A part of me hated being back at school. Not because I didn't like my courses or my roommates, but simply because I was apart from Dimitri. I could feel the physical distance between us, and I found myself rubbing at my chest at night when I would feel the twinge of ache.

I found it hardest the first night. Dimitri stayed with me the night we drove back and I clung to him the whole night, laying on top of him with my face pressed against his chest.

"I don't want you to go," I whispered.

Dimitri's fingers were twisted into my hair and he kissed my head, pulling me tighter against his chest.

"I don't want to either, but I have to."

I nodded and ran my nails gently over his chest and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. I sighed to myself and felt a furrow form on my face, the ache starting to seep into my chest as I thought about being alone again.

Dimitri moved under me and ran his hands over my back, pressing a kiss to my lips. I sighed and rested my face against his, smiling at the warmth.

"When did you swipe that?" Dimitri mumbled against my cheek. I opened my eyes and lifted my head enough, spotting the book I took from the hub peeking out of my bag.

"When you tried to break me," I grumbled and rested my head again. Dimitri chuckled and kissed my cheek, running his finger over my spine.

"Why?"

"I wanted to ask Malcolm about some things. Christian said he was the go-to for Ekon lore and history," I said quietly, feeling sleep creeping over me. Dimitri hummed under his breath and nodded

"Christian is right. Malcolm is the go-to. Even for me and Alberta."

I hummed and pried my eyes open again, wanting more time with Dimitri before he left in the morning. But I was exhausted and my eyes kept drooping. Dimitri rubbed his hand soothingly over my back and hummed a song that I had heard him hum before.

"Go to sleep, Roza. I won't leave without waking you," he said softly. I tried to protest, but he must have put the slightest bit of compulsion in his words because my fight fled me and I fell into a calm sleep.

I moved through the hall and was stunned at the architecture in this part of campus. It was old, and it reminded me of the architecture in Greece. When I found the right room number, I opened the door to the office and smiled kindly at the assistant at the desk.

"Hi. I was wondering if Professor Weston was in?" I asked politely.

"Office hours are nine to two-thirty. You will need to come back tomorrow," the woman said dryly.

"Oh, I'm not here on a school issue. I needed to ask him a question about something else. He's a friend of my boyfriend."

"As I said, you will need to come back tomorrow."

I sighed and took a slow breath, pulling down my barriers. I heard another heartbeat coming from behind the door that said Malcolm's name.

I stepped around the desk and knocked on the door, but the woman yanked on my arm, making me jerk back.

"I said you will need to come back tomorrow. Are you dense?" the woman snapped as the door opened.

"What is the cause of the commotion?" Malcolm snapped as the door opened, looking at the assistant before looking at me. "Oh! Rose! How lovely to see you."

"It's nice to see you too. I had a quick question about what we talked about at Christmas if you have a moment," I said leadingly, looking down at the book clutched in my arm.

"Of course," Malcolm said before looking at the hand wrapped around my arm, "I suggest you remove that before you get written up and reprimanded for assaulting my student."

The assistant let go of my hand and I walked into his office, momentarily impressed by the collection of art in the room. Malcolm gestured for me to sit in the chair and I did, setting my backpack on the ground beside my chair.

"What can I do for you, young Dhampir?" Malcolm chuckled.

I scoffed with a smile at the nickname. "Christian said that I should ask you the question I asked him," I started, "My bond with Dimitri formed very quickly. So quickly that it was unheard of. I was experiencing backlash from Dimitri through the bond after I was in a car accident in July. He had fed me his blood because I died because of the impact and then he was healing me. I wanted to know if it was possible for the human mates to develop abilities as well?"

Malcolm mulled over what I said and tented his fingers together and he nodded slowly.

"In a short answer; yes. It happens in some cases, especially when bonds form quickly. Do you or Dimitri have an idea why the bond formed so quickly?"

I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. "He was there the day I was born, and a few hours after I was born he made physical skin contact. He held me and kissed my head, I had respiratory problems."

"Physical bonds at such a young age would explain the progression. Were you around Dimitri a lot as you aged?"

"No. I only saw him a handful of times before my eighteenth birthday. He wanted me to be an adult and be able to make my own decisions about us. I honestly thought he wasn't real for a few years," I said.

