Riven stood by the window of his study room, staring at nothing in particular. He was deep in thought and obviously not in a good mood. Layla's tender voice resounded in his ears.
'I killed myself'
He fisted his hands in anger, thinking back to what Layla told him. If it hadn't been fate or the moon goddess being on his side, he would never have found his mate. Ever. She had taken her own life by jumping into the ocean, all to escape the cruelty she was subjected to.
He understood now why she had such vicious whip marks marring her perfect body;and why she turned mute. Abusiveness from a very tender age was too severe for Layla and she had turned silent, having no one to help her.
And Annabelle thought she could just come and take his mate away, and he would just agree? She was the cause of Layla's suffering. And despite the fact that she was Layla's mother and she gave Layla away so she would be safe, he would never let her take his mate away. He didn't buy the crap she was sprouting out about him being the cause of Layla's pain. She was hiding something. And he would find out what.
The sweet scent of roses and apples reached him and he turned around slowly, spotting Layla by the door. She had lost the little weight she gained and she looked so fragile, so vulnerable. After narrating how she escaped and took her own life, she had cried herself to sleep in his arms, exhausted from everything that happened that day. From waking up after days of being unconscious, to discovering her mother was alive and witnessing Annabelle's rage, and finally reliving all that occured the day she escaped.
He stretched out his hand and beckoned to her and Layla didn't hesitate to move towards him. She sighed when she felt his arms go around her, the sparks tingling her body deliciously.
"Do you feel much better my love?",Riven asked and dropped a light kiss on her hair. He caressed her back slowly in soothing circles. Her sweet scent took hold of him, drowning him completely.
Layla nodded but spoke nonetheless.
"I'm much better now",she whispered. She let him take her to the comfy couch in the corner of the study room and cuddled up with her, one hand playing with her hair.
"You haven't eaten since you woke up",Riven said quietly. "Will you like to eat something now?"
Layla nodded and snuggled closer into his embrace. Riven went still and she knew he was mind linking one of the other shifters to prepare something for her. She waited patiently for him to finish before she told him what she had overheard.
It was evening already. The timer on Riven's desk read 5:46pm. The clear sky suddenly turned dark, grey gloomy clouds hung low and the rumbling of thunder sounded. Lightening flashed and a gust of wind began to blow, and soon a heavy downpour began. The study room turned cold and Riven wrapped Layla up in a thick blanket.
"What is it, my sweet Layla?",Riven finally asked after observing the way Layla stared ahead absentmindedly. The heavy rain pounded against the locked windows and the wind howled furiously like a wounded beast.
Layla shifted in his arms to find comfort while Riven adjusted the blanket around her. This was one of the moment he hoped time would freeze so he could relish his mate's presence forever. Nothing else mattered to him apart from his sweet mate. If it were possible, he would place Cade in charge of ruling the island, just so he could be with his mate every time.
Layla rested her head on his solid chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart while Riven's hand played with her hair, one of his favourite things to do whenever he was with her.
"On my way here, I overheard something",she said softly, her voice as soft as an angel's.
"What did you hear?",Riven asked and slightly frowned. The shifters in the mansion were loudmouthed and often spoke about irrelevant things. He wondered what Layla must have heard now.
"They said...",she paused and gulped before continuing. "They said I'm to be taken away from you, and taken back to my hometown. That you're the cause of my pain...", she trailed off when she felt Riven go stiff. A part of her had hoped it wasn't true. She didn't want to leave Riven ever. The thought of living him was terrifying.
But when Riven turned stiff and didn't say anything for a minute, she slowly started to believe. He was tired of her, she thought. He was tired so he was going to give her to her mother to take away. He didn't want her anymore. Tears pooled in her eyes and she shifted slightly away from him.
"You're sending me away",she whispered and her tears spilled down her cheeks.
Riven's heart constricted painfully and he pulled her into a tight embrace, unable to stand the pain and sadness in her eyes. Whenever she cried, it tore at his heart and soul.
"No my love",he said and tried to pet her. One hand caressed her back tenderly while the other hand caressed her scalp, enjoying the texture of her dark luxurious hair. "It's more complicated than that". Her next words broke his soul painfully.
"You don't want me anymore?",Layla asked softly, her voice barely a whisper. She slowly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, stubbornly holding back the unshed tears that threatened to fall. She didn't want to leave Riven and return to her hometown. It was a nightmare. The fear of returning to Madame Parker and getting locked in the basement again was overwhelming and she began to tremble.
"No my love. That is not the case",Riven assured her. He turned her to face him and tilted her chin upwards, releasing her lower lip from her teeth, where she had been biting it. His thumbs wiped off the drops of tears that lingered on her pale smooth cheeks and he stared into her hypnotic grey eyes.
"Of course I want you. You're the only person I want to live with forever",Riven continued and pulled her close again, resting her head on his chest. Inwardly he cursed the shifters that had been running their bloody mouth and for causing Layla pain and making her misunderstand everything. He never wanted her to discover what he discussed with Annabelle because he had no intention of letting the Sorceress take Layla away. He was grateful for the timely arrival of Annabelle because she alone had been able to heal his mate and also, Layla would learn how to control her powers through her. Layla needed to be strong so she could defend herself from the creatures that would come after her. But he didn't believe he was the main cause of Layla's pain because she was his mate. How could his one true mate go through such intense pain because of him? There had to be something else and he was sure that the Sorceress knew the main reason.
Layla couldn't hold back her tears anymore and she sobbed silently against Riven's chest. She really didn't want to leave him.
"Riven...",she whispered and lifted her head, her teary eyes looking up at her mate hopelessly. "I don't want to leave you...I don't want to go back there"
Riven wiped the tears that were trailing down her cheeks and kissed her forehead. He made up his mind instantly. How could he bear to part with his sweet mate? He couldn't.
"I promise my love",he said to her, like a man making a vow. "I promise you, I will never let you go. I will never let anyone take you away from me"
He wiped off the last of her tears and kissed her lightly on the nose.
"We will find the cause of your pain and find a cure too",he continued, caressing her back until she ceased her crying completely.
"Promise?",she asked softly.
"I swear my love. I will never let you go"
...
Annabelle stood on one of the many corridors of the mansion, hands folded in front of her. She watched the rain pour down endlessly and lightning illuminate the dark sky, making her purple eyes glitter brightly. The gloomy weather was a replica of her current mood.
She was heartbroken. What mother wouldn't be? For your own child to be scared of you. It was a pain that couldn't be cured with any magic. She would be patient though. Layla would eventually grow comfortable around her, and she would make up for the years that they had spent apart.
Right now, her plans were in motion. Once Riven allowed her to see Layla, she would execute her carefully arranged plan. She knew Layla would never agree to leave Riven and go with her. She was already too attached to the lycan.
She looked down at the juicy red apple she held. Her plan was to give it to Layla and tell her that it was a remedy for her pain. No one would suspect it. And it wasn't poisonous so she didn't feel guilty about it. She was only protecting her daughter, just like she had always said.
Layla would eat the apple and fall into a deep slumber, making it possible for Annabelle to take her away from the island.
...
Author's Note
Hello lovely readers
I haven't been able to post chapters in a while because I had so many challenges I was facing. I'm really sorry for whatever inconvenience that was caused. Anyway, I'm fully back now. And daily updates will continue. @MAWUSI_EZU, thank you so much for your continuous voting. Even when I stopped posting chapters, you kept voting for the book as an encouragement. I really appreciate. Thanks to all my loyal readers. I love you all.
BellaCupid