Chapter Fourteen: A Warriors oath

Ezra and Ana had spent the last week in mated bliss. The pair running in wolf and beast form so that their pack can get to know them in all forms. Ana had been planning her Luna ceremony along with Ezra and Kerrie. Kerrie had to have her say in the ceremony arrangements, what Ana would wear, and the make-up, along with every detail of the after party. They spent the nights in each others arms doing other physical activities.

Ezra was in his office going over the pack finances when his eyes lowered to the locked drawer, the lock being a new addition, he didn't want Ana finding the file and coming to the same conclusions he, and Aaron had. There wasn't but one file in that drawer. He wondered how he could tell Ana of its contents. He'd have to do it though and soon. Her Luna ceremony was in a mere two days, all the invasion had been sent out at the first of the week and some of the guests had already begun showing up on the island. Not the most important though, they would be here tomorrow. He has invited all the heads of the packs he was allied with, he didn't know what kind of trama that would add to her already traumatized life. She hadn't tried to kill herself since she threw herself from the cliff that night. He hoped this wouldn't start her suicidal attempts back up, or worse cause her to go on a killing spree, that was his job after all. Her wolf had said that she hadn't ever tried to kill herself while living in that shitty pack. She had said that Ana hadn't tried it until the day he had left her there, saying she wasn't worth shit where she would know that he was talking to her not the poor Omega woman he appeared to be referring to. Aaliyah had said that she had wanted to be as healthy as possible when she found her mate. She wanted to be sain for me. Ezra breathed heavily. It was his fault that her sanity had finally broken, because he'd made her feel unworthy and unwanted. He'd had her feel like she was undeserving of the love she so desperately wanted and so obviously needed. He had asked Ana several times why she wanted so badly to die, but she never answered the question. She wouldn't tell him he had done this, Aaliyah well she was different she had no issues telling him he was a bastard. Ezra chuckled at his mate, on the one hand she was sweet and kind but on the other hand she was brutal and hard, a lot like him only he had no sweet side. Ana hadn't ever told him that he made her feel like shit about herself, no not his Ana she saw good in him even though he really had none. He needed to let her know about the file. She thought her family had abandoned her by a lake outside a shit pack of werewolves.This was not what happened at all. She had been taken from her introduction party. She had only been about three months old. The pack she belonged to, the one she was born into had searched for her for years. She had, had a family a large one. Her father had been the Lycan kings first enforcer. He was a respected man and Alpha. Ezra didn't know what had happened to the family but he had vowed to find out. He could at least give that to her. She was his whole world now and he wanted to give her all the happiness he could. But first there were some things he had to do here.

" Peter get Ana and her guard and come to my office." Ezra linked his Beta and head of his mates guard.

" Yes Alpha, is everything ok?" Peter asked him.

" Yes, its time you all take that oath, she has no more excuses not to do it now." Ezra said grinning.

" Yes Alpha." Peter replied.

Ezra was pacing his office again. It seemed like he did that a lot since she came into his life. He was trying to figure out how to bring the subject of his hidden file up to her. He didn't want her to get excited until he knew there was something to be excited about. He had contacted her old pack and it would seem the original Alpha family vanished about eight years ago. He has not spoken to his king yet to see if he knew what happened to them. He would see him tomorrow and show him the file. But tonight he would have Ana bound to her guard before this island was crawling with outsiders. He didn't know why she refused it before other than the reasons she had given but he knew there was more to it. He would not allow her to refuse again, not with some of the guest that would be here. Her guard would have the ability to pass hard punishment if anyone so much as causes one tear to fall down her delicate cheek. He really could take any torment but her tears, and anyone who caused them ever again would die for their stupidity, he didn't care who they were. A knock came bringing him out of his thoughts, though he had smelled her scent before she made it to the door.

" Come in Ana." Ezra said. He'd placed the ceremonial chalice and dagger on his deck during his pacing episode. Ana entered followed by eight men and women. Her guard, and tonight they would be bound to her and her alone.

