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

Giggling slightly, still not completely with it, Lumen clung to his daddy's arms as he pretended to shove and throw him towards me.

/"Guess what today is, my littlest light?/" I asked once the shoving had stopped and Lou had rested his head against Star's shoulder, his eyes flipping open and closed in a heavy, lethargic manner.

/"No. It's not Tuesday, beebee,/" Sterling answered. /"Try again./"

Sterling and I hadn't slept yet. Neither had Axe. I don't think Clarke had either, as Cyrus had gotten back late last night. It hadn't sounded like they were sleeping, but they hadn't stayed to help wrap the presents. Sterling hadn't been happy. He had kept threatening to go upstairs and spray them with the hosepipe.

Our day and night routine was still a little bit Freaky Friday, but we had slowly been turning it around.

Chapter141