Infinite Bond Read online

  Tanika popped up from her seat. “Sure thing.”

  My heart fell to my feet when she left the room. My nerves had been all right with Tanika here, but now that she was gone, I bounced my leg up and down while biting my thumbnail and looking everywhere but at the ancient vampire in front of me.

  Tanika had said he was as old as dirt. It meant he would be powerful, right?

  “Micah, what’s your last name?”

  “Grey, sir—I mean Sebas-Dean.” Darn it all. I was useless at speaking when nervous.

  A soft chuckle sounded around in the room. “Micah, do you understand you’ll be safe here? There won’t be anyone to take your money, and everything you own will be yours. No one will take another thing from you.”

  How did he know that about me? I didn’t say anything about Lax or the trailer I lived in.

  Could he read minds?

  “Tanny spoke to me telepathically. She just wanted to look out for you.”

  Okay, so he could speak to people in their minds.

  Yep, just an average day for me. My knee bounced harder.

  “I know.” I nodded. Licking my dry lips, I forced a question from myself. “Will I, ah, be…. Will…. Is it strange that I’m older and starting here?”

  “You’re not the first, and I doubt you’ll be the last to come into a power later in life. What we do in your situation is see how much you can learn about your power in the first few months, and if we think you can move up a year, you will. Some can master their power quickly, some can’t, and if that happens, please don’t think badly of it. It means their power is a strong one.”

  “Okay.” I nodded.

  The dean wiggled his mouse to bring his computer to life. “Now, let’s see where we can put you.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Micah

  * * *

  “Are you out of your mind?” Tanika yelled after she heard what dorm room I would be living in. She placed her items on the chair and gripped the back of it.

  Sebastian leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. Tanika quickly shut up but made a noise in the back of her throat like she still wanted to ask Sebastian if he’d lost his marbles. Knowing she was upset or angry over where he’d placed me set my nerves into a full tailspin, and I brought my legs up on the chair to wrap my arms around my knees while ducking half of my face behind them to hide.

  Jesus, I was a wuss.

  I doubted I was the only one close to peeing when they saw the hard gaze in the dean’s eyes. I caught Tanika’s throat moving over a hard swallow before her focus went to me.

  She sighed, running a hand over the back of her neck. Hesitantly, she glanced to the dean. “He could room with me?”

  “No.” His tone was hard and cold.

  Tanika’s jaw clenched. I needed her to stop questioning, but I also wanted to reassure her I’d be okay no matter where I roomed. So I pushed my anxiety that was eating my heart aside and reached out, taking her hand.

  “I’ll be okay,” I whispered.

  As soon as I had her attention, I gave her a wobbly smile. Her eyes warmed, and she grinned as she took my hand in hers. “Of course you will.” She waved her free hand around. “I’m just overreacting. You’re like a little brother to me. I’m going to worry over the smallest things.”

  Glaring, I snatched my hand back and pushed my feet back to the ground, straightening. “We’re the same age, Tanika. I’m not a kid. My nerves may cripple me a lot, but I can take care of myself.” Or I’ll hide when things get too much for me. I cringed at my own thoughts. I had to stop being such a wuss. But when a person had been beaten down time and again, it got harder to find that courage.

  “I know you can. It’s just that Cade and—”

  “Tanika, I think it’s best you go and get ready for bed. I’ll deliver Micah to his room.” Sebastian stood and crossed his arms over his chest.

  Tanika’s lips thinned. She was clearly not happy she couldn’t come along. “Fine.” She picked up her bag and dropped it onto my lap. I wrapped both arms around it since it was heavy. “In this pack, you’ll find information about the school. A laptop and a new mobile phone, since the college provides and pays for one. There’s also a school map.” Her hands went to my shoulders. “Program my number from your old phone into the new one and text me as soon as you’re awake. I’ll come get you and show you the cafeteria. You might sleep in, but I know the cook here. I’m sure she’ll get you something no matter what time you wake up.”

  If I slept at all.