" Ana, I need you and your guard to take the oaths you refused when they took their post. You are my mated Luna and you need your guard." Ezra said in a sweet tone. He didn't want it to come across like he was commanding her.

" Ok Alpha. But are they ok with it?" Ana nodded her head in the guards direction being she was now standing next to Ezra and the guard was kneeling in front of them. Ezra let out a low growl at her use of his title. It pissed him off to no end for her to call him Alpha in an official capacity, now if she wanted to use his title he would take her somewhere it would be permitted and even welcomed.

" That is a good idea Alpha." Ana said smerking. Knowing he hadn't meant for her to catch those thoughts.

" Ana." Ezra said sternly. " You have to get these oath done before our island is over run with outsiders. I want your guard to have every right to administer capital punishment with out the benifit of having to ask for my permission." Ezra explained. " The fealty warriors oath will be done before we leave this office. If you think I am forcing your team into this, they are right there ask them for yourself." Ezra said.

" Luna we serve you willingly." Sabri said when Ana looked at the men and women that were still kneeling.

" Ok, then stand." Ana said.

" I will cut my palm and bleed into the chalice the blade is silver so it will burn when I cut each of yours. This will slow the healing so that we can bleed a good bit into the chalice. We will speak our oaths and then drink from the chalice all in turn beginning and ending with me." Ana said explaining the process. She then kissed Ezra and took up the blade from his desk. She faced him and drew the dagger across her palm cutting a deep gash there. Holding her bleeding hand over the chalice letting her life's blood spill into the cup. When a sufficient amount had spilled into the cup Ezra lifted her hand and lick the bleeding wound and it closed up.

Ana turned to face her guard each one with their right hands extended palm up, as she walked up to each one she sliced into their hand Ezra following her with the chalice, Ana Spoke the Oath.

" I Anabella Mera Caulder do here by swear my oath and loyalty as your future Luna. I swear to protect you, fight by your side and heal you when you are wounded. I swear to keep what you say hidden within myself and take your secrets to my grave. I will as your future Luna do all in my power to be the best of myself for you, our Alpha, and our pack." Ana said drinking from the chalice.

Then the warriors said their part each using their own names.

" I Peter Axel, Aaron Brutus, Collum Synn, Sabrianna Aria, Taylor Bell, Blaine Bane, Jackson Cooper, Michael Donnie do here by swear our oaths and our loyalties to you our future Luna, Anabella Mera Caulder accepting you as our Luna and one true commander. We swear to fight by your side and protect you with our lives if need be. We swear to keep what you say and do safe within ourselves and take your secrets to our graves. We swear to follow your orders and yours alone in all things. We will heal you as you heal us, we will feel as you feel us, we will see you as you see us, we will find you as you find us, we swear to be one of heart and one of mind, in this we swear to you our Luna a warriors oath to bind us to our one true Luna Anabella Mera Caulder of the Silver Crescent Moon Pack." They all finish together, then each in turn they drink, ending with Ana drinking the last of their mixed blood from the chalice.

Ana removed the cup from her lips looking at her warriors her eyes were glowing Golden, then nine Golden ropes appeared in the air wrapping themselves around the upper right arm of each of the participants winding itself down from their shoulder to their wrist forming an infinity knot with a half moon on each of the warriors on the top of their wrists sort of like a bracelet with a crescent moon jam on it. Ana's was a bit different, hers had a full moon with a wolf howling in the bottom right corner, showing she was the owner of this bond. The ropes glowed brightly burning themselves into the skin of each of them. The glow didn't lessen even after the burn stopped though it wasn't painful, then they felt it, the bonds between them snapped into place and they all went on their knees bowing to their Luna.

" Well that was different." Ezra said. " Is this why you refused to do the oath before, because you knew this would happen?" Ezra asked.

" I knew you would know I had power but I didn't know what would happen." Ana said honestly.

" Stand all of you." Ezra said. They remained on their knees.

