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

Cracking an eye, Lumen's face swam into focus, followed immediately by the sharp pressure from where the pads of his hands were digging into my ribs. He went in for a fourth poke, the discomfort increasing as the weight was distributed solely to his left palm so that he assault my cheek again.

/"Lou,/" I groaned, trying to shove him off. The little bastard was like Peter Parker after a fucking manicure and clung on like the little spider roach that he was. /"Stop./"

/"I waky you up, daddy,/" Lumen said. It was still dark, but light had managed to creep into the room. Enough to highlight the deep from that marred the boy's face. /"Why mommy in daddy's bed?/"

Chapter80