  Sebastian snorted. “I’ll mention to the cook how you think you can ask favors from her.”

  Tanika rolled her eyes at me. I wished I could be as brave as her. “Tell your wife I said hi.” She grinned and then bopped me on the nose like I was a young kid before walking from the room.

  There was an urge inside me to yell at her to stop and stay by my side. Yet my throat had closed over the second she shut the door after herself. I gripped the bag to my chest and turned back to Sebastian.

  “You may have noticed Tanika wasn’t a fan of where I’ve put you.”

  Wasn’t a fan.

  Did he mean she was horrified? Because that was how I’d read it.

  “I did.”

  Sebastian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked older, but when his hand dropped away, he rolled his eyes and went back to looking like he was in his teens.

  “I’m not doing this in any type of way to punish you for what happened earlier.”

  “Okay,” I drew out. Now he’d said those words, it made me think he was.

  “And now that I’ve said that, you’re going to think I am.”

  “Can you read minds?”

  The dean chuckled. “No, but it was obvious on your face.” He moved around the desk and leaned against it in front of me. I wondered what his wife was like. Did she look just as young? Was she a vampire also or something else? How did he become the dean for this school?

  “Micah?”

  Stilling, I blinked up at him. “I see I’ve lost you.” He straightened. “Let’s talk while I take you to your room. You must be exhausted.”

  Now he mentioned it, the weight of the night pressed down on my shoulders. Tired, I stared up at him. Was he waiting for something?

  Right, room.

  Standing, I shouldered the bag Tanika had given me and bent to pick up my duffel.

  “I’ll take that one.” Sebastian’s movements were fast. Faster than I could see, because in a blink, he had the bag already over his shoulder and stood waiting by the door.

  “Wow.” The word escaped before I could stop it.

  Sebastian smiled. “You’ll see a lot of ‘wow’ moments around here.” We headed off. “I doubt you’ll have any problems, Micah, but if there are, please don’t let Tanika deal with them. Come to me and I will.”

  He expected problems? I knew it.

  “Micah, don’t look like I’ve sent you to the firing line. I haven’t. I try and keep the peace between us all here, but some students are more temperamental than others. For example, the shifters can be a bit rough around the edges. Some would say the same for the vampires.” He grinned at me. “I’m the exception, of course.”

  Smiling to the floor, I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”

  “Good. Now, the people I have you sharing with are two shifters, Cade James and Hyde Dawson. Another wields elemental magic. His name is Ezekiel Hex. The shifters might be hard to get along with at the start, but I have a good feeling things will be fine eventually. I can’t ask for your trust yet, but please understand I would never put a student in harm’s way.”

  “Okay,” I said softly as we stepped into an elevator.

  “Thank you. Your room is on the top floor. You’ll share a living room and a small kitchenette with the other three. And all bedrooms, like yours, connect to the living room. There’s always snacks, which you can purchase from the stores—”

  “Sir, um, Mr., ah... Dean, I left my job.” Hopefully he would understand I didn’t have much money.

  “That’s fine. We can find you a job around here. But we’ll think more on it tomorrow.”

  “But… what about tuition?” Since the thought entered my mind, I couldn’t stop my muscles tightening in worry.

  Sebastian placed his hand on my shoulder. “Relax. School costs are taken care of for people who come to us under different circumstances. Your room and schooling are covered.”

  My shoulders relaxed once more until the ding of the elevator stopping sent a fresh wave of tension through me. Sebastian gave me an amused look before stepping out, and I quickly followed.

  “I think we’ll enroll you in a defense course. It might help.”

  Biting my bottom lip, I nodded. He could see how weak I was. How scared I was. Shame burned in my stomach and tears pricked my eyes.

  Sebastian suddenly stopped and placed a hand on my shoulder. When I brought my gaze up, since it seemed that was what he was waiting for, he cocked his head to the side. “Micah, it’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to want to keep to yourself. It’s okay to not be as strong as others. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. One day your confidence will build. You’ll eventually see and understand you’re not weak. You might feel it now, but how many could say they walked willingly into a new world that was only presented to them moments ago? Hardly anyone. You’re braver than you think, but just remember it is okay to be scared also.”