" Please all of you, stand and take your ease." Ana said. They stood and took seats in the office. Ezra just blinked at them.

" What just happened?" Aaron asked for them all.

" Ana isn't an Omega wolf. She is special." Ezra began to explain knowing that they all would pull their tongues out before that would breath a word of what she was to anyone, or they would now at least. They were in fact more suited to know her secrets than he was. They could be tortured to death and never spill a word about her to her enemies or even to him, their Alpha.

" She is, one of a kind." He continued. " Ana is a Lunar Mystic and she has immense power. Power she chose to share with me, at least some of it when we mated. If anyone but those of us in this room know what she is they will try to take her from us and exploit her powers for their own gain." Erza said to them.

" Alpha I thought the Luna was wolfless." Michael said.

" I know, her wolf has the power to keep herself hidden and not shift on a regular basis though it isn't healthy she can do it if necessary." Ezra said to them. " Ana must remain guarded at all times while the pack has visitors and when she visits other packs, though that isn't going to happen without me. You are all to guard her when on the main land. She isn't to go outside of the pack house without at least half of you with her at all times." Ezra completed his talk looking at Ana to see if she wanted to add anything. She didn't so she released them to go about their day noticing that Aaron and Collum stayed outside the office door.

" Well that was fun." Ana said after the door closed. Ezra pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

" You are truly an amazing woman mate." He said kissing her again.

" Ana, we need to talk about the Luna ceremony, and something else to." Ezra said, saying the last bit slowly.

" Ok Alpha, whats up?" Ana asked cheerily. Ezra growled but contained himself. Ana and that word was going to drive him nuts.

" I have invited all the packs we are allied with. They need to know who the Luna to this Pack is since we are supporting them. Do you understand what that means?" Ezra asked her. Her eyes widened. She knew exactly what that meant. Dariens' parents would be here. What about Cheyenne, they would force her to return with them. She needed to make sure that didn't happen.

" Ezra, What about Cheyenne they will force her to return to her pack. She is the future Luna to that pack. I know what he did to her and why you had the warriors rescue her. But they have every right to force her to go back. She ran away." Ana said scared for her friend instead of thinking about what it would do to her.

" The Alpha Lycan King and his father are aware of Cheyenne's situation they will be here." Placing his finger under her chin he lifted her face up so he could look into her eyes. " No one is going to force her to do anything, And Ana Darien is now the Alpha of the Red Dawn Pack. It is rumored that his father passed the mantel and he and his mate are in the wind. No one seems to know why?" He said. He knew though. Ana was no longer under their control and when it got out who she really is, their lives were forfeit he was almost certain of that. Whether the Lycans ordered their deaths or not he would kill the bitch Luna and her useless son, he'd made that promise to himself in the moon goddesses name. He would keep it, to hell with the consequences for his actions. Ana's eyes got even wider if that was possible.

" D-D-Darien is A-Alpha." Ana studdered. Fear rising in her as she begins to shack. The door to his office burst open as he took her in his arms to try and calm her fears. Two angry looking men come in, shortly followed by six more angry warriors.

" Luna, what happened?" They asked, looking at me with murder in their eyes. Like I had hurt her, my mate. Aaron coming and removing her from my arms, well he tried to anyway. I growled and knocked him on his ass.

" I am fine. Be calm. I just got frightened at some news of some of the visiters." Ana explained. She then had them sit down again going over her treatment before coming to this pack. She left nothing out, from the looks the warriors were giving me told me that she wouldn't be left alone ever again. Well they could guard our room door. I'd be damned if they were moving in there with us.

" I'm going to take the Luna up to bed for the night, she has used a great deal of power and has had a shock. She needs to bathe and rest. Ana you need to tell them that you aren't afraid of me and that you are safe, otherwise I fear we will be sharing our quarters with eight extra men and women for all eternity." Ezra chuckled out.

