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

His body was freshly coated in a zip-up bodysuit that had tiny Pooh faces on it, a gift from Jonathan, when my Beta appeared in the doorway, a bottle of milk in his hands.

/"I made him this,/" Jonathan offered, handing it to Lumen, who took it with a gurgle of nonsense. He crouched down, body positioned on the other side of the bed to where I stood, and gently pulled the covers up to the boy's chin, kissing his cheek and tucking Pooh in beside him. /"Goodnight, best boy. Have the sweetest dreams for me, okay?/"

Lumen didn't answer. His eyes had slid shut and even though the bottle was in his mouth, he wasn't suckling. As I flicked his blankie over the top of his quilt, the milk slid from his hands, sleep claiming him once more.

Chapter66