Page 29 of Jared

“You...you were dead,” Jared wailed. “My fault, all my fault.”

“Shhh. I'm not dead. I'm right here. Feel me? This is me, holding you tight because I am not dead and I know you'd never do anything to cause me harm,” Steve reassured him.

“They had a gun. They had a gun and when you tried to save me, they killed you,” Jared insisted. “They knew you were a wolf and had silver bullets.”

Steve gave a low laugh. “Silver bullets, huh? Well, a well aimed bullet could possibly hurt me, put me out of commission for a few days. As for silver, well... It'd have to be silver mined and refined within the Veil to do any real damage.”

“Really?” Jared straightened up. “The Veil?”

“Yes, it's like a border between this world and the one where us folk originated. It's thin in places and before great mages shored up the borders and stabilized portals in set places, humans and Folk alike would often accidentally get lost in the shadows there and come out the other side. Hence the stories of “Under Hill” and the like. Only silver mined and refined and worked by the few Folk and humans who co-exist in the Shadowland there has any effect on us. Interestingly, if it is refined there but then worked on either side, it becomes just ordinary silver.”

“People live in this, this sort of between place?”

“Yes, but they are not like the the humans and Folk that live either side. Their ancestors became stuck there, somehow, and the Shadows there worked changes upon them both. They are something Other, really. They don't like being disturbed by strangers wandering, hence why they worked with mages on both sides to seal the borders. “

“But there are portals?”

“Yes, Think of them as tunnels with locked gates either side. One can only traverse the tunnel to get from one end to the other, and to get into or out of the tunnel, the gates on each end must be opened. It's very well regulated.”

“To not let too many cross, huh?”

“Well, that, and to protect the lands each one opens up to. Ours for example, opens up onto our Packlands and the nearby Dark Principality.”

Intrigued now, Jared pulled back slightly from Steve and swiped his eyes. “Principality of Darkness?”

“Dark Principality,” Steve corrected. It's like packlands, only for vampires.”

“Oh. The other did sound rather like a bad band name.” Jared gave a weak giggle. “Oh!” he said, a though occurring to him. “The vampires from the bakery...”

Steve nodded. “Yes, we're neighbors on both sides of the Veil. Now, about this dream...”

Jared caught his lower lips between his teeth and glanced away. “I was in that alley again and they were... they were...” his voice trailed off and he shifted his body in distress.

“They were hurting you again? Like they did then?” Steve prodded gently.

“Ye-yes. Only this time, I already knew you, and you were there and they knew your name too and had come prepared, shooting you with those silver bullets. Like they'd used me to lure you out and I'd been stupid enough to go alone to the club and fall for their shit.” Jared stared at a point above Steve's shoulder.

“Well, it didn't happen, okay?” Steve yawned.

“Oh God, were you up?”

“No, but it's okay. You needed me so I needed to be here.”

“I-I think I can sleep now.”

“Want me to stay?”

“Yeah.” Jared disentangled himself further and scooted over. “Hold me?”

Steve smiled. “Of course.” He toed off his shoes and climbed in next to Jared. Spooned together, Jared closed his eyes. Steve listened to his breathing even out, following him soon into sleep.

11

Jared woke, his eyes gritty and head snuffly but feeling well rested nonetheless. His bladder was complaining but there was no way to get to the bathroom without disentangling himself. He carefully slid his feet out from between Steve's and gently lifted the arm that was draped across his waist. That actually was the worst of the issue as the weight of Steve's hand was pressing against his bladder. He knew immediately that Steve had awoken, as he felt Steve's arm stiffen as he lifted it. This was quickly confirmed when a sleep roughened voice asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah. I just gotta pee.”

“M'kay.” Steve finished releasing him. “What time is it?”