" I am safe, you all know your Alpha. Their is no need to protect me from him." Ana said smiling at the over protective assassins that were now her guard. Yes, they knew their Alpha, and his beast which is why they could look at me with murder on their faces thinking I had hurt her earlier. Because they all knew I was capable, and that I had before. What they didn't yet realize is that I could never again be guilty of such a thing towards my mate, but she was the only exception. Everyone else was fair game for the beast and his blood thirsty nature.

" Yes, Luna, but there will be a guard outside your door at all times regardless." Peter says bowing and leaving the office telling Collum and Sabri to stand guard. While Taylor and Jax stood just outside my office doors.

" Are you still sure the warrior bond was a good idea Alpha?" Ana teased.

" I've never seen one this strong before. All of these men and women grew up here. But its like they don't even know me. Hell its like I'm not even their Alpha anymore." Ezra complained.

" I'm sorry Ezra. I can release them from the bond..."

" No!" Ezra shouted. He knew he felt differently since Ana had forced his shift and Maddox was sure he wasn't completely mad anymore, and he was certain he'd never be able to hurt Ana now but; he wanted to know she was safe from everyone. Ezra bent down and picked her up bridal style carrying her out of the office, up the stair and to the bedroom, followed by four assassins.

Ezra carried her to the bed and laid her down, going into the bathroom he started the water in the tub. After checking the temperature of the water he goes in the room and picks Ana back up, walking back in the bathroom placing her on the laboratory. He leaned down gently placing kisses on her shoulder. He then pulled her shirt up and over her head. Kissing down her left cheek as he slides his arms around her back releasing her bra letting it fall forward hanging on her elbows. He kisses down shoulder and across her chest along her collarbone, then down to her right breast up to her right shoulder. Leaning back he looks at the Golden rope wound around her arm from her shoulder to her wrist, noticing it had eight knots in it along the inside of her arm. It was odd to say the least, but he thought thats what you get when your mated to a one of a kind wolf. He just didn't know what to expect when entering into what should have been a simple ceremony. All that should have happened was that her guard should have had a direct mind link to her. Now they had a tie to her that was stronger than his tie as their Alpha or even her mate he thought. It wasn't the same kind of bond as a mate bond his bond was strong in its own way but if he threatened her his own pup mates would kill him or die trying. He knew that, and that is in a sense what he would have Alpha commanded them to do after the ceremony anyway. Taking his fore finger he traced the... well for lack of a better explanation supernatural tattoo. Stopping over each knot then with his thumb he traced it over the Ebony Black wolf howling at the moon on her wrist. He felt Maddox stir inside him realizing the wolf was a rendition of Maddoxs' wolf form in effect tying her to him even though he hadn't been part of the ceremony with her guard. Picking her wrist up he brushed his lips over the wolf form bring her hand down he looked at the wolf and right before his eyes the thing stood up on his hind legs transforming into his beast form. The fucking tattoo was alive, he thought. She was completely his is all forms.

" Ana, do you feel tied to me?" He asked. Feeling left out though he didn't know why. He'd felt her panic earlier just as her guards had.

" Yes, I am your mate in all ways Ezra. This is just to prove to all who I meet that I am your Mate and the Luna of this pack. It is so that my warriors and my mate can know the minuet I am in distress so that I can have help when needed no matter the distance between us." Ana said leaning in kissing my lips. I finished undressing my incredible mate, then placed her in the oversized jacuzzi tub. Taking her luffa he poured some of her body wash on it and began giving her a bath. He loved the feel of her skin under his hands. She was so much healthier than she had been when he'd first laid eyes on her. Finishing her bath he lifted her out of the water wrapping her in a towel. He took a second towel and dried her long beautiful hair.

" Ezra you know I can bathe and dry myself right?" She said sweetly not complaining she just wanted him to know she wasn't a delicate flower that needed tending or she'd break.

