed to the Moon Goddess whenever I could all those years, asking for a miracle. And I guess this pack is my miracle.

And I know all of this is rushed because until my connection to that horrid pack lasts I would never truly be free but, to be honest, I feel like there is also another reason, Yes, I can't mind link anyone with this much distance but I can still sense them lingering in the back of my mind.

I just want to be rid of them.

While these thoughts went through my head, we reached the door leading outside the packhouse.

Sensing my inner turmoil Shadow turned towards me and said, "Don't worry, it's going to be fine just take a deep breath." I do as she says and instantly felt better than before though my anxiousness remained, it wasn't as bad.

She grinned and turned back around.

I trusted her even though it's been a short while since I met her, I don't know how to explain it but it did.

I just hope she doesn't betray me like others before her.

She pulled the massive doors with the same ease as before.

We walked a short distance until we reach a small backstage-like area. I knew the pack was there at the front by the sounds of their chatters, thousands of people who were soon going to be my pack.

I felt my wolf send comforting emotions which were stronger than before. I was, after all going to shift soon.

Alpha Taylor and Beta Selena headed towards us. I was surprised Beta Selena hadn't found her mate yet. I hope she did so soon because I knew what it felt like to be without one, I thought with another sigh.

I felt my wolf projecting emotions of sorrow and then comfort. We were both missing our other halves.

They reached us soon enough and Alpha Taylor gushed, "Oh my! Mia, you look quite stunning." And then Beta Selena added, "You do look beautiful!"

I blushed hard and reply, "Thank you, it's all thanks to Shadow."

Shadow sighed exasperatedly and said, "Oh come on, As I said, I just enhanced your already beautiful features."

Somehow that made me even redder than before making everyone around me chuckle.

Both Alpha Taylor and Beta Selena start walking together and I followed suit. "You do know what the ceremony entails yes?" questioned Alpha Taylor looking over at me.

I nodded in response.

Realizing Shadow wasn't coming with, I turned around to look at her, "I will be at the front!" She shouted and disappeared using her frightening speed to go to the other side of the stage.

I smiled to myself and turned back around to stare nervously at the stage.

Beta Selena put a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked at me warmly. Her eyes reminded me of Sky, I smiled in return.

"Don't feel nervous dear, I'm sure they are going to love you. I certainly do!" and winked.

I nodded shyly in return making her chuckle. She jogged towards Alpha Taylor who had already started to head towards the stage.

I stood there looking around, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm my nerves.

"Today we have gathered here for the acceptance ceremony of Mia Winters. She, unfortunately, has not shifted yet so her shifting also takes place tonight as soon as she gets accepted!" The pack cheered, most of them howling while others clapped at the acceptance of a new member.

I felt warmth flood my heart like the sounds of such cheering for someone like me, even though they didn't know who I was.

I did hear the Alpha speaking but it wasn't on the mic? I didn't see any speakers around.....all those members, even the omegas could hear her? From that far away? Wow.

I guess that was my cue, I walked over to the front of the stage, looking in wonder at the countless people.

I saw many new faces, some smiling at me, some grinning wildly among which I spotted Shadow. I grinned back just as brightly without any hesitation.

Still smiling I turned right, toward the Alpha and saw her smiling at me too.

My gaze shifted downwards, at the table below her on which there were two objects, a silver-colored bowl with strange engravings and a silver knife that had intricately carved designs on the handle.

I sighed knowing that the silver won't hurt me at all. I had been tortured and whipped with silver so much that it didn't affect me at all anymore.

Though I suppose some would call it a blessing since it was the one weakness of a werewolf.

She looked at me in sorrow, I knew she probably had read my mind, and I found that strangely, I was okay with it.

Maybe it was because she knew everything about my past and still didn't judge me or maybe it was because of the way she held no pity in her eyes when she looked at me, only pride.

I sighed with relief knowing that if she, an alpha didn't judge me or pity me, maybe more people would be like her.

With that thought, I started walking towards her and somehow it felt like time had slowed down, each step I took seemed to thud loudly, seemingly in sync with my heartbeat.

Coming to a stop beside her I raised my right palm towards her, while she picked up the silver knife.

The moon was almost at its highest and I started to feel weird and a little feverish. From the experiences of wolves, I read in books I knew I was going to shift soon.

She held my hand over the silver bowl and cut my palm deeply, I felt nothing except a slight itch.

Then letting mine go, she cut her right palm too and started to whisper strange words in Latin, words that were unique to each pack.

I felt that lingering presence slowly fade away. It felt good to be rid of those monsters once and for all.

She then held my bleeding palm with her own and all of a sudden I felt a jolt go through my entire body.

At the same time, everyone in the pack gasped, including the Alpha.

I felt a bit lightheaded at the sudden connection that was formed. In my mind, I felt emotions that weren't my own not even my wolf's.

They were the pack's, my pack's emotions. I smiled proudly. They all felt so powerful, the lowest range of power that I felt was almost to the gamma's level in my old pack. 

