A/N: I know this is long over due and I promise to write more often since school's over this week. Enough of my rambling. No excuses. Just enjoy.

The sun was out for the remaining days of the week which suited me fine. There would be no Edward making me feel guilty. No Rosalie giving me dirty looks. No Alice pestering me about my fashion sense. No Emmett. No Jasper.

Angela was becoming more open with me; well, when Jessica wasn't around. She kept badgering me for details on my "steamy, hunk-of-man" I kept quiet about. As the days wore on, I became immune to the embarrassment her questions caused. It seemed that the occurrence at the park was simply natural and I no longer found my memory flustering.

The following Wednesday, I was making my way to Sam's place to check in for patrol duty. I hear the animalistic growls coming from the backyard. I sensed a familiar presence, but it felt different somehow. I walked around the back of the house where the noises were coming from. There, I found a massive russet brown wolf and Sam's black wolf form. Paul, Quil, and Jared were sitting on the back porch watching. They all looked concerned. Emily was watching from the kitchen window where she would stay safe.

The russet wolf looked like he was suffering. It whined loudly and writhed on the ground. It growled when Sam got too close. I walked toward the guys without taking my eyes off of the poor, new wolf.

"Who is it this time?" I started to ask but the whines turned to heart wrenching moans. The wolf began its transformation back into humanity. The giant think shrunk. His body was curled into itself but I could recognize him clearly.

Dirt and leaves tangled their way into his long, black hair. His face was contorted in agony. Lying on the ground was none other than Jacob Black.

I grimaced. "Ouch," I commented.

"You have no idea," Quil replied.

I nodded. "I bet it's even worse than vampire venom burning in your veins," I added truthfully. "Hang in there Jake," I called.

Jake turned his attention to me. He looked terrified.

"Bella, get away-Ahhh!" His scream turned into whimpering as he reverted back into a wolf. My heart broke a little for all the pain he must have been feeling. Quil must have sensed it because he gently grabbed my chin and made me look away.

"Look, I know you can handle yourself around Jake right now, but he doesn't. He'll be worried about you if you stay here," Quil said. I saw Paul, Jared, and Emily no in agreement from my peripheral vision. I knew they were right but I didn't want to leave.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked willing to give whatever he suggested a shot.

Quil didn't say anything for a minute. He thought about what I asked. It was Jared who broke the silence.

"Go and see Embry. He's the only one left right now. We had to take Jake at lunch during school. Check on him for us?" Jared asked.

I thought back to when Embry told me about his life at home and agreed.

I decided to walk since the sun rarely shared its beams of heat with the small town of Forks. I softly hummed a tune I couldn't quite place as I worked my way around the occasional puddle of muddy water. I kept my mind from straying to far into Jacob's current situation by trying to fit word with the song repeating in my head. "And all I knew is better now and everything I'll do for you," I sang softly.

I reached Embry's front door and knocked twice. I stepped back and waited for someone to answer. When no one did, I knocked again; still no reply. I peeked through the grimy window, looking for life in the house. I saw nothing.

"That's odd," I said.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Embry's memorized number. Almost immediately, I heard a loud ring tone singing songs I've never heard. I looked through the window again waiting for Embry to answer his phone. I tried to place the location of the sound.

"Embry here. Leave a message or whatever. I'll get back to you whenever I feel like it," Embry's recorded voice said. It was followed by a beep. I hung up my phone and put it back in my pocket. My eyes trailed to the ground. The hard wood floor was covered in shattered glass.

"Holy sh-"

I hurriedly turned the doorknob but it stood firmly locked. I pushed the door open with a little more strength than necessary. My senses flared. Scents I couldn't place grew stronger. Blood. My throat burned for the first time in what seemed like forever, but I kept myself under control. The distinct fumes of gas wafted in from the kitchen and I hurried to turn it off.

I let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the counter top. My eyes scanned the floor cluttered with pots and silverware. I saw a calico kitten poke its head out from behind the island. It meowed silently. I walked toward and bent down to pet it.

"What's wrong little kitty? What happened here?" It leaned into my touch and meowed again, walking away. I looked at it curiously, growing more concerned by the minute. I turned away from the cat and called Embry's name.

I heard a meow but ignored the tiny sound. "Embry?" I called again. Meow. "Embry?" I jumped when the kitten rubbed against my leg.

"Not now kitty."

I stepped out of the kitchen-meow-and up the stairs-meow-finding the room I knew belonged to Embry. Everything looked normal. Nothing unusual. Clothes, textbooks, and CDs alike were strewn on the floor. Posters of bands and movies covered the walls to the point you could barely see the blue paint. His bed remained unmade. His room was as messy as I remembered-Meoooow!

"Geez, you scared me," I told the kitten who finally climbed each stair and caught up to me. To meow was its reply. It looked up at me with urgent grey eyes that said "Listen to me!" I sighed as it turned away and started down the stairs, following the kitten. It led me back to the kitchen and around the island. I saw a tan lifeless hand protruding from behind it.

"Embry!" I gasped running to his side. He remained unconscious as I checked for a pulse. I let go of the air I didn't dare breathe out when I felt his breath escape his bleeding lips. His left eye was swollen with bruises, his right sported a bleeding gash underneath. Without further hesitation, I picked him up from the cluttered floor and carried him to his room shifting the mess away from my path with my feet. I laid him down on his bed as gently as I possibly could pulling the covers up to his waist and ran back down the stairs.