" I know, I just needed to do this for you tonight. I need you close to me. You have become my whole reason for living. Ana you are the only weekness, the only chink in my armor. If anything ever happened to you I think I would become worse than I have ever been in my life. I think I would become the demon beast everyone has feared for years that I was, with no hope of returning to a human man ever again. I would have to be put down to be stopped. I can feel it in here." Ezra said placing a hand over his chest where his once dead heart was. Picking up her hand he placed in under his.

" You feel that woman? It beats because of you, it beats for you. It was dead and frozen before you found a way to thaw it. You gave your own life for mine. I know you said you were never in any danger but you didn't have a heart beat for several minuets. I know I was listening to it but I know that it wasn't beating when I first placed my head on your chest at the bottom of that fucking ravine. Which by the way I am going to find a way to fill that damn thing in if it takes every bit of my considerable fortune. I am not losing another soul to that fucking place." Ezra said. Picking her back up and carrying her to their bed.

" Ezra I need my sleep clothes." Ana protested.

" You sleep like this from now on. I don't want anything separate us ever again. Not even your sleepers." Ezra grinned as he stood and stripped his own clothes heading for the shower.

" Where are you going?" Ana questioned him.

" I need a shower love, you rest. I will be back in a minute." He said.

Ezra showered himself quickly and returned to his bed and his mate. He crawled in behind her pulling her into his arms. She was sleeping when he laid down, brushing her hair away from her cheek he kissed her there.

" Goodnight my love. I don't know how but you have completely burrowed yourself into my very being." He said closing his eyes and following her off to sleep.

Ezra woke the next morning allowing Ana to sleep in. She was going to have a busy two days. He had gone to his office after dressing this morning going over the last minuet details of her Luna ceremony. The Lycan Royals would be arriving any minute. Ana had prepared my cabin house as well as rooms in the pack house for them saying they might want to stay in either place. How had anyone been able to abuse and hurt her the way the Red Dawn pack had done, more importantly how had her wolf not gone savage much in the way his had done over the death of his father. Her wolf had separated from her human host, but she was still sain.

Ezra had heard the commotion out side the pack house and felt the excitement of his pack members through his Alpha's link. The royals had finally arrived. Getting up he walked outside to greet his friends and leaders. Watching as the motor cade approached the front of the house in the large circular drive he bowed lowly as the Lycan King Father, his mated Queen and their son the current king exited the car followed by their guard exiting the other cars.

" Your Majesties." Ezra said politely.

The Queen mother popped him lovingly on the back of his head.

" Stand up boy, you are family. I am so thrilled that you have finally found your mate. I hear she is the sweetest and most beautiful young woman in the world, except for me of course." The Queen mother said teasingly.

" Where is she I want to meet her." She continued to gush.

" She really is the most amazing woman I know. I have sent her guard to wake her, she had a hard day yesterday so I allowed her to sleep in. Shall we enter and take our ease." Ezra asked them, gesturing inside.

" Yes let us go into the sunroom and take tea." The Queen mother suggested.

As they all walked in they were met by one of the Warrior cooks asking what they would like to have for lunch and if they wanted it in the dining room or sun room. They had decided to eat in the sun room and that they'd have Orca steaks with all the trimmings.

Taking their seats they slipped off into easy conversation Ezra's head snapping up when he was hit with Ana's scent, looking at the door. Ana stood there dressed in a warm dress and leggings. She looked beautiful with her hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders. He got up walking over to her he took her in his arms kissing her soundly, when he heard the clearing of a throat. Pulling away he shook his head to clear it, taking her hand in his he lead her over to their guests to introduce her.

" King Josiah, Queen Hyacinth, and Sovereign King Christian this is my mate Ana." He said.

" She is absolutely beautiful." The Queen mother said standing and hugging Ana.

Ana bowed to them after the Queen mother let her go taking each of the men's hands in turn.

" Ana have we met before, maybe at one our banquets?" The King father asked her as she lifted her head he got a good look at her. She resembles someone he knew being the young girl was shaking her head at him.