I suddenly heard Shadow speaking in my mind, "Congratulations!! That feeling of sudden power that still lingers, it's something I have never felt before in my entire life. I guess Beta Selena was right. You really must be very powerful. I'm proud of you and I'm proud to call you part of our pack now!"

Just as she finished I hear a chorus of, "We are proud to call you our pack member!"

I replied my thanks to all of them at the same time, which only an alpha should be capable of, making them stare holes of shock in my back.

I stare with my eyes wide and jaws slack and she just grinned then took out a handkerchief and wiped both our closed wounds clean.

I saw her pupils dilate and go back to normal and I realized she sensed something.

Leaning towards me she whispered, "Mia we must get you to the forest, you will be shifting soon. And now that I sense you and your power which lies hidden, I can tell it's not going be pretty as your wolf must be larger in size and powerful too."

At those words, the strange feverish feeling that had disappeared in all of the excitement returned making me panic, but then I decided that seeing and meeting my wolf after all these years and becoming one with her was going to be worth it. The pain was all going to be worth it.

She led me to the very clearing I had first found Shadow in after I was discharged from the hospital.

It was, even more, prettier at night with the moon shining bright and casting a silver glow over the area.

I knew how one shifted as I had seen it hundreds of times before but knowing that my wolf was supposedly powerful, I was sure it would take at least an hour.

My train of thought was cut short as I felt the first bone break, my arm causing me to shriek in pain and fall to the ground.

Pain burst all over my body as many bones snapped at the same time making me close my eyes and scream in agony.

"Mia you must focus on the feelings your wolf is sending you, think of something happy, anything, you are inevitably resisting it and it is more painful for you." mind-linked the alpha.

Panting heavily I tried to do as she told but the pain kept reminding me of horrible times.

Tears streamed down my face as I felt a panic attack unleash its unforgiving torment, adding on the physical pain.

"ARGHH" I sobbed as more bones snap, somewhere on my face causing me to open my eyes, which resulted in me looking at all the blood covering the ground as if multiple people had been slaughtered.

I stared in horror at the bone protruding out of my arm and felt more panic course through me as I realized couldn't breathe.

Reality faded away as I found myself in the horrid prison cell on one of my worst times ever being here.

Sky hadn't come this time and a week had passed, resulting in a terrible fever and my wounds getting infected.

I moaned as heat worse than before washed over me and sweat stuck all my torn clothes to my wounds.

All I could do was watch because my eyes wouldn't close, no matter how much I tried they just wouldn't fucking close.

As some memory returned I was reminded yet another time that those bastards had hacked some of it away causing them to be open all the time.

I tried my best to keep them moisturized by crying, I had endless memories to do so anyway, and I knew I could go blind if they stayed dry as they were.

I stared in horror at my body all the while it died slowly.

Many times in the past I had wished for death but never in my wildest imagination did I think it would be so horrible.

"Someone...please, I can't take this...any..more, end me already...pl..ease..." I felt another sob wrack a body that was frozen in agony.

How much time had passed now? 2 weeks? Or was it 3? Maybe a month? It felt like an eternity.

Finally, some of my eyelids healed and I felt immense relief course through me as I closed them. Even when it hurt making me want to keep them open, I slowly but surely shut them close and let out a small sigh as my consciousness wavered.

"Mia! Oh, my goddess! MIA!!! Can you hear me??" Sky's voice called out....wait it's not Sky's anymore...who...alpha....alpha Taylor?!

I opened my eyes with a gasp and jerked as I felt a cold hand touching my face.

"Fuck you're burning." cursed the alpha and flinched away.

I groaned as my dress stuck to my body and on my open wounds.

Hearing a growl I looked up in surprise as alpha Taylor disappeared from my view and within that same instant sounds of cloth tearing were picked up by my overly sensitive ears causing me to flinch.

Relief coursed through me for a moment as my dress was torn away and a cold wind blew across my naked body.

That gave me the distraction I needed and I finally found the warm feelings my wolf was sending me.

Pain flashed yet again and threatened to take me back to the horrid past but I kept focusing on the happy and comforting feelings sent by my wolf.

My heavy breathing sounded loudly in my ears
and suddenly every single bone in my body broke simultaneously.

I thought I heard screaming, and then I realized that those were my screams.

At this point I couldn't tell because my mind was filled with fogginess not being able to hear or see clearly, darkness surrounded me from all sides but I tried to resist it.

Suddenly, I heard a strangely ethereal and soothing voice whisper, "Let go my child, it is alright. Do not resist."

For a moment the pain disappeared and confusion clouded my brain at hearing a female's strangely comforting voice but somehow, I knew I could trust her, my body chose for me and I was plunged into darkness.

Hello Shadowlinks!

I hope all my readers are liking the story so far. I know this chapter was a little gruesome, it had even me wincing.

Curse those monstrous blood moon pack members.