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She smiled, because he was stubborn, and this was a dream, so of course he could come to her

"Steven "

A drea warmth that could destroy the very concept of winter She s out

The clouds seee, copper-penny shine of the eyes of a wolf

The animal was enormous It seemed to loo taut, canine teeth luminescent

"Jordan, the damned wolf is in the way," Steven said

"There are no wolves in Venice," she told hi around both Steven and the wolf It was snowing, and the snoas cold, blustering against her skin

She ith a start

She nearly screa above her She was still seated by the ; thebut a dark for himself a shake

"Jared!" Jordan reached over and flicked on the la flannel pajama pants; his chest bare For a

Then, he looked unco, Jordan glanced out

It was snowing in Venice Tiny crystaline snowflakes, drifting in the

She looked back at her cousin "Jared, are you all right?"

"Yes," he said quickly "I orried about you"

"Why?"

"I tapped to make sure that you had come up and were okay But you didn’t answer" She looked quickly around at her door It was closed She stared at Jared "I locked the door," she told hi back toward it "It was open"

"I swear, I locked it"

"Slide the bolts" It seemed as if he didn’t want to be near the

Of course not It was actually snowing, in Venice So that didn’t happen all that often

Jared had a decent chest He was tall and sliood shoulders and a wiry, athletic appearance

Now, there were goose bu I caotten away fro! Lock those shutters, and close the ! And get under some blankets"

Because his commands made sense, she obeyed them, then stared back at him

"Jared, I’ht you locked it but didn’t"

She nodded and shivered

"Get in bed, Jordan, I’ve been really worried about you Please don’t come doith an awful flu or cold"

She s her hands on his ice cold shoulders, "I’le under the covers and sleep late" She gave hiht"

He looked unhappy "I’ "Why don’t you look like you’re glad?"

"BecauseI shouldn’t have let you coht you to the contessa’s party

I shouldn’t have "

"I’ about her dead fiancé and wolves that stood in the shadows in streets

Noto tell Jared about it

"I’reat tiry about the contessa’s sense of entertain and cause nohis lips "I’ht Go back to bed"

"You don’t understand I’m really sorry"

"Jared, you’re my cousin, et out of o to bed"