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

Such sadness came from the little boy's tone that despite myself, I couldn't help but turn my head. Watery eyes and a nervous demeanour, Lumen crept towards me on his tippy-toes.

/"I told you to stay outside, Lumen./"

My tone must have come out harsher than I intended. He flinched, taking a step back. His bare feet were dirty, the telltale sign that he had taken his shoes and socks off down the back of the garden, and dirty smears paved his progress into the room.

/"Lou got cold./" He made a shivering motion, making a brrr sound with his teeth and running his hands up and down his arms to empathize.

Chapter37