  How did he know?

  No matter, it was nice of him to say so, and I hoped that one day I wouldn’t cower in scary situations and in front of those who intimidated me. Until then, all I could do was go on as I had been and save the self-pitying for in private.

  Sebastian smiled. “I know it’s e
asy for me to say, but I guess you’ll learn it soon.” His hand fell away, and he turned, making his way down the hall again.

  It was easy to feel, well, at ease with him. Yet there was a darker side to the dean, and there wasn’t a chance I ever wanted to be on his bad side.

  He looked over his shoulder and smiled, fangs showing. “Coming?”

  Lifting the bag at my chest higher, I nodded and quickened my pace to catch up to him.

  The floor we were on was quiet and held dim lighting, which made sense since it was the middle of the night.

  “Ah….”

  “Yes?”

  “How, um, many students are here?”

  “The college has over one thousand students, but not all dorm here. The elves open portals between our dimensions to travel to this school.”

  Elves? Portals? Dimensions? My mind took another hit again. There was seriously a lot I had to learn, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to take everything in along with classes.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll learn all about the different species in existence. You’ll also be taught the proper ways to greet certain types. Like shifters, for example. If you come across an alpha, it’s best not to meet their gaze, or they’ll think you’re challenging them. Some vampires are the same.”

  “You?” I blurted, sure I’d met his gaze a few times.

  Sebastian chuckled. “I used to be that way, but when I’m in charge of so many people who are only learning about these things, I’ve had to rein myself in. Most are lenient over such things because not everyone knows. Especially after living in the human world all your life.” He shrugged. “I thought I’d mention about alphas because Cade, whose room is next to yours, is an alpha heir. He’ll be taking over the position of his alpha when the time comes. Hyde is also an alpha but sees Cade’s father as the one in charge because he doesn’t want to rule his own pack. When it comes time for Cade to take over, Hyde will step into the position of top enforcer.”

  Gripping the bag tighter, I nodded again. It was good to know two of my roommates were alphas. No way did I want them to think I was challenging them when, no doubt, their other forms could rip my throat out. I didn’t think my power was strong enough to take on claws and teeth.

  My power.

  I held a power within me.

  Knowing it and then accepting the truth of it was hard, but there’d been enough proof so I couldn’t deny it. For a start, I wouldn’t have thrown Sebastian when he’d startled me.

  Sebastian stopped at the door at the end of the hallway. “Here we are.” He took some keys out and unlocked the door. “I have a master key to all rooms in case of emergencies.” He swung the door in and moved aside. Not that I wanted to be the first to step in, but I did it anyway with a deep breath.

  I hit the living room that Sebastian had spoken of. There was a three-seater couch and a chair to the left of the room, with a rug and coffee table in front of it. A television was hooked from the roof and hung down in front of the seat. Further in was the kitchenette that held a small refrigerator, a counter where there was a coffee machine and microwave, and a cupboard sat above it. The room was tidier than I thought it would be.

  “The bathroom on this floor is back down the hall, at the other end. Your room is that one.” He pointed to the right side and closest to the windows that sat from floor to ceiling at the side of the kitchenette.

  A door opened. I dropped the bag, and my hand instinctively shot out until Sebastian caught it and moved in front of me, facing me. “It’s all right,” he quickly stated.

  My heart slowly slid from my throat down into my chest again. Still, it beat hard. Nodding, I sucked in a breath and dropped my gaze to the floor, my hair falling over my eyes. Sebastian shifted, and I peeked through my hair to see he’d turned around.

  “Ezekiel, what are you doing awake at this hour?”

  “Sebastian, what are you doing here at this hour?”

