In the silvery waterfall of moonlight, Jonathan Aztec, my second in command, holding rank as Beta of the Northridge pack, was something to behold. His powerful shoulders seemed to carry the waning gibbous, and the shadows that devoured the vast grounds of Battleridge manor granted him a wide berth.
He was a superior specimen. He was a male worthy of the ranking he'd been bestowed. But like all creatures, he wasn't born perfect, and his character flaw was a fault that bled out into the night like a severed artery: Concern.
It charged the air between us, a thick blanket that settled against the lungs like a boa-constrictor's loving embrace.
"What did you find?" I asked. The perverse silence that had entombed the dilapidated courtyard, screaming so loud it rang through my ears like a twisted lullaby, was shattered upon his approach. His boots smacked against the waterlogged ground, echoing in a way that spoke of his failures before he'd even opened his mouth. 
"Nothing,"
.......
"Until I can figure out what's going on, nobody finds out about the boy. Understand?"
"Understood."
"You're not going to ..." The pause that followed dragged out. "He's just a baby, Sterling."
"You're dismissed."

The Littlest Light

Jonathan was showing Lumen the nightlights when a couple walked past, both of them sparing a backwards glance at the kid, before sniggering as they continued on their way.

/"Did you just growl at them?/" Jonathan asked, his eyebrows, thick, dark arches that added a glint of mischief when cocked, shooting up so high that they seemed to disappear into his hairline. /"Wow. Didn't think you were capable./"

/"What the fuck does that mean?/" I demanded, teeth setting into a clamp as I spun the cart that Lumen was in so it was lengthways across the aisle, blocking the way of another oncoming human. This one walked alone, no cart in tow, but beneath my glare, and the blatant deliberateness of the act, he didn't dare say anything, and slithered past the thin gap before hurrying off out of sight.

Chapter21