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

<p>/"Daddy,/" Lumen whined as he wrapped his arms around my neck. The excitement that had taken over his baby blues diminished beneath a filmy layer of tears, his lower lip doing a jelly impression. /"Lumen scawed./"</p>

<p>/"Why are you scared, my little king?/" I humoured, resting my head on top of his. We were sat in the rear of the car, snuggling in the backseat. Lumen had needed changing, and jumping at the chance to escape the all-round-cheer, I had volunteered. The sickly music that had been playing by the tree display had been getting on my last fucking nerve, but the boys had been stealing candy canes from the tree, and stuffing themselves with the free hotdogs, so I had dealt with it. Clarke had challenged Lumen to a dog-off, and like the fool he was, Lumen had accepted.</p>

Chapter106