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

The downstairs didn't seem to have suffered too much trauma. It had been cleaned, getting rid of the graveyard of cobwebs and dust that had slathered most of the surfaces, and a new array of living room had been introduced, replacing the ancient shit with a gigantic Lazy Boy and matching side chairs.

The breakfast bar in the kitchen had received a new countertop, replacing the old, out-dated one, and a small, round table had been added to the wisp of space that slipped out past the island. I didn't bother looking upstairs. I simply dumped Lumen on the couch, deeming it a good call on insisting on the pull-up, and throwing his Pooh bear at his head, before ordering Clarke to get his shit out the car and put them away in the right rooms.

Calling for backup, Jacob appeared out of fucking nowhere. He was shorter than Clarke by a good few inches, but carried himself like he was fucking invincible.

Chapter82