Malcolm nodded. "What happened is that the bond was created but had to lay dormant. Every encounter you had with Dimitri before you turned eighteen woke the bond and then made it go dormant again. Essentially, when the two of you started meeting regularly, it was the equivalent of giving a normal kid speed. It made everything fast forward in order to make up for the separation. Yes, it can be alarming when it happens, but I wouldn't be concerned. Now, have you been experiencing anything that would make you question the development of an ability?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and looked at the thread I had woven around my finger from my sweater. I had told Dimitri one night that I had known about the accident before it happened, that I had seen snippets like I was watching a movie in my mind. I told Malcolm about them, and about the ones I had seen recently. The most unnerving one for me was seeing Mason's up looking up at nothing, a lifeless look in his eyes.

"I feel like I get déjà vu happens all the time," I trailed off.

"You're a seer," Malcolm said plainly as if he was stating the obvious.

"A what?"

"A seer. Someone who can see parts of the future. That's what the déjà vu feeling is. It's because you have experienced what's happened before. Did this start after the bond was formed as an eighteen-year-old?"

I shook my head. "No. I've always had that feeling, I just chalked it up."

"You've most likely been seeing things your whole life and not realized it was real. It would be best for you to keep a notepad you can keep on you to draw what you see. You said it's like seeing a movie?"

"Yea, like quick flashes over my eyes. Like when you're dreaming?"

"I would draw what you see. It will help tell the difference between reality and vision. At least until you learn how to master it. Eventually, you should be able to make the visions come at will."

I blew out a breath and leaned back in the chair, taking in everything.

"This is crazy," I muttered.

"It's not, but it feels like it is," Malcolm chuckled.

"Are you a seer?"

Malcolm nodded with a smile. "I have been a seer since I was fifteen years old. I have seen many visions in my lifetime," he said.

I crossed my legs and smiled. "I know this is an odd question, but how old are you?"

"I am older than Dimitri. I would say the earliest year I could date back to is the 1300s. We didn't count or keep track of time then."

"I guess that is why Christian told me to ask you. You're like the gatekeeper of the hubs."

Malcolm laughed deeply and shook his head. "That's putting it kindly," he said with a smile. "Now, let's take a look at that, shall we?"

The music was loud over the speakers, and the pub was full of people. It was strange for it to be so busy on a Tuesday night but to each their own.

Thom was enjoying the business and I could complain. I got good tips when we were busy, and Tomas always fed me when we got busy. He always complained that I was too skinny.

Tomas and I were currently running bets on which patrons were going to get in a fight. There was a gaggle of girls that I had seen on campus, two of the seven were in my classes and were dressed like they were going to the club instead of the pub.

And each was equally drunk and vying for the attention of the men. It was a little gag-worthy.

A familiar bronze-haired man sat down at the bar and smirked at me. I poured him a tumbler and shook my head at him.

"Please tell me that I was never like that," I groaned and gestured to the girls.

Adrian snorted a laugh and picked up his glass. "No. You were disgusting."

I rolled my eyes and set another glass down in front of him when he finished the one in his hand. It took all of three minutes before Adrian was spotted and the gaggle descended. Adrian gave me a pleading look and I shrugged.

"Deal with it, lover boy," I called out to him as I moved down the bar and refilled another girl's glass. I tried my hardest to keep a straight face as I watched Adrian try to brush them off.

"Friend of yours?" the girl I was serving asked with a laugh.

"Boyfriend's cousin. I'm letting him suffer," I chuckled as I set her glass down on the bar. She laughed and took a sip, looking over at him again and her eyes widened.

"I think you need to be more worried for him," she said pointing.

I looked down the bar and smirked. "Nah. He's taken," I said with a wink. The girl caught on and smirked, walking away with her drink. I walked down the bar and came out from the gap in the bar, stopping beside Dimitri as the gaggle descended on him too.

"Did you really drive four hours to have a drink?" I asked with a tilt of my head and a smile.

Dimitri met my eyes and I watched a hungry look cross them.

"No, I drove four hours to see you," he said cupping my cheeks and planting a kiss on my lips. The intensity of it made me shiver and I gripped his shirt in my hands.

