Seamus stood beside Azrael, both of them watching Jacob intently. The large man was walking along the edge of the roof they were standing on, balancing perfectly on the lip of the building. Jacob seemed completely lost in his own world as he tested his new body out. The look of wonder that had been on his face from the moment he’d first awoken hadn’t quite left. He’d also immediately insisted on finding out what new skills he’d gained from the transformation, and he hadn’t stopped since.

“I take it his first night was uneventful then?” Seamus asked Azrael.

Azrael shrugged. “Nothing worth mentioning. He’s been, well, the best word I have for it is he’s been high ever since. It’s actually more like he’s a little kid. He keeps playing with the way his voice sounds, balancing on random stuff, seeing how far he can throw stuff. Turns out he’s actually really strong.”

“It helps when his sire is of great strength as well. You were already strong from being turned by Alexandre. You were even stronger from having drained him,” Seamus explained.

“I won’t apologize for that,” Azrael said.

Seamus sighed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. You never liked anything you did, but you never apologize for anything either. I was never one of Alexandre’s favorites, so I was rarely around him. I can’t say I grew as close to him as someone of your status would have.”

“And I wasn’t close to him, not like everyone else wanted to be,” Azrael said.

“And why do you think everyone hated you so much? Alexandre doted on you, and gave you a great deal more freedom than any child your age is normally allowed. Yet, you wanted so little to do with him and the rest of us. Some thought you were throwing the gift of his presence in your life away, like it was a cheap toy,” Seamus told him.

Azrael raised a brow. “And you?”

Seamus shrugged. “You intrigued me. I can’t say if it was because of who you were at first, or because you drew such fascination from Alexandre himself. After a while, I found I enjoyed your company. You were so different from everyone else and I appreciated that. I never had to worry if you were my friend because you wanted something or not. You’ve never had an ulterior motive with me, and so I can safely say you’re the only person I thought of as my friend.”

“Is that why you helped us?” Azrael asked.

Seamus frowned. “I helped you, not him. I still don’t like the idea of a wolf becoming one of us, and I would sooner pretend it hasn’t happened. If he had died…well, I could see where that would have ended up for you. I’m still not happy with you, but I would prefer you alive and happy. Losing him would have killed the last bit of spirit you had in you.”

“That’s a really nice answer,” Azrael said slowly.

Seamus chuckled. “It’s the truth. The other answer, which is equally true, is that maybe, just maybe, I wanted to have my moment of rebellion. I’ve lived for a while in this ordered world our kind has made, and maybe I wanted to see something change. I could never make change, but you, you have change written all over you. And now you’re free, free of any restraints holding you here.”

“Especially since I’m sure I’m not welcome here,” Azrael said.

“It would be best if you never returned to this city. Every vampire in this part of the country is going to swarm, trying to get a piece of what Alexandre and Merrick left behind. You should both be as far from here as possible. We’re the only three who know what truly happened, and I will never breathe a word of it. It’s best if you two are never seen around here again, so suspicion will never fall on you,” Seamus said.

It sounded nice, hell, it sounded downright heavenly to Azrael. He’d always dreamed of leaving the city behind him and finding out what else there was in the world. His life had seemed to trap him in a net of his own making, preventing him from ever leaving. Then his transformation into a vampire had locked him within the confines of the Camarilla, leaving him tied to the city even more than before. With the Camarilla leaderless, Azrael was no longer bound to stay.

“So, you helped me because you’re my friend and you wanted to fuck some shit up?” Azrael asked with a smirk.

“Something like that,” Seamus answered with a returning smirk.

Azrael couldn’t complain about his motivations. “I guess that’s better than anything else you could have said. I was afraid you were going to tell me it was because you were madly in love with me or something.”

“That would be that one’s line, not mine,” Seamus said, nodding his head in Jacob’s direction.

Azrael watched Jacob again. “He’s a little too preoccupied with his experiments to be very romantic at the moment.”

Seamus snorted. “He hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off you this entire time.”

Azrael frowned. “Have you been watching the same guy I have? Because he’s been playing acrobat for the past hour without stopping.”