I found Band-Aids in the bathroom's medicine cabinet and a makeshift icepack in the form of frozen peas. I grabbed a few paper towels and rubbing alcohol before running back up to Embry. After patching him up I sat in a chair I found buried under a mountain of junk next to his bed. I looked at the now disguised wounds on his face, the bruises revealing themselves on his arms, the blood slowly soaking through the thin Band-aids on his knuckles, and wondered what could have possibly happened.

The calico kitten jumped onto Embry's bed, licked his face, and curled up next to his head, falling asleep soundly. My head fell into my palms letting the concern overwhelm me. The house seemed at peace as I sat and waited for Embry to awaken. The only sound I could hear was soft breathing.

The minutes ticked away on the clock, and Embry didn't wake. His face seemed more peaceful than troubled which was a relief to my troubled mind. I gently pushed back stray strands of his black hair away from his face.

"I don't think I could ever forgive whoever did this my sweet Embry," I said.

A door slammed downstairs. I jumped then froze. Heavy footsteps pounded on the floor, kicking pots against the wall. The shattering of glass echoed in my ears. Angry, gruff mumbles snapped me out of my frozen state. I glanced at Embry before dashing down the stairs once more. I halted my legs when I reached the kitchen.

Broken glass mixed in with a puddle of water and picked daisies covered the island counter top.

A man in his early thirties, maybe, stood with his back to me chugging a bottle of Jack. The scent of alcohol invaded the air. He turned when he heard me come in. The man could have been handsome in not for the scowl on his face and the darkness protruding danger from his black eyes. He had shaggy brown hair, a light tan, stubble on his face. He wore a white t-shirt and ragged, torn jeans.

What the f!k are you doing in my house? Get the f!k out of here!" he growled.

Even with the knowledge that I could kill this crude man in a second, he gave me the creeps. Then I remembered. Embry had said his mother usually got mixed up in abusive relationships. I was enraged, fuming, ready to kill this man.

"I'll give you to the count of three to get the hell out," I warned through gritted teeth. My hands were balled into fists. I shook with an anger I hadn't I hadn't felt since my time of torture and waking up to deliver retribution. I didn't dare look at the man. I knew my eyes would burn red as they did the last time I felt this murderous. It was never explained to me, but I knew what would happen.

The man strutted cockily toward me and poked me with his finger. My anger grew with each poke.

"Listen here,"-poke-"this is my house"-poke-"and I'll be damned if a little b%*& like you"-Poke-"tries to order me around. Now get"-Poke!-"the"-POKE!-

I couldn't stand his arrogance any longer. My limit had been reached. I broke his finger and the rest of his right arm in seconds. The sickening crack of bone was as melodious as his screech of pain. His fear of heightened when he met my piercing red eyes. His breathing quickened as he tried to cover the agony he was feeling for long enough to get away from the monster rage had turned me into. I grabbed him before he could escape, pulling him to meet my hateful glare.

"If I ever catch you around here again, I'll break more than just your arm. Are we cleared?"

He whimpered with fear.

"I said, 'Are we clear?'" I repeated, seething.

"Y-yes m-ma'am!" he squeaked.

"Good." I picked him up with one hand and threw him out the door.

As he ran away my rage dissipated remembering the injured Embry upstairs. My heart weighed down with guilt and fear as I thought of the possibility of Embry's mother collapsed and injured somewhere in the house. I resolved to check on Embry and then look for his mother.

After I made sure he was still soundly sleeping, I scoured the house. I followed the path of destruction, searching. I heard a small moan coming from the end of the hall. When I reached the room, I found Embry's mother pushing herself up into a sitting position on the floor. Her tan face was riddled with bruises. There was a deep gash on the side of her head soaking her black hair. I quickly made my way to her side helping her up onto the bed. She accepted my assistance.

"Bella? What are you doing here?" she asked me, bewildered and scared. Her eyes darted around the room as if she saw ghosts.

"Ms. Call, what happened to you?" I asked ignoring her question.

"Is he still here? What happened to Embry?" she buzzed, panicked. She stood and stumbled out of the room. I followed and caught her before she fell. I led her to Embry and made her sit down.

"He's okay now and so are you," I told her. Embry stirred but did not wake up. Ms. Call's eyes were glued to Embry's dressed wounds. Her tan skin paled. She did not speak. I retrieved the Band-Aids for the dresses as well as the rubbing alcohol and paper towels. I kneeled down next to her and examined the bleeding cut. I let the alcohol soak into the paper towel. Ms. Call paid no attention. I touched the paper towel to her wound and she shied away, eyes wide darting from my face to the bloodied paper towel I now held.

"You're injured," I explained simply. She nodded and allowed me to clean the cut. Silent sobs shook her frame as I dressed her injury. I didn't speak as I let my eyes take in the yellowing bruises on her arms and neck as well as new darkening ones, all in the shape of too rough hands and I asked again. My voice was soft and gentle, "What happened here?"

She sniffled away, remaining silent. Embry stirred once more and her attention turned back to him. I sighed I walked out bedroom door.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything," I told Ms. Call before heading back down the stairs.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" I heard her whisper to Embry. I bit my lip and headed to the kitchen picking up pots and shattered glass, cleaning away the mess of what occurred in this house.

"Mom?" Embry's hoarse voice sounded.

A/N: Sorry it wasn't a very happy chapter but it needed to be written for the sake of how this story will turn out. It's also not very long. I need to work on that. New chapter will come up soon, I promise.