I gasped for a breath when we pulled apart, my lips tingling. "Then I should give you a good show?" I laughed.

Dimitri winked and let me go, kissing my cheek as he sat on the stool next to Adrian. I moved around the bar and set a shot glass on the bar before him.

"I'll have one of those too," one girl, Becky, pipped up from where she was trying to climb into Adrian's lap.

"Nope. You aren't old enough," I said, "I'm not serving you. Or any of you unless it is water, juice, coffee, or pop."

Becky narrowed her eyes and I rested my hands on the bar, looking at her levelly. "Your lucky Tom hasn't tossed you all out for being drunk. He's just enjoying the mockery you're making of yourselves."

Becky tossed her hair over her shoulder and turned to her friends, bickering with them, but I couldn't hear what she said because of the music.

"Are you staying at my place tonight?" I asked Dimitri.

"I did book a hotel room, but if you'd rather stay at your place?"

"Oh no, we are staying at the hotel tonight," I said leaning over the bar, purposely giving him a good look at my boobs. Dimitri's eyes dipped downwards, and a smirk crossed his lips.

"Have any ideas for the night?"

I shrugged innocently. "I have a few," I chirped. Adrian gagged sarcastically into his glass and Dimitri smacked the back of his head.

"Be nice," Dimitri chastised as he sat down and sipped his drink. I smirked at the two and continued tending the bar. Thom muttered something in Italian at me and I turned, finding my special green plate on the overpass, piled with onion rings and mozzarella sticks.

"Thanks!" I said and tore a bite off a ring and set the plate under the bar counter. As I worked I felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, setting me on edge. I looked around the bar to try and find the cause but couldn't.

I only saw Dimitri watching me carefully. I rolled my shoulders back and rubbed my neck with furrowed brows. It was a strange sensation, but my tension put Dimitri on edge, his eyes moving over the bar. I gave him a reassuring look and ducked under the bar to eat a bit more.

As I chewed, I felt a rolling sensation through the bond, pure fury leaking through to me. The intensity of it startled me and I popped up in time to watch Adrian lunge after Dimitri as he planted his fist into someone's face.

But it wasn't just a simple punch, it was multiple repeated shots in succession. The man fought back but Dimitri's anger was unwavering. I stumbled around the bar when my mind processed what was happening, just as Thom came out of the kitchen.

"Dimitri! Stop!" I exclaimed as Adrian tried to pull Dimitri off, but once I got within arms reach, Adrian tried to keep me at bay. My words were ignored or didn't reach his ears as he kept fighting with the man.

"Don't even look at her!" Dimitri shouted once Adrian was able to pull him off. I slipped under Adrian's arm and placed my hands on Dimitri's chest, looking up at him while knocking down the barriers between us.

"Dimitri, stop," I pleaded, "Stop."

Dimitri's chest heaved as his eyes burned, pinned on the man behind me. I sent soothing thoughts through the bond, but I could feel them stop against a barrier that wasn't there. His anger was too strong to penetrate.

"Glad to know that things never change, boy," the man drawled. I turned and looked over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing.

"If you know what's best for you, I'd be quiet," I snapped.

The man chuckled and wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.

"Oh, the fire in you. Olena had that fire once, but it died out," the man commented, a sinister tone in his voice.

I felt Dimitri's anger rile up again and I pressed against him as he tried to move around me. Adrian had gripped the back of Dimitri's shirt and I pushed him back, making him look at me when I stretched up on my toes and gripped his hair, making him look at me.

"He isn't worth your time," I whispered knowing that he'd hear me despite the music. Dimitri's body trembled as his eyes held mine. I heard Thom telling the man that he needed to leave, no doubt sensing the situation. I looked over at Kyler who was still behind the bar and gestured outside. He nodded and watched us as I dragged Dimitri out the back door, taking a deep breath in surprise at how cold it was outside.

I watched Dimitri pace in the small alley, his breath clouding around him as he moved. His jaw was set and ticked as he ground his teeth together, his thoughts running a million miles a minute.

"Dimitri?"

