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

/"We'll find neutral ground./" Upright, Ember came to Axe's chest. The boy slid his arms around his waist, letting his head fall against it. Custer ran his fingers through the floppiness of his hair in return. /"Unclaimed, and we set up base there. The twins will be the centre. You and I will be with them, as will our Betas. The rest of your pack, and the rest of my pride, will form a defensive perimeter. They will work together. For your weaknesses, our senses cover, and for our weakness, your strengths oversee. Together, there shouldn't be any blind spots./"

/"Cept you seem to be under the impression that our kind will willingly get along. And the lady said that your kind are fucking hotheads./"

/"You focus on keeping your pack in line. I'll focus on keeping mine./"

Closing my eyes, I tried picturing cat and dog playing nicely. It ended in dead kittens and tears.

Chapter59