Chapter 2: Dying Alone
1625 Words
ELIAS
I watched as Arden welcomed her child into the world after the war finally came to an end. Tears of joy streamed down everyone's faces at this moment. It was well-deserved after the turmoil we had endured over the past few months.
I was happy, too. Genuinely.
I was happy for them.
I stood at the edge of the room, arms folded, leaning against the wall as I took it all in. I didn’t really fit into picture-perfect moments like this, but I’d been present since the very beginning. I had observed them fall apart, fall in love, fall again, and somehow manage to claw their way back up. I had earned my spot in the corner.
I was a witness to the love story of these two.
Arden was laughing softly, brushing a tender kiss onto her baby’s forehead while Cade looked like he might combust from joy.
It was a good scene.
A peaceful scene.
Which is precisely why the universe decided to ruin it.
Calla, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stilled. Her eyes glazed over, that eerie blankness swallowing her pupils until it looked like she was staring into a void that only she could see.
The room froze.
“What did you see, sweetheart?” Rowan asked, his voice tight with worry.
However, Calla didn’t look at him. Instead, her gaze drifted toward me.
My brows lifted. “What? What are you staring at? I don’t owe you candy today.”
She pointed her finger straight at my face.
“I saw Uncle…” she whispered.
Children were already terrifying. So, imagine this psychic child right here. The way she looked at me sent shivers creeping down my spine.
I grinned, lifting my chin. “Yeah? You saw me? What does your favorite uncle do in your vision? Save the world again? Become famous? Finally get a girlfriend?”
Her expression didn’t change.
“You died alone.”
The room fell in silence for a moment until Rowan decided to break it.
“That’s what you get!” he declared triumphantly, smacking my shoulder while laughing.
I scowled. “For what?”
“That’s your karma,” Cade added, a chuckle escaping his lips.
“Wow,” I said, lifting both my hands in dramatic exasperation. “Amazing. It’s truly moving to see all of you exploit a sensitive man for your own entertainment.”
“Weak,” Rowan coughed, with a smirk.
“You’re all insensitive—every single one of you. This is a hate crime,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
They kept teasing. I deflected every jab with sarcasm and every snicker with a dismissive roll of my eyes, but the truth was…
Yeah.
Calla’s words got to me.
They crawled under my skin and stayed there like an unwelcome guest.
My phone lit up inside my pocket.
“I have to take this.” I grabbed the phone and waved vaguely. “Mom’s calling. I probably need to head back.”
Rowan snorted. “Go. Before you start crying.”
I flashed him a grin and even managed a two-finger salute. “Congrats to both of you,” I said, nodding toward Cade and Arden. “Seriously.”
Then I turned around, and my grin vanished in the blink of an eye.
My mom actually didn’t call me.
The screen was blank. It was just me and the lie I told because admitting the truth would’ve gutted me right there in front of everyone.
In truth, Calla’s vision wasn’t new.
It was exactly what had been told to me for years.
That my mate was gone.
Dead.
That I’d live my whole life without ever finding the other half of my soul.
It came from shamans, seers, whispering elders—people who claimed their magic was absolute. I believed it, swallowing it like poison, and allowing it to rot deep inside me. That was why I spent years being so serious at the Elite Order Academy. The moment I set foot in that place, I threw myself into my so-called Casanova era.
Why not? I didn’t have a mate, anyway.
I clicked my tongue in frustration as my phone buzzed unexpectedly.
I frowned and glanced down at the screen. This time, I recognized the caller—it was my mother.
I answered immediately. “Yes?”
“Come home,” she said firmly.
I pressed my lips together. “Mom, I just helped everyone here. I’m still at Rowan—”
“I know,” she replied gently. “I know, Elias, but you need to come home.”
I let out a small breath. “Fine, I’m coming.”
***
I got home faster than I expected, partly because I was speeding and partly because I just wanted to make the buzzing in my chest stop. Calla’s words kept replaying in my mind ever since.
When I pushed open the gates of our estate, the familiar sight almost soothed me. Inside, it smelled like cinnamon and something slightly burnt. Yeah, my mom was definitely cooking.
My parents… I never hated them. They were nothing like me—just a little ditzy and a little eccentric. They used to always tell me, “You got all the brains in this family. That must be why your brother didn’t have any left.”
My brother, who was still in prison after being part of those who purchased Mr. Winters’ fetish videos. I’d heard he wasn’t repenting, which meant his sentence was getting extended further and further. The last time we visited, he accused me of being at fault for being the favored son.
But what could I do about that? Nothing, really.
I stepped into the foyer, and my mother, Carmen, zoomed into view as though she’d been waiting behind the door for me.
“There you are!” she exclaimed with a breathy gasp, brushing her curls back with both hands. “Baby, come in! Shoes off! Do you want tea? Or water? Or juice?”
“Mom,” I said, though a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Why did you call me so urgently?”
“I have a surprise,” she said with a delighted tone that made me narrow my eyes in suspicion.
She led me inside, and that was when I saw them.
Two women were sitting stiffly on our couch, hands folded primly over their knees, legs pressed together. One had sleek, blonde hair and sharp features, while the other possessed the same light hair but had softer, more gentle features.
My mother beamed with pride. “Elias! This is Serena Serpentine.”
The sharp-eyed woman stood gracefully and extended her hand. “Alpha Elias Rue. It’s an honor.”
“She graduated from Elite last year,” my mom continued, “and she continued her studies abroad for advanced training in political strategy.”
My frown deepened with every sentence, my unease growing.
“And this,” my mom said cheerfully, gesturing to the other woman, “is Valentina Stefano. She’s from a humble family—one of our maids.”
Valentina leaped up from the couch, flustered. “Ma’am, please, you don’t have to introduce me like that.”
“But you’re pretty, right?” my mom interjected proudly. “I’m fine with you marrying any kind of girl. High status, low status. It doesn’t matter!”
“Mom,” I said slowly, trying to keep my incredulity in check. “Why are you introducing me to women now?”
“I’m just presenting your options!” she replied brightly. “Your father and I talked about it. We thought that maybe it’s time. You know. Since your friends all have partners now. Some even have kids!”
I dragged my fingers down my face in exasperation.
This couldn’t be happening.
My dad arrived just then, descending the stairs with a smile that suggested he’d already named my future children.
“I see you met them!” he announced. “Both lovely girls. Excellent choices. Wonderful temperaments. Good health.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
He gave me a thumbs-up while I merely sighed and closed my eyes in frustration.
Mom clasped her hands together, her face a mask of innocence. “They’re not your type?”
“That’s not—Mom, that’s not the point.”
My father stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Son. Look. We’re not pressuring you. We’re not like Rowan’s parents. We don’t care about the girl’s rank or wealth. We just want you to have someone.”
I felt something bitter pile up in my throat at that moment.
I knew exactly what this was about. They were aware of my fate. They’d had it verified by multiple shamans from different territories, and they all said the same thing. I wouldn’t have a mate because she had already died.
I swallowed hard.
My mother sighed, cupping my cheeks. “We don’t want you to be alone, baby.”
My father placed a warm hand on my shoulder, his touch both comforting and suffocating. “You deserve someone.”
I straightened, stepping back to create a barrier. “Leave,” I said firmly. “Both of you.”
They appeared disappointed, but with one look from me, they understood, standing and walking away without uttering a word.
Once the ladies were gone, I exhaled hard, the tension leaving my body.
“Don’t do this again,” I said, turning back to face my mom and dad. “Seriously. Don’t.”
My mother blinked at me innocently. “I see. So you don’t like blondes?”
“Mom!” I exclaimed exasperatedly.
- Writer
