His Fallen Mate (Elemental Series #1)

Seeing Him Again

Seraphina's POV

I paced my Bugatti at a full speed as I kept glancing at my Bulgari wristwatch. I am so late for the ceremony and I know mum will gonna nag me again for not being on time.

"Welcome back, Empress Seraphina." The Greeting Machine welcomed me as I passed through our automated gate. It's been weeks since I last came home and the place looks a bit more lively now than before. Perhaps because of the visitors coming...filling the front space of the hall with luxurious cars. I heaved a deep breath after I parked my car in our house's garage. I took a glance at myself in the mirror for the last time before going out.

Just as I was about to take my steps, my phone suddenly rang and my mother's name was plastered on the screen. s**t. I immediately threw my phone inside the car, not answering the call. I'll simply pretend I forgot it in the car, and I may have already left when she called.

I held my purse tight as I doubled my pace towards the event hall. My fiery red gown floated along as I made the pathways like my own runway. I walked in the door and was quickly moving along when I collided with someone and nearly fell down. I irritatedly gazed at the person I had just bumped into when a familiar face appeared in my very eyes. Surprisingly, I gulped for air and whispered his name within.

Dane?

He merely gave me a blank stare, as if I were a total stranger. I haven't seen him in fifteen years. He changed a lot, and I began to feel pain in my heart without even realizing it.

"I'm sorry, I was in a rush; are you going home?" I inquired as he began to walk away. He does, however, turn his body coldly without saying anything. Why can't he recognize me?

"Wait!" I screamed, unable to let him go. I don't know when he'll come back here once he goes out and I don't know when I will be able to see him again. "At the very least, give me an answer."

Dane paused as he peered in my direction, his expression etched with irritation. "We're going home, satisfied?" he said coldly as he turned around and walked away with someone, who I presume was his beta. Dane is so unfair. He left me hanging in the air, with no clue as to why he hadn't shown up for the past fifteen years. I feel like he owes me an explanation or perhaps an apology. I put a lot of faith in him, but he let me down. I wanted to sulk, but I knew I didn't have the right. I wanted to ask him a lot of questions, but I didn't have the energy.

I had been waiting for him for a long time, and when he finally arrived, he didn't even appear pleased to see me. Had he completely forgotten about me and buried our friendship six feet underground? He claimed he'd marry me once we grew up, but he doesn't even know who I am. Was his promise just an empty word and he didn't really mean it?

A tear fell from my eyes as I watched him walk away from me. If I haven't found my mate in five months, my mother will decide my destiny, and at the worst, I'll be forced to marry the King of our Empire in Novoland. I am set to give an heir to the kingdom as my mother's successor, a fire manipulator, and the highest cultivator of that element.

I've been touring the world in search of that thing called mate but I know who I'm bound to live with. I dash over to the path where Dane walks by, but he is nowhere to be seen. I looked around but I couldn't find him. I ran my finger in my hair in frustration as I muttered curses.

I've lost him...again.

I noticed the stars glittering from above. The sky appears to be vibrant, which is contrary to how I feel. Accepting what had happened, I slowly walked again in the hall feeling a bit down. Every head turned in my way as soon as I walked into the hall, and all the attention was on me.

"Sera, where have you been? The royal march we're done already," my older sister, Kia, pinched my waist after I came to socialize with her circle of friends. Although she was only my half-sister, she loved me so dearly. The only thing I don't like about her is how stringent she is about manners and decorum, which I frequently breach and for which she never fails to reprimand me.

After not seeing Malcolm in the crowd, I enquired, "Where's your mate?" Kia and her husband married when I was 7 years old, and they've been together for 15 years already.

I immediately pick a glass of wine when the wine stewards pass by my side. Sometimes, I'm jealous of Kia. She has her life settled together with her mate, whilst I'm still waiting for mine, who keeps leaving me. I want to wake up in the morning cuddling with him as we talk about our future plans. How wonderful could that be? I heaved a sigh while feeling the bitterness that slowly filled my cup.

"He's backstage taking care of the meeting with Jace," she responded.

"Jace?" I raised my brows as she uttered an unfamiliar name. Who's that?

"He's an Alpha of the Silverling Pack who will marry his Luna...the moon goddess's daughter."

I immediately spit the wine while my eyes widened after hearing Kia's response.

"The moon goddess's daughter? Are you playing with me?" I inquired doubtfully. How can a goddess be mated with a mere werewolf? That doesn't sound convincing at all. Perhaps she's a con artist.

"Do I look like I'm joking, Sera? How about you? Have you found him already?" she suddenly asked, which made me silent. I nervously drank the wine in one go as my gaze fell to the floor.

"I did...but he didn't recognize me," I whispered blandly before meeting Kia's stare. I know she's worried about me.

"Who? I'm gonna kill him so he'll recognize you?"

I pouted at my sister's aggressive remarks. How will he be able to recognize me if she kills him? Kia and I excused ourselves from the rest as we headed outside the hall.

"You know him, Kia." I shivered as the night breeze kissed my bare back. I sighed once more, clasping both of my hands as I remembered his blank expression an hour ago.

"Is that the boy who never showed up for a long time? What's his name again? Was it Dane? I think I saw him in the hall an hour ago," Kia uttered continuously.

"Did you meet him? Is that why you were late earlier?" No, I was merely late already when our paths collided.

"Yeah, I met him but he didn't even recognize me," I whispered, my heart slowly aching.

"So all these trips overseas were only an alibi, but you truly waited for him to return?" she said, possibly having figured out why I was usually gone. I'm holding on to his promise, but it seems like he's forgotten about it as well.

As a hybrid, I was able to form bonds with anybody my heart desired. If both of us shared the same emotion, we would gradually form a mating link and therefore become mates. But there will always be a superior mate, which occurs naturally, and Dane is my superior mate, whom I have already known since I was a kid. However, I feel like this is only a one-string link, as he didn't even react when he saw me. As though my existence doesn't have an impact on him.

"Then why did you let him go, Sera?" Kia questioned. "You're brilliant at seduction, why don't you try it on him?" Dane is an entirely different story. I couldn't make him like or force him on something he didn't want.

"He's different, Kia."

"How is he different, Sera?" she asked and her tone was slightly annoyed.

"He's strong and I feel like he's hard to fool," I replied, my gaze fixed on the horizon.

"If he won't do your bidding, then burn his entire pack and show him who's the boss," Kia added. I slowly shook my head as her suggestion got bizarre with each passing moment. I'm not a criminal, and I'm not going to kill people just for the pleasure of hurting Dane while saving myself. I know that hurting him would be the last thing I'll do in this lifetime.

"So you want to marry the King of Novoland instead?" she said after I declined her offer.

"I don't know, Kia," I answered her honestly. I haven't had the chance to think of that yet. Perhaps, if destiny won't permit, then I'll just accept my fate.

"Try chasing Dane, Sera," Kia continued, "and if he doesn't give in, then maybe you should give up. Niccolo, on the other hand, isn't awful for a spouse. He's powerful, handsome, just a bit cocky, but it'll do." I grimaced as I heard her laud Niccolo. Niccolo Knight is the one I'll marry if my mate doesn't accept me in five months and he's a total jackass. I've met him thrice already and the i***t thinks as though he's the superior being to ever set foot on earth. I hate him to the core of my existence. I really do, but my choices are limited. It's either I'll betray my descendants, hurt my mother or live the life I wanted. And I know I would never choose the latter.