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 homesick reminder had his face crumpling, and he dropped to the damp ground, sniffling and cuddling his boat close to his chest. Tears sprang to life in his baby blues, and his thumb promptly found its way back to his mouth.

/"Great,/" I muttered. /"I broke the baby./"

/"He'll be okay,/" Cyrus said. His eyes did a sweeping scan of our surroundings, whether to check that the backdrop of lifelessness had changed, or checking for hidden monsters, it was anybody's guess. Then, grimacing, he dropped down beside Lumen. /"You did so well with your boat, Lumen./"

It didn't stop the tears, but it did earn a bashful smile. Looking to me, as though to ask if it was okay to be nice to him, I gave a small nod. /"It no bubblies,/" he said at last.

/"When we get home, you can use it in your bath and have lots of bubblies,/" I promised.

Chapter122