" No your majesty I have not left my pack before Alpha Ezra found me and claimed me as mate, bring me here." She stated omitting how she was kept in her own pack.

" My king father you and I need to discuss some things regarding my mate if you would like to join me in my office sir." Ezra said.

Getting up the King and his King father followed Ezra to his office the men noticing that they were being followed by the women.

" I found Ana being held captive almost a year ago, she has been here about eight months. After I brought her here I sent some warriors to her old pack to investigate why she was being treated in such a manner. I didn't have the Alpha's permission to remove her from that pack. I just took her. I know it was illegal but Alpha King she was covered in bruises and had broken bones. Being she was my mate and in that condition Maddox was willing to wipe out that whole pack so my leaving was best for everyone, and I couldn't leave her behind." Ezra said unlocking the drawer and handing the file over that rested there. The King father taking it he opened the file looking at the contents. Looking up at Ana his eyes widening. He then looked at Ezra anger flashing in the crystal Blue depths.

" Which pack? Who held this child prisoner?" He asked his voice cold and deadly.

" The Red Dawn pack Sire." Ezra said.

" And how were you treated there my child? Is what Alpha Ezra Black says true? Where you mishandled?" He asked Ana trying to calm his voice.

" Yes, sir. " Ana said bowing her head. Ezra could feel the guilt she felt at the treatment she had received. Why she felt guilty he'd never know. She hadn't done anything wrong. Ezra held his hand out to his mate bring her into lap as she took his hand and he sat down all in one fluid motion.

" Then why are they still among the living Enforcer?" The sitting King and Ezra's best friend asked angrily.

" I am bound by a mates promise not to hunt and kill them. I didn't know the extent of Ana's abuse until last week the minx procured a promise from me before she would tell me what she has lived through." Ezra said glaring at his mate.

" I am bound by no such promises." The King father said. " And neither are her family members." He finished.

Ana's mind was spinning she felt dizzy.

" I have a family?" Ana asked not wanting to hope or believe she could have a family out there somewhere.

" Yes, child. All will become clear soon enough." The King father said.

" Alpha Ezra Black as the Royal Persacuter and Enforcer of the palace you serve." The Lycan King began as he realized who Ana was and why his father was seething mad. Ezra placing Ana in his seat as he stood and walked over to his king kneeling in front of him. This was business and he wasn't his own ruler in his own pack right now.

" You are charged to arrest the members of that pack that had any thing to do with the captivity of this woman, you are to arrest any who have had any knowledge of her presents in that pack. Bring them to the palace and put them in the cells until punishment can be passed." King Christian commanded.

" Yes, my king." Ezra said standing he placed a kiss on Ana's forehead and headed for the door only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Turning he saw it was the Queen mother behind him.

" After your Luna has had her moment son. She will not be missing anymore of her life because of that pack and its useless members. After the ceremony I would like to take Luna Ana back to the palace when we return home. She will be there when you arrive with her oppressors." The queen mother said bowing to Ezra.

Ana began to cry and shake uncontrollably panic filling her body. She had had to much information already today now she would have to face her abusers and soon. The door to Ezra's office slamming open with eight men and women bursting in surrounding Ana even before Erza could make it to her and he was in the same room she had been in.

" Luna you are frightened. What has happened here?" Peter asked franticly.

The royal's staring at the scene before them. The warriors hadn't even given them the proper attention they deserved as their over lords. Amused the Queen asked.

" What is this all about?" She chuckled thoroughly amused by the situation.

" Umm we cannot go into detail your majesties we can only tell you that we are the Luna's guard and we are protective of her, blindingly so." Sabri offered only now bowing to the royals in the room.

The Queens eyebrows raised in question when she replied.

" But we are your leaders, her leaders. We would not harm her in any way."

" Yes, ma'am. We can't allow our Luna to be distressed it is in a scene ingrained in our DNA. It is a warriors oath to their Luna. We can not help ourselves." Michael stated.

The king looked surprised then replied.

" A warriors oath?"