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

/"I didn't mean because I didn't trust you, idiot. I meant it because I do trust you. Lavoe wants two Betas? Then fuck it. I will too. Consider this a promotion, kid./"

Jaw-dropping, the expression on the post-cubs face was downright comical. /"You're — you're serious right? You're not screwing with me?/"

/"No./" The kid had proved his value. /"I meant it. I was thinking of sending you back as a safeguard. That is Samedi Arbor—/" I pointed to the purple blooded limb. /"— Maybe it will be nothing, and it will be a wasted effort, but as you said, I trust you./"

Silence. It rang heavily between us before Clarke swallowed hard. He didn't look half as pleased as I thought he would. Instead, he almost seemed afraid. His eyes had gone wide, and his mouth was moving before he got ahold of himself.

Chapter101