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

/"Clarke!/" Lumen squealed when the two men made their way into my kitchen, trampling in snow from the magical snowfall that had flooded the outside world last night.

/"Lou!/" Clarke cheered, readying himself to catch Lumen as he hopped off my lap and bolted towards him. The open arms was a wasted effort as Lumen ran out of energy halfway, and then realized that Jonathan was next to him and demanded hugs from my Beta, instead. /"So this is what betrayal tastes like?/"

/"Get used to it, kid,/" Jonathan teased as he crushed Lumen in a hug, kissing the top of his head. /"The kids always gonna pick me, aren't you, monkey?/"

Lumen pulled back with a frown. /"I not monkey. Daddy say I rat./"

Clarke snorted on his laughter. Jonathan sent me a dark look that barely lasted a second. Our eyes had met and then he had forced his gaze anywhere but where I was.

Chapter43