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

/"Yes,/" he deadpanned. /"They're issues. I'm not denying that, but we'll face them the same way we always do. You have no intention of actually facing this. I want to know where we stand, not play fucking Cluedo every time we're in the same room as to where we stand. Do you accept me as your mate, or not? If so, then if Lumen askes, all I want from you is to tell him the truth. I don't care about anybody else, Star./"

I was saved from replying by a sleepy voice. /"Daddy make Jojo saddy gen?/"

Spinning back around, my eyes landed on Lumen, who was struggling to sit up. He blinked feverishly at us, his nose crinkled.

/"Hey, my best boy,/" Jonathan greeted sweetly. /"Did you have super fantastic dreams?/"

Lumen shook his head. /"Daddy put Lou in box and say 'be safe here, Lou cuz daddy gotta Kapow da munsta's./" Lou then frowned. /"Nastee munsta though. Not Nae./"

Chapter69