“Yes, and he looks at you every five seconds,” Seamus said with a chuckle.

“He does?” Azrael asked in confusion.

Seamus shook his head. “I may not believe turning him was the right thing, but I can’t deny that he’s crazy about you. This may one day come back to haunt me but at least I know you won’t be going out into the world without someone at your side. It’s obvious he would die for you, so there are worse companions to have through eternity.”

“I feel the same way,” Azrael said softly.

“Yes, which will make you a rare duo in the vampiric world. In time, you’ll understand just how rare what you two have really is,” Seamus told him.

Azrael knew full well he was a lucky man. Part of him had been afraid that after a few hours, Jacob’s wonder would be replaced with horror at what he’d become. While Jacob had certainly managed to get over the fact that Azrael was a vampire, it was something else entirely when you became a part of the very people you were sworn to fight. Yet, nothing had changed in Jacob’s personality, though Azrael thought he was laughing a bit more than before.

“He’s like a little kid,” Azrael mused as he watched Jacob spin himself without faltering.

Seamus chuckled. “That’s normal. Some children become enamored with the sensations and new insights they gain after being turned. It is said that those who react to their new unlife with wonder and joy are those who will walk under starlight forever.”

“And how many of those same people are still walking around?” Azrael asked.

Seamus shrugged. “Who knows? It’s just something I’ve heard said before.”

“And now I’m responsible for making sure he keeps on going. Never thought I’d be teaching anyone anything in my life,” Azrael said with a snort.

“I think you’ll do just fine. He may be your child, but he’s also your partner. He will depend on you to teach him everything you have learned. The rest? You’ll have to learn together, with time. I almost envy the path ahead of you,” Seamus said.

“Almost,” Azrael repeated.

Seamus looked unapologetic. “I won’t pretend I’ve enjoyed the life I’ve lived so far. I’m not meant to be a rebel or an explorer, that will fall on the two of you. I will remain here, doing as I have always done.”

“I wouldn’t say no to seeing you again one day,” Azrael told him.

“Someday, in the future, when all this has been forgotten or no one cares, I would like that,” Seamus said with a faint smile.

Azrael realized in that moment that they were going to part ways. The two of them had struck up an odd friendship from the moment they’d met, simply because Seamus had been willing to try something new. Perhaps Seamus didn’t seek something different from the world he’d been raised in as a vampire, but he could at least value something different once in a while. There was so much the both of them didn’t know about each other, and Azrael wished they had more time to find out.

“This is goodbye, huh?” Azrael finally asked.

Seamus nodded. “I have managed to calm the others in the Camarilla, but only for the moment. Without someone to keep the peace, they will fall upon one another and we’ll have even more blood in the streets.”

“We really do know how to make an impression, don’t we?” Azrael asked with a wince.

“You destroyed two master vampires, leaving both their Camarillas without a leader to guide them. You also managed to destroy Merrick’s favorite children, who would have possibly replaced him in his absence. In all fairness, you might have been the one to take over from Alexandre, if you had so chosen. Young or not, you were obviously his favorite and even the ones who despise you would have respected your lead, with time. As it is, you are not meant for this life. What happens in Merrick’s city is not my concern, but I will be doing my best to keep this Camarilla in one piece,” Seamus explained.

Azrael smiled. “And taking a few pieces of that power pie for yourself.”

“If some of that power should fall into my hands, who am I to say no?” Seamus asked with a knowing smile.

Azrael watched his friend for a moment before nodding. “Be safe Seamus. I owe you a great deal for what you’ve done and what you’ll end up doing for me. If you ever need anything, I’m sure you can find a way to get a hold of me.”

Seamus nodded. “But only if you promise you will be doing me the favor as a friend, and not because you owe me some boon.”

Azrael grinned. “That’s a promise.”

Seamus retreated then, with only the briefest glance in Jacob’s direction. Azrael watched the vampire disappear in the shadows with a sad smile on his face. It seemed unfair, that he should only just then discover there had been more to Seamus than met the eye. Perhaps his dark view of vampires could be lightened simply by the help of one who had been his friend all along.

