Page 46 of Cage Me

Her fingers grip my shirt, and she yanks me forward. “You better be okay. I didn’t decide to like you only for you to die the next day. Got it?”

I grin widely. “Yes, Mate.”

She kisses me with a ferocity that I’m happy to return, but as soon as my hands grab her hips, a bolt of shock runs through my spine.

“Not that this isn’t sweet, but this is a time-sensitive spell,” Natalia says, looking everywhere but at us.

Spencer backs up and lets out a heavy breath. “You’re going to be fine.”

I’m certain she says the words more for herself than me, but I agree with her anyway. “This will be over soon.”

At least I hope so.

I stand in front of Natalia, and she pulls a vial out of the inner pocket of her black jacket. Throwing it on the ground, a shimmering fog appears, rising about ten feet above us before spreading out and creating a thirty-foot diameter.

Spencer is standing close by, watching, but I don’t look back at her. I don’t want her to see the fear in my eyes. The parts I’ve been trying to hide from her since the moment she woke up.

It’s not just my rage getting the better of me, it’s the fact that I haven’t forgotten Natalia said I could die from this spell.

To have my life end after last night’s glimpse of the joy I could share with my mate for the rest of our lives… I can’t stand the thought of losing that.

“This is going to hurt,” Natalia says, sympathy heavily lacing her words. “You can survive this, Drake, but you’re going to need to fight. Kel has had her magical claws in you longer than any other spell I’ve broken before. I’m going to have to burn you from the inside out to remove her presence and set your wolf free. Are you ready for that?”

Without hesitating, I nod. “I can handle whatever you need to do.”

She frowns and glances back at Spencer before looking at me again. “I’ve blocked out the sounds from the outside world and she can’t hear us, either. You might be able to handle the pain you’re about to endure, but something tells me that your mate is another story. Just know, you’re not going to be able to hear her throughout the process. It’s just me and you.”

Considering I’ve hated witches since the moment I met Kel, I feel oddly at peace as soon as she says that. Maybe it’s not having to worry about Spencer’s screams or scaring her with my own or even just acceptance that this is happening regardless of what the outcome is going to be. At least my hell will finally be over.

Whatever the reason, I close my eyes, focus on the image of my wolf, even if I can’t feel him right now, and let my body relax. “Do whatever you have to.”

Natalia says nothing else, and I keep my eyes closed, pushing away as much of the fear and wrath as I can.

I won’t die today. I can’t.

A warm hand covers my chest where the tattoo is. There’s a pulsing sensation that starts to thrum in time with my heart, and the spot gets hotter by the second.

Natalia removes her touch, but the heat only intensifies, and my heart rate increases tenfold. Every muscle in my body tenses and my teeth clench together so tightly, I expect them to shatter by the time this is over.

The witch wasn’t kidding when she said she was going to have to burn the curse out of me.

My veins are on fire and my lungs feel as though they’re filled with smoke. I want to open my eyes and make sure I’m not truly on fire, but I don’t dare change my position.

A war is waging within my body, and I can’t relent even the slightest.

Only the battle to maintain control is growing more fragile by the second.

If I were to look, I’m nearly certain that my skin is melting off right now, starting right at the tattoo. Sweat drips from my forehead, down my face, and continues over my chest and arms, so heavily that it might as well be raining on me.

I try to suck in a breath of fresh air, but it’s as if I’ve just swallowed a handful of pine needles. My throat screams in protest of the air I so desperately need but can’t seem to grasp.

“Quit fighting, Drake,” Natalia’s voice demands. “Release what’s inside you or you’re going to die.”

I don’t realize I’m fighting anything. I’m just trying to stay focused, but then it occurs to me that I’m fighting the pain when I’m probably supposed to succumb to the inferno growing within me.

Spencer’s face flickers in and out of my thoughts, and I don’t want to hurt her by showing how much this actually fucking hurts, but Natalia is right.

I can’t keep this contained any longer.

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