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 love you,/" Jonathan repeated, far from apologetic, and nothing near embarrassed. His eyes, burning like the brightest star, found mine, oozing sincerity. His hand reached out, brushing against my cheek with such tenderness, it caused me to flinch.

/"Is this where I'm supposed to say it back?/"

/"Jerk,/" Jonathan breathed, but he shook his head. /"No. It isn't. This is me letting you know how I feel. The last three days? It's been hell for me, Sterling. Going back to the car that night and finding it gone, the whole place looking like a fucking bomb had been detonated . . . you have no idea how that felt./"

Chapter132