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

/"Lumen, come here,/" I said tiredly, dropping in one of the chairs. Lumen came, a trail of tissue dragging behind him.

/"Star, did I scawe you?/" There was something about the way his eyes glistened, the way he eagerly placed his hands on my knees and leaned into me, waiting for my answer with a hopeful expression that had me nodding.

/"Yes,/" I said. Lumen let out a happy cheer, jumping up and down, clapping. The blender roared to life. Lumen shrieked, jumped into my lap and wrapped his arms around my neck.

Jonathan turned it off. /"Either this is getting worse and will continue to do so, or you've done something to piss off Casper the not so friendly ghost./"

After freeing Lumen of his mummy-like attire, I sat him at the table and warned him not to move. Jon finished dishing up and I filled two glasses with water and Lumen's plastic cup with a retractable straw up with pineapple juice.

Chapter34