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

/"But . . ../" I waved my hand impatiently, waiting for him to get to the catch.

Clyde only shook his head. Leaning back in his seat, the heavy sigh he blew out seemed to sweep through the office. /"No buts. I truly am a believer that a child learns what it lives. Take you, for example. You grew up a rouge; it's a scary life. Danger around every corner. Growing up with fear, you learned how to be apprehensive and hostile./"

/"I'm not apprehensive,/" I denied, shooting the opposing Alpha a dark look.

/"Lumen is happy. He's kind and sweet, and the world you've created for him is fear-free. Whatever you're doing whilst raising him, you're doing something right. And as a father, I have the utmost respect for you in that department. As long as that continues to be the case, I'm really not worried about Lumen. If he turns out to be as powerful as you suspect, then I'd much rather have him as a future ally than foe./"

Chapter64