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 living room had never been particularly large, but it suddenly seemed tiny beneath the bodies that had gathered and the two small mountains of brightly wrapped gifts. Clarke and Cyrus sat on the couch. Clarke was all but bouncing, sporting a grin so wide that the Chesire cat would have tipped his head in respect, and Cyrus was sprawled out, his eyes closed. They cracked as we entered, the minty green of them flickering over us. They settled on Sterling, before he offered us all a small smile.

Ember's presents had been wrapped in shiny blue snowman paper, stacked beside the fireplace. Axe was already sat there, Ember in his lap, who was hugging one of his presents to his chest. He had more patience than Lou would have had; I doubted he would have been able to wait for his brother.

Lumen's were wrapped in bright red paper with snowflakes on them, at the foot of the armchair that sat closest to the tree.

Chapter142