My Cursed Mate

CHAPTER 31

"Thank you, Ekaterina," Nate says once she's done casting the silver shield spell.

I move back and give Nate room so he can break down Mom's cell door. We plan to rescue her tonight. I didn't have a way to save her because it would've been hard to sneak her out since she can't mask her scent like me. With Ekaterina here, we can teleport somewhere safe before the vampires realize what's happening. Mason helped us knock out the guards and is on the lookout in front as we try to open her cell door.

Nate walks forward and tries to pull open the door of Mom's cell. He gets burnt badly while doing it. What is going on? Why did the cell burn him even though Ekaterina cast her spell on him?

"That's not supposed to happen," Ekaterina says, looking shocked.

"Is it possible you cast the spell wrong?"

"I hardly doubt, but I'll cast it again," she says and does it. This time she also cast it on me. "Liz, try," she says, and I walk forward to the cell. I put my hand on the bar and it burns.

"What is going on?" Ekaterina asks, walking to the cell. She touches it, and the cell releases a spark of lightning, and a force throws her across the room.

"Ekaterina," I say, running to her side to help her up.

"Do you have an idea of what is going on?" Nate asks.

"The vampire king is making sure he gets what he wants. I'm never leaving this cell," Mom says, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"What are you talking about, Mom?" I ask as I walk over to her.

"The vampire king knew you'd come for me. He made sure before he gets here, you don't leave. He made a witch cast a spell on my cell to prevent any supernatural from breaking it down."

"Why would he do that?" I remember Mason saying something about the vampire king looking for me. Is that why Mom was kidnapped? Does he know I'm a hybrid? If he does, we need to  get Mom out of there fast. He can't have me. I don't know what he wants to do with me, but I can bet it's not something good.

"Yes, dear, it's what you're thinking," Mom says, and my eyes widen as she confirms my suspicion. "You need to leave before he gets here. If he arrives and you're still here, he'll never let you leave."

"I can't leave you here, Mom. This might be our only chance to save you. Ekaterina?"

"Yes," she answers and walks toward me.

"Is there a way we can break the spell?" I ask.

"Give me a minute to think."

"No need to think, just leave me here," my mother says.

"No, I can't" I disagree with her.

"My King, please take your mate away from here before the vampire king arrives," Mom pleads with Nate. I can't believe she's asking him to do that. She didn't even want me to have a mate.

Nate doesn't respond to her and just stares into the wall. He seems to be thinking deeply about something.

"I can't think of any way to break the spell. Only the witch who cast the spell can remove it." Ekaterina says, and I feel all my hope of freeing my Mom die. I turn to Nate to ask him if he has any ideas.

Before I can speak to him, he walks over to Ekaterina and whispers something to her. He whispers so low I'm not able to hear what he tells her. He walks over to me once he's done talking to her.

"You're the most important person to me right now," he says and kisses my forehead. I look at him, confused. Don't get me wrong, I'm moved by his words. I mean so much to him, but this isn't really the place or the time.

Then something terrifying happens.

"Ekaterina, now," Nate says as he grabs the cell bars. I watch as the silver burns his hands so badly  I fear he might lose them.

"Nate, what are you doing?" I ask and try to take a step toward him. I need to stop him from killing himself. I notice I'm frozen in my spot, and I mean literately frozen. Ekaterina cast a spell of ice to glue my legs to the ground. The block of ice isn't freezing my legs. I'm sure it has something to do with her fire magic, but it's still doing its job of rooting me to the ground.

I watch as the silver continues to burn Nate. I beg and cry for him to stop because the silver will kill him if he continues to try and break the cell down. He spits out blood as he continues to try. The silver is entering his body and killing him from the inside. I want to save my Mom, but I don't want to lose my mate in the process.

After what feels like forever, I hear the cage break from its hinges. I run toward Nate as he falls to the ground.

"Nate," I scream with tears rolling down my face. I watch as he smiles at me before his eyes close. "No, you can't leave me. Wake up, Nate!" I scream for him to wake up but get no response. I shake his body, screaming and crying for him to answer me, but nothing. I look at his hands that have no skin left on them. He burnt his hands so bad I can almost see his bones.

"Ekaterina, get us out of here," Mom says as we hear footsteps approaching. They must know Mom has been freed from her cell. I hope Mason is fine.

Once the portal is open, I don't waste any time dragging Nate's body through it. Mom gives me a hand in carrying his hefty weight through the portal. I look around to figure out where we are. Once I recognize the area, I quickly call for help.

'Dan, this is Elizabeth. We're at the south border. Please come quickly. Nate is dying!'

"Luna, you're back. I'll be there shortly," Dan replies.

I'm sure this isn't what he was expecting to hear the day we come back. Dan arrives a few minutes later with some warriors who help him move Nate to the hospital. I follow them, hoping Nate is going to be okay. The doctors take him from the warriors and immediately try to save his life. I move away and give them space, watching from the sidelines.

I wait in the waiting room as they wheel him inside the restricted area. I take a seat with a million thoughts in my head. What if I lose Nate? We barely started a relationship, and he goes and kills himself for my Mom.

Mom! I totally forgot about her. She must need medical care after everything she went through in the hands of the vampires. I stand up to leave the waiting room to look for her when she walks in. She seems to have already seen a doctor.

"Mom," I say, happy to see her. She's the only good thing that's come from almost losing my mate today.

"How are you holding up, dear?" she asks.

"I'm fine," I say, holding back my tears.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's the Alpha King."

"I hope so. How are you?" I ask.

"A doctor has attended to my wounds. I'm doing fine."

"That's good."

Mom and I have been sitting in the waiting room for hours. I don't know what's going on because nobody will tell me anything. The only thing they told me was they were trying their best. I know they're trying their best, but I wish they could update me on how the surgery is going.

The doctor said that the silver Nate touched. passed through his skin and into his system. It destroyed some of his organs and caused some blood clots in his heart. This is why they're operating on him.

***

"Liz," Mom says, waking me up from my little slumber. I must've fallen asleep waiting. "The doctors are done," Mom says.

I rush out of my seat and walk over to the doctor.

"It was a success, Luna," the doctor says, and I burst out in tears of joy. I'm beginning to feel like my crying days are coming back. At least this time, they're mostly happy tears.

"Where is he?" I ask, eager to see him.

"Nurse Mariam would take you to him. He's still unconscious because of the anesthetic we gave him for the surgery, but he should be awake in a few hours." 

"Alright, thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome, Luna," he says before he walks away.