The secret behind Layla's past

The atmosphere dropped suddenly, right after Annabelle broke the news about being Layla's mother. Riven took a step back away from her, disbelief evident in his eyes. The woman whom he had hunted for years, who had escaped the annihilation, was no other than the mother of his mate? It didn't make sense. And at the same time, it did. Killing her now would be difficult because he couldn't bring himself to murder the mother to his mate. He turned away, his mind reeling from what he just heard.

Henrietta on the other hand didn't take the news easily.

"You're Layla's mother?",she asked incredulously. "Like hell I'm going to believe that. Where have you been all these years?"

"I don't have to answer to you witch",Annabelle said and was about to walk towards Layla when Henrietta blocked her way. Although Henrietta wasn't as strong as Annabelle, she was still a powerful witch and she didn't feel a shred of fear as she stood before the Sorceress.

"Get out of my way Henrietta",Annabelle said slowly, eyes blazing with anger.

"You think we're just going to believe you're Layla's mother? How...how did you even know her whereabouts?",Henrietta asked and folded her arms in front of her. She stared at the Sorceress arrogantly, determined not to let her get close to Layla.

Annabelle looked towards Riven, ignoring the witch.

"You know I speak the truth Riven",she said.

Riven remained standing at the window, staring outside when the door suddenly burst open. Cade, Caleb and three other shifters rushed into the room and stopped at the sight of Annabelle.

"How the hell did you get in here?",Cade growled in a low voice.

"How are you still alive?",Caleb asked next.

"Would you all stop with the questions?", Annabelle asked angrily. "I came here for my daughter... "

"Your daughter?",Caleb asked incredulously.

"Says she's Layla's mother",Henrietta sneered.

"Bullshit",Cade said unbelievably.

"Enough!",Riven snapped. He finally turned around and stared hard at Annabelle. His eyes were brooding as he assessed the Sorceress. As much as he hated it, he knew what Annabelle said was true. He felt it. He knew she spoke the truth. And her resemblance to Layla was uncanny.

He walked towards the bed and sat beside Layla, holding her pale hands in his and staring at her sickly appearance. If something wasn't done quickly, he could lose her. And right now, Annabelle was the only one who could save her.

Without turning his back around, he spoke.

"You will heal my mate. And if you dare harm a single hair on her head, you will wish you never came here"

Annabelle was hurt that Riven thought she would hurt her own child and she said so.

"Do you really think I will hurt my own daughter?",she asked as she walked to the other side of the bed.

"Right now I don't care what you think",Riven said coldly. "If you care so much about her, you shouldn't have abandoned her in the human world"

His words stung Annabelle and she clenched her fist. Sadly enough, he was right. Although she didn't abandon Layla, but she left her in the hands of Maria and who knew what Layla must have gone through?

Sitting close beside Layla, Annabelle took one or her pale hands in hers and held it gently.

"What's her ailment?",she asked quietly.

"I don't know. She feels intense pain every full moon",Riven said and ran a hand through his messy hair. He hadn't had a good night's rest since Layla fell unconscious.

"Haven't you found out the cause?",she asked, directing her question to Henrietta.

Henrietta scowled and looked away. She really didn't want to admit that she hadn't been able to find out the cause of Layla's pain, but she had no choice.

"I can't figure out what causes her pain",she said. "Something keeps blocking my magic from working"

"Why am I not surprised?",Annabelle said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Henrietta glared at her but said nothing.

A part of Annabelle knew the reason for Layla's pain but she chose not to tell anyone about it. Healing started flowing from her hands into Layla's hands in a line of purple light and soon, Layla's colour began to return. The paleness gave way to rosy coloured skin and the dark circles around her eyes disappeared. It was only after her high temperature dropped that Riven took a deep breath of relief.

"Why isn't she waking up yet?",he asked worriedly.

"Give it time. The healing needs to go through her entire body",Annabelle said and almost rolled her eyes. Shifters and their bloody protectiveness to their mates. It was too much.

Finally assured that Layla would be fine, he looked away from her and his honey eyes looked up and rested on Annabelle. She hadn't changed much since the last time he saw her, centuries ago. She still looked as young as a woman in her early thirties and when she furrowed her brows in concentration, he could see the resemblance between her and his mate.

"Why?",he asked suddenly.

Annabelle looked up at him and Riven clearly saw the resemblance this time. Layla had the structure of her face;the almond shaped eyes and delicate cheek bones.

"Why what?",Annabelle asked.

"Why show up this time, after all these years?",Riven asked patiently. Whatever healing she was passing on to Layla was working its magic because Layla suddenly looked much better, better than she did a week ago.

Without answering him, Annabelle looked away and back to her daughter. Layla was so grown up now, so different. And beautiful. She stretched her hand forward and caressed her lush dark hair. She had her father's hair.

At the thought of Layla's father, an anguished look passed through her face, too fast for Riven to take notice of. She looked back at Riven who was still staring at her and waiting for an answer.

"I never should have left her in the human world",she said instead, bypassing his initial question.. "At that time, I thought I was protecting her by giving her away".

"Protecting her from what?",Riven asked.

Annabelle hesitated, not wanting to give out much information about Layla. Layla's existence and identity had been shrouded in secrecy all these years and that was what had been keeping her safe. She couldn't let out the secret now.

Riven noticed her hesitation and frowned.

"She's my mate Annabelle"

"I'm aware of that",Annabelle said.

"Why then do you hesitate?",Riven asked. "You're the only one who can tell me everything about her past"

"She hasn't spoken about her past?",Annabelle asked in surprise.

"When I found her, she couldn't speak",Riven said with a frown, remembering the day he found Layla on the shores.

"Couldn't speak?",Annabelle asked, eyebrows arched in surprise.

Quickly, Riven briefed her on how he found Layla on the shores of the island and about the numerous scars and whip marks that dotted her body. About how terrified and unsecured she had been the first few weeks, before he was able to gain her trust. However, he skipped the part about the assault she had gone through.

Annabelle listened without interrupting. Her face was totally expressionless and calm while inside, she was raging mad. Her heart broke at the thought of the pain and suffering Layla must have gone through in Maria's hands. And she swore right there to find Maria and release her wrath on her.

Riven watched her, noticing the expressions that passed through her eyes. He knew the Sorceress was hiding something, something about Layla. And it roused his curiosity greatly.

"She's a Sorceress like you, isn't she?",he asked suddenly.

He already knew Layla was a Sorceress but now he was double sure with the way Annabelle's eyes widened momentarily.

"Did something happen to trigger her powers?",she asked.

"That doesn't matter",Riven said, waving aside her question. "Now that you're here, you're going to tell me everything I need to know about my mate"

Annabelle's mind worked quickly. If Riven wanted to know about Layla's past, she would tell him. But she couldn't let him know what Layla truly was. It was a secret she was ready to take to her grave.

Taking her glowing hands away from Layla's warm skin, she looked up at Riven, then at Henrietta and the five shifters in the room. She wanted to tell Riven to send them away, but knowing how stubborn the witch was, she had a rethink. Everyone would know eventually.

"Okay. I will tell you everything",she said finally.

Riven stood up from the bed and settled on the armchair close to the bed. His eyes focused on Annabelle as he gave her his undivided attention.

"It all started in the last war",Annabelle began. "When the lycanthropes started annihilating the Sorcerers and Sorceresses. I was already pregnant with my child... with Layla. And in order to protect my unborn child, I had to escape the annihilation..."