He turned his attention and his thoughts to Jacob, who had stopped his pacing. The large man was gazing out on the city without moving a limb. His feet were balanced half over the edge of the building, arms resting casually at his side. Azrael couldn’t see all of Jacob’s face, but he could make out his expression of happiness. He hadn’t realized it until that moment, but he hadn’t seen Jacob look that peaceful before. The man was generally happy and seemingly at ease, but he’d never looked truly at peace with the world. Something in the transformation from werewolf to vampire had opened up a new vista in Jacob’s mind. Azrael hoped the peace lasted, and it wasn’t simply a case of a fleeting emotion that would eventually die and spawn something darker.

He watched Jacob’s smile widen. “I know you’re thinking dark thoughts again.”

Azrael gave a surprised laugh. “But you’re not even looking at me!”

Jacob shook his head. “I don’t have to, I know you well enough. You’re thinking about all the bad things that could happen in the future and trying to figure out how you can stop it from happening.”

“Well, aren’t you just a smarty-pants?” Azrael grumbled as he walked up to Jacob.

Jacob smiled at him. “You just worry too much.”

Azrael walked to the edge with a sigh. “I’m just worried what will happen when the shine wears off.”

“The shine?” Jacob asked.

“Yeah, the part where you stop being so caught up in all the new sights and sounds. When you realize that now you’re stuck in your body for eternity, feeding off humanity to keep going. When the nights all start looking the same, and the one person you can blame will be me. Which would be totally fair,” Azrael blurted out in a rush.

Jacob reached out, turning so their chests were pressed together. “Do you really think that will happen?”

“I don’t know, it could, which is the problem,” Azrael whispered.

Jacob kissed Azrael’s forehead. “You saved my life.”

“I turned you into something you hate,” Azrael corrected.

“I stopped hating vampires as much when I got over the fact that you were a vampire. I just hated vampires like Alexandre, or that Merrick guy and his pets. They’re everything that’s wrong with vampires, and everything that can be wrong with people too. They were leeches, not you. If there are vampires like you in the world, and hell, even vampires like Seamus out there, maybe vampires don’t have to be the bad guys,” Jacob said.

“I was thinking the same thing earlier. I was beginning to wonder if maybe I was just the odd man out. That I was the only vampire who didn’t want to live playing with people’s lives, or screwing with things just to entertain myself. It’s kind of sad too, because I never gave Seamus the chance to be my friend. It’s obvious to me now that I should have at least given him a chance,” Azrael said regretfully.

“And now you know you really do have a friend in him,” Jacob consoled.

Azrael pushed himself to the tips of his toes to kiss Jacob. The two of them smiled as their lips met. Azrael had noticed he could sense Jacob whenever he was close, just as he once sensed Alexandre’s presence. It somehow added a greater sense of Jacob’s personality when the two of them were touching. Each emotion Jacob gave off seemed magnified ten times by being close and touching the other man. Whether he was joyful, full of wonder, curious, or content, it seemed to leech into Azrael’s emotions. Jacob’s attempts to comfort him were doubly effective, and Azrael could feel the relaxing warmth of his touch filling him completely.

“I guess I’m just being overly negative,” Azrael admitted.

Jacob nuzzled his face, his smile brushing over Azrael’s cheek. “No, you’re just the one who tries to plan out everything. You never were a very good planner though.”

Azrael smacked Jacob’s shoulder playfully with a laugh. “Just because something is true doesn’t mean you have to say it aloud!”

Jacob kissed him again, humming happily as he did so. “So, I’m not allowed to speak the truth?”

Azrael looked at him suspiciously. “That depends on what sort of truth you’re trying to speak.”

“Can I talk about how I feel about the future? And how happy it makes me to think about it?” Jacob asked with a shy smile.

“No regrets so far?” Azrael asked.

Jacob shrugged. “There are some people I’m probably going to have to leave out of my life from now on. I don’t think a lot of the werewolves I knew are going to be as understanding about what I am now, like I was with you. But I can live with that.”

