1.

Bella's Pov

Flashback

"Stay quiet my little wolf, don't make a sound Bella, mommy will be back to get you."

I sobbed, reaching out my hand for the battered, bruised woman, not wanting her to leave me alone - not wanting her to go out there and face the horrors happening in our living room.

I was terrified, my body shaking,tears streaking my cheeks, my bottom lip unable to stop trembling. I was scared I'd never see her again,that we'd both die and I wouldn't be able to find her in the afterlife.

"D-don't go mommy, stay w-with B--ell please," I whimpered, grabbing a hold of her fingers with little hands no where near the size ofher own.

A tear slipped from my mother's brown eyes, over her ebony skin to drip offher chin. I watched it fall with a broken heart.Mommy never cried- that's how I knew that this was bad, that she was in trouble. It made me cling to her tighter.

"Shh baby, mommy has to go. You'll be fine. You'll be okay. If..." she swallowed hard. "If mommy doesn't come back. I want you to run as fast as you can. Can you promise me that?"

"I'll c-come and help you mommy. Bella will save you,"I denied, trying to call my wolfto the surface. IfI shifted, then maybe I could defend us.

"No," Mommy looked panicked at my words. "Promise me you won't. Promise you'll stay hidden. Remember what we said about your wolf Bella Your wolfis special and delicate. You can't protect mommy darling. Mommy has to protect you."

I sobbed. I couldn't call my wolf even if I tried. Amelia was curled up in a shivering ball right at the back of my mind, refusing to even help us. She stayed where she was, shaking her head, hiding her eyes with her paws.

She was my wolf, we were supposed to be strong, we had to try but she wouldn't. She was too scared.

I hated her for it.

Mommy looked behind her, her disheveled afro bouncing around her ears as she did so. "I

have to go Bella ," she turned back frantically before leaning forward and kissing my cheek.

She kissed me roughly, her chapped lips scratching at my skin as she pressed kiss after kiss on my cheeks, as though she didn't wantto let go...

But she did.

Mommy pushed me back into the floor, covering me up with floor boards and dumping the carpet right back over the top. Iwas enveloped in darkness, panting hard as I panicked inside the tiny space. But I knew I couldn't make a sound. I couldn't move, Icouldn't do anything.

That night, I heard my mother being murdered.I heard them shouting horrible words and beating her.Iheard her screams until I couldn't anymore.Iknew they killed her.

They didn't know I was there.

Nobody did.

Until a few days later whilst I was on on the verge of death.

And during that time I lay curled up inside the floor, I knew that I could never trust my wolfagain. Amelia let us down and I hated her hated what we were. Because if we were stronger, ifwe were brave,we could've saved mommy together.