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

/"Sweep wiv Lumen in wittle house?/" His face tilted up towards me, his tired eyes red from where he had been pawing at them and a wide yawn creeping past his lips.

/"It won't be very comfortable in here,/" I told him, shifting slightly. It was actually surprisingly comfortable. The duvet that I had folded on the floor cushioned the hardness of the floor and the pillows were soft. It wouldn't have been the worst nights sleep I had ever had. /"You'll be comfier in your new bed./"

Lumen shook his head. /"No. Lumen king. King's sweep here./"

I chuckled slightly. He could be funny at times, in a very strange, head-scratching sort of way. /"I haven't made you a bottle yet and you haven't got your blanket./"

Lumen shook his head, snuggling deeper into my side, his hand curling into my shirt again. /"Lumen no drink./"

Chapter28