Dimitri shook his head and muttered to himself, running his hands over his hair before pulling the hair tie out. I watched him pace for a few more minutes before I stepped in front of him, stumbling back a little when he walked into me. In the small moment of the stumble, I cupped his neck and pulled him down to me, pressing my lips hard against his.

Dimitri's body was tense for a moment before it relaxed, arms wrapping around my waist as he pulled me closer. The anger still ran hot through him, and I could feel it bleeding through, his mouth moving almost aggressively against mine. I stretched on my toes to be closer, and he moved up so that my back was against the brick. I shivered when my bare skin touched the cold stone, pressing myself against him to gain warmth.

The vodka on his lips made me cringe a little, simply because I never liked the taste, but when he pulled away, he panted softly as he rested his forehead against mine. After a moment he let go of my waist and rested his hands on either side of me.

"Breathe," I whispered softly, stroking his neck gently.

Dimitri nodded and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. His body started to slacken, and he stood up straight, but pulled me to his chest and cradled me.

"I'm sorry. I don't lose control like this," Dimitri apologized but I shushed him gently.

"I think you get a free pass, considering who was on the receiving end of your fist," I said quietly. Dimitri closed his eyes with a sigh, dropping his head to my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back gently, waiting until I felt the last of the intensity leave his body.

After a few moments, Dimitri pulled away and rolled his shoulders as he paced gently. The back door opened and Thom stepped out, raising a brow at the two of us. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered.

"You good or do I need to kick you out too?" he asked jabbing a finger at Dimitri.

"I'm sorry, it appears the wounds my father inflicted on my family are still fresh for me," Dimitri said quietly.

"What did your old man do to deserve that?"

"He hit my mother," Dimitri said darkly.

Thom cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. "Did you put your weight into it?"

"Of course," I chuckled under my breath. Thom nodded and stepped back inside.

"Put a coat on before you get sick!"

I smirked and shook my head, moving my hands over my arms to keep them warm. Dimitri looked at me sympathetically and stepped toward me, wrapping his arm around me as he steered me back inside. I squeezed his hand as we walked through the back room, looking down at the slip knuckles.

"My shift should be over soon," I said gently as I inspected his hand.

Dimitri nodded and blinked a few times. I looked up at him and gave him a meek smile and kissed his cheek.

"I've got to get back. If you don't want to go back out there, you can go in there. It's like a little staff room," I offered and pointed to the door to the left of us.

Dimitri nodded. "That might be best," he said. I frowned to myself as he walked into the staff room, closing the door behind him silently. I pulled my hair out of the clip and rubbed my fingers against my scalp as I walked back to the bar, trying to work out the soreness that lingered there.

I came around the bar and clipped my hair back up, picking up glasses as I went. Kyler looked at me with raised brows and I shrugged.

"How much do you know about that?" Thom asked as he poured shots into three glasses, sliding one to Kyler and then setting the other under the counter beside my food.

"Not a whole lot. I just know that Dimitri is very protective of his mother. I don't think he's seen his father since he kicked him out when he was a teenager. I just know that it's a sore subject for him," I explained as I crouched down and ate more of my food, quickly downing the shot as well. I stood up again and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and cleared my throat.

"That man of yours is fast, I didn't even see him get out of his chair," Kyler chuckled.

"Yeah, just keeping up with him when he's walking," Adrian snorted from his spot at the bar, tapping his empty glass. I walked over and filled it again when his head snapped towards the door.

I prepared for Randall to be back, but it was Sydney. Her hair was curled loosely around her face and she headed straight for the bar. If it wasn't entirely out of character to see her here, I was stunned by her clothing.

"What the hell are you wearing?" I chuckled.

"I had a meeting with my parents," she drowned out as set her purse on the bar, sliding onto a bar stool near Adrian.

"What are the chances you'll your girl a drink on the house?" she asked meekly, running her fingers through her hair nervously. I nodded and set a coaster on the bar top and poured her a pint of beer, setting it down on the coaster. I leaned on the counter and watched her drink half of it with her first gulp.

"That bad?" Adrian asked with a chuckle, rubbing his glass between his hands.

Sydney glanced at him and then back at me, sipping her beer again. I raised my brows at her, and she shook her hand, resting her elbow on the bar, propping her head up.

