By the time I saw home, Bella had managed to shoulder most of my weight. My head felt wrong in so many ways I wasn't sure I could list them. I was bleeding, I knew that much. The back of my head was wet and my hair matted. I could feel it pull every time it caught on Bella's jacket.

Whilst I couldn't feel most of the pain, I knew it was there. Lingering like an unwanted visitor at your door. I wasn't sure if I was going into shock or not.

Bella tugged me up the front steps of our home and barged her way through the door, pulling me quickly into the kitchen.

"Evelyn," my dad stood up from his seat at the table, grabbing me from my sister. His eyes surveyed every inch of me, trying to pinpoint my pain.

"What the hell happened, where did you go?" There was anger in my father's voice, and an underlying tone of fear.

Harry Clearwater stood at the kitchen counter, rifling through what I assumed was our first aid kit.

Charlie walked me slowly to the table and gently sat me down. I winced at the pain in my back.

Bella was floundering for an explanation. "Now, Bella!" He said sternly. "Maybe we should get you to a hospital." He murmured softly to me. I shook my head and cringed at the pain that followed.

"Dad, we saw them." Bella decided to say. Both Harry and Charlie turned to face her. "In the woods. They're not bears."

Charlie eyed her and then looked back to me. "What do you mean, in the woods? Bell, what the hell were you two doing in the woods?" He asked, taking some rubbing alcohol from Harry and slowly starting to dab at the grazes on my face.

"They're wolves." She told them. "I mean, they're, like, huge wolves." I stared at her, trying to process what the hell was going on in her head.

"Are you sure about that, Bella?" Harry asked, placing some bandages on the table and more cloth, as the one in Charlie's hand was slowly staining red.

"Yeah, I just saw them." She locked eyes with me. "They were after... something."

"Wolves? You saw 'em?"

Bella nodded.

Charlie looked at me. "Is that what happened to you?" he asked. I wanted to tell him the truth. But I wasn't sure he'd believe me, and I'm not even sure what actually happened. The strength of the red-eyes man was... unnatural.

"I fell, hit the edge of a hill I didn't see and just fell straight down." I lied. "I thought Bella was the klutz but here we are." I tried to joke.

My sister looked at me gratefully.

"All right. Well... Harry? Feel like going hunting? Get some of your guys together?"

Harry waved his hand along the table awkwardly. "Sure, yeah, I'll... I'll just, uh." He pointed towards the living room and left the 3 of us alone.

I grabbed my father's hand and pulled it away from my face. "Dad, I don't think you should go out there." I told him. I was scared for him, I couldn't lose him.

"Bella, why don't you go get a shower sorted for your sister." Charlie said. She hesitated for a moment and then left.

"I'll be fine kiddo, it's you I'm worried about. I really think you need to go to the hospital." He said with concern, gently touching the back of my head.

"I'm fine, honestly. Just cuts and grazes. I'll take a shower and then get Bella to check my injuries, if they look really serious, she can drive me to the hospital."

He sighed and nodded, helping me up from the table.

As I stood at the bottom of the stairs, holding onto the rail for dear life I took another look at my father.

"Hey, dad? Please be careful."

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I promise."

V

A few hours later, Bella had fully cleaned up and explained the state of my injuries and how I came to have them.

Cuts and grazes on my face was being thrown through many branches? Check.

A large but not deep cut on the back of my head from hitting the trunk of the tree? Check.

A large, vicious scrape from the top of my spine to the bottom from sliding down the tree? Check.

Too many bruises on my legs to count from where I crumpled to the ground? Check.

All in all, I was not in good condition. After a shower, a cup of coffee and a lot of painkillers, I gently maneuvered myself into Bella's room.

She sat cross legged by her pillows as I took a seat at the bottom of the bed.

"Talk." I demanded.

She regarded me for a moment and then dropped her gaze to her fingers as she played with them nervously.

"His name is Laurent. He's a vampire."

I stared at her, disgusted.

"Are you really gonna joke around after what just fucking happened to me?" I ground out, angrily. No, not angry. I was furious.

"It's not a joke, okay?" She pleaded with me to believe her. "Edward and his family are too, but they're different. They don't hurt people. They protected me from Victoria and her mate James."

Taking a deep breath, I thought about the things that Laurent had said to Bella, and his actions thereafter. This all seemed so... dramatic, weird. I wasn't sure I had the words for it.

Bella could see I was taking everything in and slowly turned her arm, pulling back her sleeve so I could see her odd scar.

The scar itself was odd, not the pinkish/white colour of healing skin, but almost silver. It was the shape of the scar that set things into place for me. It was rounded, with small grooves that looked deep.

A bite mark.

"Did Edward do that to you?" I asked, fury in my voice. Bella shook her head quickly and proceeded to explain who Victoria was and what her... mate, James had done to her.

At the end of it all, I was speechless.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell anyone. I thought keeping the truth to myself would keep everybody safe."

"If you think keeping the truth from me will keep me safe, then you best take a long, hard look at what your friend did to my goddamn face and tell me that this was me being safe." I argued.

"You can't tell anyone, please." She said.

I laughed, disbelieving. "I'll keep your damn secret. But do you even realise the danger that you put us in? That asshole could have killed Renee if she'd been home."

She bit her lip and refused to look at me. I knew she felt bad, but I had to drive the nail home.

"Victoria, Laurent, whoever has been watching this damn house, Bella, they could have killed me, that guy almost did. They could have killed Dad."

I saw the horror spread on her face. "Watching the house?"

I nodded. "I kept seeing red eyes, out in the woods. They disappeared so quickly I was never even sure I saw them. But now I know."

I shakily pulled myself up and walked to the door. I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure what. Too many emotions were coursing through me and I didn't want to fight.

So I left. 

A/N:

Uh, so. I know I said next update on Saturday, but I just had to get this out. Plus you guys deserve it after it took me so long to update in the first place. I didn't edit this because I was so desperate to get it out, but maybe once I'm more active, I'll go back and see if anything needs changing. 

I also know you're all anxious for Caius to finally appear. Don't worry, it won't be too long. But I want to do this right, so please be patient.