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

/"Now shut your eyes, rat,/" other me commanded when the shadow show drew to a close.

/"Jo-Jo see Lou morrow?/" Lumen asked between a yawn, pawing at the firefly bedspread until his hands closed around the yellow bear.

/"Yes, beebee,/" other me said. /"And Clarke, too./"

I couldn't pinpoint exactly when the memory was from. Lumen and I had shared too many bedtimes that had ended similarly. But it was before Johno had become his mommy, so I figured it had to be a month or so back.

/"The future I saw just,/" I muttered to Kenai, my fingers reaching out to touch Lumen, but finding that whilst I had now gained some movement, stepping forward was still beyond my level of capability. My hand dropped back down to my side. /"How do I make sure that's the one I end up with?/"

Chapter113