"I didn't want you to worry that I was an intruder," Adam explained, which seemed obvious to him. Even if Adam belonged here, it was still Alec's place first.

Stepping forward carefully, he offered his cupped hands. He didn't know if Alec would be disgusted or offended by being offered an insect, and Alec had been wary of approach up until he'd sat down next to Adam at the library table. "I brought you a new friend for your garden," he explained, trying not to think about the fact that he hadn't seen Alec's garden and didn't know if the caterpillar would be an invasive species. He'd worried that the temple might not allow the passage of a living creature and that the caterpillar would be killed or left upon the threshold when Adam had crossed over, but the temple had either respected Adam's intent or his cupped hands had been enough of a protective bubble to keep the caterpillar alive. "If I've remembered correctly, this kind transforms into a blue butterfly with yellow spots."