"It was brutal. It's a good thing I love you, the only reason I went was because of you," she said glumly.

I wiped the bar down and frowned. "Me?"

Sydney nodded and I saw sadness lingering in her eyes. "We got more information," she whispered, glancing at Adrian.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, "We're clearly having a private conversation."

"You," Adrian said plainly with a smile.

Sydney rolled her eyes, muttering Lestat under her breath before looking at me.

"Nathan caused your accident."

Adrian jerked up and turned his body towards Sydney, his green eyes almost glowing.

"What did you just say?" he demanded quietly.

Sydney narrowed her eyes at him but I cut between them.

"How?"

Sydney looked back at me and took another large gulp of her beer. "He knew that Lissa was Christian's mate. He sabotaged the brakes in Mr. Dragomir's car. It was a coincidence that you were the other driver. They thought it was two birds and one stone until they found out that Dimitri brought you back and that Lissa woke up from her coma."

My body slackened and I closed my eyes, resting my hands against the bar and hung my head. I took a slow breath and took a moment to compose myself so that it didn't seep into Dimitri.

"That fucker," I whispered.

"I'm sorry," Sydney whispered sympathetically.

I nodded and gave her a weak smile. The bar was going to be closing soon and I had a hell of a clean-up ahead of me.

"Do you need a ride home? I'm going to be a while."

Sydney nodded. "Yeah. I got a ride with my parents and walked here. I don't mind waiting," she said.

"I can drive you," Adrian piped up, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Sydney looked disturbed at the idea. Maybe it was simply her upbringing and that Adrian was an Ekon. But as I watched Adrian look at Sydney, there was something familiar about it.

"I'm fine waiting," Sydney said after a moment.

"Really, it's no trouble at all," he insisted. I cocked my head to the side and the realization hit me like a brick wall. The look was a look that I had seen in Dimitri's eyes before.

Is Adrian mated?

It took a few moments for Dimitri. Not that I know of. Why?

I think he just found her.

"If you don't want to wait, Adrian will get you home safely. Adrian is Dimitri's cousin," I said to Sydney, giving her a small smile. Sydney looked hesitant but I nodded gently.

Sydney excused herself to the bathroom. Once she was a few feet away I spun on Adrian, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Talk. Now."

Adrian shrugged and gestured to his glass again. I rolled my eyes and pour the final shot of the night into his glass and looked at him expectantly.

"What?"

"You said that 'she' was why you were still here. Was that just to be a prick, or was there a double meaning to that? Because I know that look!"

Adrian smiled softly to himself and looked down at his glass, running his finger over the rim of it.

"Then you tell me."

"Is she your mate?"

"Yeah. It's strange. I get it now. I knew that I'd be able to feel them nearby, but when I felt her coming towards us, I hoped that she would be coming in here. And then when she walked in and I saw her…Did it feel like this for you?"

I smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. I was literally a minute old. I would ask Dimitri that question," I said.

Adrian chuckled as the music turned off and people started coming up to pay their tabs. I excused myself to help Kyler close out the tabs. Once that was finished and Adrian slid a bill across the counter to me for his and Dimitri's drink, and I closed out his tab too.

"But was it an instant feeling when you were around him?"

I took my clip out of my hair and clipped it to my shirt, leaning on the counter.

"I remember feeling safe with him, even though I had never met him before. I felt safe enough to let him clean my scrapes and carry me through the park. It was instant for me. Just don't take it for granted, Adrian. Because this will be really hard for Sydney to wrap her head around."

"Why?"

"Sydney grew up an Alchemist," I explained softly as she came back to the bar. Sydney looked between us and I glanced at Adrian.

"I'm going to be a bit longer than I thought. It might be best if Adrian drives you home. But I promise you'll be safe."

Sydney eyes me for a few moments and then glanced at Adrian out of the corner of her eyes. Even now I could see the mild curiosity there. Sydney nodded and Adrian stood up and walked with her to the door, opening it for her.

I smirked to myself and went about cleaning, wondering what kind of conversation I was in for when I got back to my place tonight.

Posting early because I had a shit day and posting makes me happy because it makes you all happy. Enjoy!