  My mouth dropped open at his bold words to the dean. I moved a little to peek around Sebastian and saw…. I quickly moved back to hide. There was a boy… man… uhm… guy standing in front of an open bedroom door, only wearing boxers. Though, even in that quick glance, I caught how smooth his mocha skin was. How his eyes, which were different colors, shone with humor. How his short dark hair looked soft. Soft? Really? I also noticed he was taller than Sebastian and me, which didn’t surprise me too much. I was only five foot two, and the dean must have been at least five foot four or six.

  “Zeke, now’s not the time to be a smart-ass. What are you doing awake?”

  “I was thirsty and wanted to get a drink. Everything all right? Who’s hiding behind you?”

  Hiding. Hell, I really was.

  Biting my bottom lip, I shuffled to the side, and through my hair, I looked at Ezekiel, or Zeke, as Sebastian had called him.

  “This is Micah. He’s new. Only came into his power tonight and knows nothing of our world. He’ll be taking the free room from now on.”

  Zeke nodded. “Cool.” He tipped his chin my way. “Hey, Micah.”

  My stomach somersaulted. “Hi,” I uttered.

  Zeke’s gaze swung back to Sebastian, and he nodded. What I missed between the two of them, I didn’t know.

  “Anyway, Micah has the day off tomorrow to get things organized. Can you let Cade and Hyde know about their new roommate?”

  “You got it.”

  “Good.” Sebastian turned to me, and I wanted to swallow my tongue from the worry twisting my stomach. I was afraid I’d ask him to stay. I hated new places, new people, and he seemed nice. “Micah, I’ll leave you to rest. Come to my office after you’ve eaten with Tanika, and we’ll get you sorted into classes.”

  “Yes, sir, ah, Dean.”

  Zeke made a noise in the back of his throat, and I had a feeling he was trying to hold back laughter.

  Sebastian patted my shoulder. “You’ll be fine here.”

  There wasn’t a chance I could say anything again, so I just nodded. His lips thinned before he turned and moved out of the room, closing the door after him.

  Would it be rude if I made a run for my room?

  It would. Dammit.

  Reaching down, I picked up the bag and noticed the duffle on the floor, so I grabbed it as well. The weight of both had me stumble a little to the side. My face heated. Maybe it would be best to run for my room and hide in there until Sebastian pried me away for classes.

  Groaning inwardly, I flicked my gaze to Zeke, who stood there with his arms crossed over his broad chest, smirking.

  “Are you shy?”

  My pulse raced, my stomach churned, and I wanted to… God, hide once again. “Yes.” I nodded. “And, um, awkward around meeting people.”

  Why?

  Why did I say that?

  My blush deepened and I was close to throwing up.

  “Got it. Look, I’m going to give it to you straight.”

  Now I wanted to pee.

  “Yes?”

  “Cade is an asshole. Hyde is…. Well, he’s a dick sometimes too. Don’t let their attitudes get you down. You’ll get used to them.”

  In other words, I would have to deal with more bullies. Great.

  Grazing my bottom lip with my top teeth, I nodded. What else could I say to that? There wasn’t anything. What I wanted to do was curl into an emotional ball and rock back and forth over the daunting situation I was now in. My stomach rumbled and twisted. At least Zeke couldn’t see my shaky hands since I was holding both bags tightly.

  “Hey” was said softly, but I still jolted at the closeness of his voice. My eyes snagged on his feet in front of me first before they traveled up his long legs to his chest. A shiver raked over me when Zeke cupped one side of my neck. “It’s not all bad here. Promise.”

  I nodded again, not convinced my voice would work from the feel of his warm hand on my skin.

  Why was I reacting to his close proximity? Why did my heart beat faster than it had in fright? Why did I have the urge to hug him?

  It was crazy. No, beyond that. But I couldn’t get my mind to work to find the word I was looking for.

  “Get some sleep. I’m sure you’re wrecked from the night.”

  With another nod, which he chuckled at, Zeke pulled his hand away. I watched him through the curtain of my fringe as he walked to the kitchenette. Before I could make a fool of myself again, I raced to my door and turned the handle. I walked into the door when it didn’t open, smacking into it hard.