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

For a moment, a look of concentration washed over Lumen's face. It was a very grown-up expression, one that I hadn't seen on him before. It made him look more like the teenager that his body belonged to than the toddler that his mind actually was.

A glint of hurt showed in the rounded eyes at the hesitance of my answer. With a sigh, I crouched down, brushing my hand across his cheek with affection.

/"You're not my baby like Timmy was the mommy and daddy's baby in the book because I'm not your daddy./"

/"But you are my baby in a different way. I take care of you just like a daddy or mommy would. I make you yummy foods and make sure you're clean. You're my baby, Lou. Just in a different way to how Timmy and Tommy were./"

Lumen gave a smile. /"Lumen Star's beebee,/" he said happily.

Chapter32