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

/"Nae!/" Ember's head finally snapped from his protector's form, whipping around to where the smug-faced bastard had appeared out of thin air. /"Oomen ouchie. He cwy so much./"

/"I know, Ember. The big nasty lady must have known that you were together and sent all of the nasty monsters to try and get you, but you'll be nice and safe now. Do you want a pop-tart?/"

And like it was the most normal thing in the world, the demon reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a wrapped pop-tart. He peeled the wrapper, offering one of the sugar squares to Ember.

Chapter87