Chương 49: I am your mother

"What makes you think I'll let you do that?"

Riven asked in a dangerous and frosty voice. His heart rate increased at the thought of Layla leaving him. His fists remained balled beside him and his eyes were gradually turning dark. It was getting increasingly difficult for him to control his rage.

Annabelle shrugged, not even showing an ounce of fear over Riven's dark expression.

"You have no choice. Your presence won't help her",Annabelle said and walked passed him towards the bed. She sat beside Layla and brushed a strand of hair off her face. "Until she can stabilize her spirit, you and your kind need to limit your presence around her"

"That's ridiculous!",Riven scowled and began to pace angrily. "She's my mate. Why should my presence be a threat to her health? Why should I believe your words?"

"I'm her mother Riven",Annabelle said for the nth time. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt my own child. You saw how I healed her. And remember I came here of my own volition"

"Which still makes me suspicious", Riven said, not bothering to deny that he was still suspicious of her. "Why show up now? How did you know about Layla's illness? How did you know you would find her here?"

"Are we really going back to that?",Annabelle asked quietly.

"If I'm going to believe what you say, you might as well come clean with everything", Riven said and settled on the arm chair again. His worried gaze fell on Layla's unconscious form. He couldn't bring himself to part with her after he just found her. The thought alone was terrifying.

"That's not important now Riven",Annabelle said and crossed her arms. She straightened her back and turned towards Riven. "What matters is that I came here in time to save her. Something your little witch couldn't do"

As much as Riven hated it, he had to admit that she was right. Henrietta had been unable to heal Layla. He glared at her, hating that she was right.

"If what you say is true and I can't be close to her, on what basis can you?"

"For the goddess's sake Riven, I'm not a shifter like you", Annabelle snapped. She was exasperated with the lengthy conversation. She just wanted to take her daughter away. "We're of different kinds. I'm a Sorceress, my aura is not as dangerous as you and your kind. As a shifter, you have..."

Annabelle paused and tilted her head, eyes intent on Riven in deep thought. "You have an impure spirit. Especially you that is bathed in blood and brutality"

Riven growled warningly at Annabelle's statement. The truth of her words stung him and if it had been someone else, he would have ripped them apart for daring to insult him that way. But Annabelle was fearless and arrogant, just like all Sorceresses were wont to be.

Annabelle sighed deeply. "Believe me Riven, this is the only way to help Layla. And when she's strong enough to withstand your aura, she will return to you". That was a blatant lie and Annabelle knew it. She would never bring Layla back to the island, but she really didn't care. She was doing what any mother would do, and that was to keep her daughter's real identity a secret.

"Where will you take her to?", Riven asked after a long silence. He noticed how Annabelle breathed out a relieved sigh and his brows furrowed in suspicion.

"I will take her to Red River City"

"Absolutely not! That City is the last place I want my mate to be",Riven disagreed instantly. Red River City was a place that crawled with dangerous creatures living in disguise. There was no way he would let his mate be taken to such a place.

"She will be safe with me Riven",Annabelle assured him. "I know it would be difficult for you to part with her. The mate bond..."

"You know nothing about the mate bond Annabelle",Riven cut her short, his voice slightly shaky. "You're not a shifter, you have no idea how much it would break me if you take Layla away"

A pained expression settled on Annabelle's face. She blinked back the tears that gathered in her eyes as she remembered the past again. She might not be a shifter, but she knew how strong the mate bond was. It was what made her lose Riftan. Even after he claimed to love her so badly, he couldn't resist the pull of the mate bond when he found his mate.

She didn't want that old pain to resurface so she pushed the memory away.

"I may not be a shifter",she said quietly. "But believe me when I tell you I know how strong the mate bond is. I know it wouldn't be easy Riven, but I must take Layla away..."

"Take me away?",a hoarse voice asked out of the blue.

Riven's eyes snapped to the bed and there he saw Layla, eyes looking glazed and unfocused.

...

Layla slowly gained consciousness as the darkness and drowsiness released her. She was still weak but she no longer felt that excruciating pain. The sparks tingling up her hand told her Riven was there beside her, holding her. She tried to speak but her tongue felt heavy and thick. Her eyelids felt weighed down and her body wouldn't obey her command.

She heard voices. Riven's deep voice was recognizable. But there was someone else. A woman's delicate voice. It was strange and new, a voice she had never heard before. She tried to discern what was being said but it sounded garbled in her ears. Her mind was muddled, unable to comprehend what was being said.

She could tell that Riven was pissed about something. She could tell from the sound of his voice. The strange woman's voice remained neutral;and when she heard her name, she knew they were talking about her.

She lay still for a while, waiting for her senses to gain clarity. And as she gradually grew more aware of her surrounding, her ears caught the end of the woman's speech.

"...I must take Layla away..."

She forced her heavy eyelids open and moved her heavy lips, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Take me away?"

Riven's eyes snapped to the bed and there he saw Layla, eyes looking glazed and unfocused. Instantly he left the arm chair and sat beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms.

"You're finally awake",he whispered.

Annabelle gently took Layla's hand in hers and placed her palm on her head to feel her temperature.

The warm touch from Annabelle startled Layla and she pulled her hand from the woman's grasp, eyebrows locked together in discomfort. She had never seen this woman before and her appearance didn't look like a witch;wild purple hair and similar colored eyes.

"It's alright my love. I'm here"

Only at the sound of Riven's voice did Layla turn and stared at him through her blurry sight. Everything around her was fuzzy and unclear at that moment.

"Riven...",she rasped out in a voice that was very weak.

Riven liked it when she called his name, but the few times he could remember Layla calling out his name had always been an unpleasant occasion.

"I'm here my love",he repeated, caressing her cheeks lovingly. She leaned into his touch and for that moment, as his tense shoulders relaxed, his beast was appeased.

Annabelle poured a glass of water and gave it to Riven so he would help Layla drink some of it to refresh her dry throat.

Watching the woman suspiciously, Layla let Riven put the glass to her lips and she drank thirstily, sighing as the cool water moistened her parched throat.

"How are you feeling my love?",Riven asked, fondly caressing her rosy cheeks.

Layla shook her head slowly. She felt disoriented and the ache in her head made everything hazy in her eyes. Her body felt like jelly and her entire back was sore from lying down for so long. She wanted to sit, so she lifted her arms towards Riven, asking him silently to help her.

Riven smiled tenderly at her. How could he bear to be separated from his sweet Layla? He couldn't. He needed to think harder and figure out another way.

Placing his hands around her slim waist, he gently hoistered her up until she was relaxing against the pillows.

Through out the process, Annabelle watched how gentle and loving Riven treated his mate. She remembered how ferocious and ruthless Riven was, merciless and brutal. It was unbelievable to see him looking so calm and devoted to Layla.

And she wondered, 'Is Riftan also like this to his mate?'

Lost in thought, she didn't notice Layla staring intently at her until she felt her gaze. She looked back at Layla and smiled sweetly.

"Hello my dear. I'm so glad to see you awake", she said softly.

Layla who wasn't used to being around strangers lowered her eyes and turned towards Riven. Her lips parted and she whispered,

"Who is she?"

Without waiting for Riven to respond, Annabelle answered. Her heart pounded within her in anxiety. How would Layla react?

"I am Annabelle Hale, the last pure blooded Sorceress. And... and I am your mother"