“That was your pack, your friends,” Azrael said heavily.

“They were, but like you just proved with Seamus, sometimes those differences can be bridged. Sometimes all you need is to know the person behind the werewolf or vampire mask, and it can make all the difference in the world. I got over it, maybe they can too. If they can’t, well, maybe they weren’t my friends in the first place, not like I thought,” Jacob said casually.

Azrael opened his mouth to protest, but silenced himself. He knew he was just doing his normal worrying thing, and he didn’t want to bring Jacob’s mood down. The truth was, he wanted to be as hopeful and happy for the future as Jacob. There was still a part of his mind that insisted their possible happiness, if it did come, would be short-lived and make their lives all the more miserable for it. But he found it hard to be too pessimistic as he gazed up into Jacob’s happy face. His friend, now lover and companion for eternity, had always known just how to keep Azrael from sinking too low in the mire and muck of his own mind.

Azrael finally nodded. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Jacob wasted no time in talking happily. “When I’m not fascinated by hearing people down on the streets below, I can’t help but think about how I’m going to live forever. I still don’t really know what that means, but I do know that means I get to do it with you. Every night, when we wake up, you’re going to be the first person I see. Every night is going to be spent with you and both of us are free to go where we want, when we want. You’re not held down in this city because some master vampire said so, and I’m not duty bound to obey the sept’s laws anymore.”

“I was thinking something close to that earlier. We’ve both spent our whole lives being tied to a place, and I know I’ve spent most of it wishing I could get away from it all. Now I’m realizing that I’m no longer stuck somewhere and I have the freedom I always said I wanted. To tell you the truth, it scares the hell out of me—I don’t know what to do with it. It’s like, before, I had to work with a limited number of choices, and it was nice to think about what it would be like if I had more choices. Now that all those choices are open to me, I’m, well, doing my worrying thing,” Azrael admitted with a laugh.

Jacob’s arm wrapped around Azrael’s waist, holding him comfortably. “Yeah, it’s a little scary, isn’t it? Ever since I join the sept, I’ve always had someone to tell me what to do. I always tried to keep in mind what you taught me as kids, but there was always someone there to give me orders. Now it’s just the two of us.”

“Makes it a little less scary,” Azrael said with a smile.

“We’ve got the whole world before us, and forever to explore it,” Jacob continued, sounding excited.

“Do you really think we’re ready for it?” Azrael asked, but he was smiling at the infectious nature of Jacob’s enthusiasm.

Jacob snorted. “I don’t think the world is ready for us, but we’re going to do it anyway.”

Azrael lay his head against Jacob’s chest. “Everyone has been talking lately about how I’m so different, and how I’ve always changed things by doing my own thing. But the truth is, all I’ve ever wanted was something stable, something solid and real. Let the world around me change, let people move on, and let everything come crashing down around me if it wants to. All that mattered to me was that I could find that one place, that one thing that felt like home. I never realized until recently that a home can be a person. You’re that home for me, you’re that rock.”

Jacob cocked his head, warmth flowing out of him in a rush of joy. “And you’re the one who’s always kept me going, always kept me from getting too comfortable.”

Azrael supposed he should have said something about how they balanced each other out. How their differences allowed them to face problems as a complimentary duo. All he could think about, though, was how happy he was having Jacob with him. He’d meant it entirely when he said nothing mattered to him save for having that one safe place for him to lay his head. That one place was Jacob, where he could be himself, wholly and completely, without fear of judgment or reprisal.

So he worried too much about the future and when he thought about the scenarios for something, it was usually the worst-case. He was always going to be a little afraid of what came his way, and he was always going to fear that he might mess everything up. His whole life had been one disaster after another, but for the first time in his existence, he dared to feel good about the future. Perhaps everything would fall apart, perhaps they wouldn’t make it very far in the world. Anything and everything could go wrong for one or both of them, but in the end, all that mattered to Azrael was that he wasn’t alone.

Azrael smiled, holding Jacob closer. “You’re right, I don’t think the world is ready for us yet.”