-1Cassie's POV

I woke with a jolt from nightmares. Buddy pressed his cold nose against my cheek in an act of reassurance. I patted his head and got off the sofa. A quick glance at the clock told me that it wasn't too early. I went into the kitchen and found the ingredients for pancakes. I always enjoyed cooking. It relaxed me.

"Hey" said a voice. I jumped, forgetting for a moment that I was safe. I almost dropped my frying pan. I managed to grab it in time. I'd got the coordination skills Bella lacked.

"You startled me Bella" I said, placing the frying pan atop the stove.

"Sorry. You cooking?"

"Of course. I always do. That was one of the things I was required to do"

"And you still like cooking?" she raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged.

"Pancake?" she nodded and went to the fridge. She pulled out some meat and put it in a bowl for the dogs. I quickly set a pancake to cook.

"Charlie already left?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to persuade you to ring your mum, tell her your safe"
"She won't have noticed I'm gone" there was a knock at the door. Bella got up to answer it as I slid a pancake onto her plate. Scarlett followed at her heels and a second later I heard loud growls. I rushed after her, leaving breakfast. Scarlett had taken her defensive position in front of Bella, hackles raised, lips curled back to show sharp fangs as she snarled.

"Hey! Scarlett!" I shouted. The boy at the door looked at me with something close to horror.

"Bella, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" he asked. Bella looked at me. I shrugged and went back to the kitchen. I heard the door close.

Bella's POV

"Bella! What the hell is that doing there?"

"That as you so rudely put it is my cousin Cassie. She's staying here for a bit"

"She's not human" I felt like ice had been pumped straight into my veins.

"What?"

"That girl isn't human. I can smell her. She smells…different"

"Werewolf?"

"No. it's kind of…it's almost like your scent but it's got something else in it. It's confusing. Anyway, I don't want her here with you"

"Edward she's my cousin. Human or not, she's family! And she's not dangerous!"

"Just like the werewolves aren't dangerous? I can smell him around here Bella. He was angry at something. What happened?"

"So this is about me and Jacob?"

"No! This is about your safety! Tell me what happened!"

"He attacked Cassie and she set her dogs on him. That's all!"

"So he smelt it too. I need to speak with Jacob!"

"What?"

"I need to talk to him and the pack. But I need her to be distracted and you safe. Alright. I know. You and…it…are coming round my house. Alice will supervise you"

"I'm not a bloody kid Edward! I'll decide what I do with my life, thank you" he gave me a look. A look that said 'I am doing this for your safety'. It also told me that there was no way I'd win this argument.

"Fine. But be nice to her. She's family and she's had a really hard time lately"

"I'm always nice Bella" he smiled. We went back into the house.

Cassie's POV.

Bella and her-boyfriend?-came back in.

"Hi. Your breakfast is on the table Bella. Do you want any pancakes…err…what was your name?"

"Edward. And no I already ate"

"Okay"

"Umm…Cassie, I'm going over to Edward's house today. You want to come?"

"Err…I don't want to intrude on whatever you two have planned"
"No, it's no problem. Alice will most likely attack me with her hair brush and make up. If you come she'll have someone new to torture" I could guess what she was thinking and not saying. 'this was I don't have to worry about you at home'.

"okay. I'll go shower and then I'll be ready to go" I went upstairs, the dogs following at my heels.

"Stay" I told them. They stood either side of the bathroom door like statues. I went in and flicked on the shower, waiting for the water to warm. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself as I slowly removed each article of clothing. My chest was a patchwork quilt of bruises in varying degrees of age. The bruises stopped at my shoulder. While the boys had always been very good at blaming any marks that showed up on my clumsiness, they tried to keep all the bruises hidden. I turned and twisted so I could see the five long scars on my back from Mark's belt the day before I left. I dreaded to think what would happen if they found me again.

The last thing I removed was my bracelets, I wore one on each wrist. They were more sweatbands then bracelets but I hadn't chosen them for their looks. I pulled them off and stared at my scarred wrists. I hadn't told Bella the full story. I hadn't told her that one day, when Mark had slammed my head repeatedly against the bathroom mirror that I'd taken a shard and slashed both my wrists. The only person other then me who knew exactly what happened was June. She'd bandaged me up and told me not to let her brothers see. If they did, it would be worse for me. And it was. Because at first, I hadn't listened.

**Flashback**

Leo grabbed me by the wrist as I attempted to dodge past. I wished Scarlett was here with me. She'd rip him apart. But she was locked in the kitchen with Buddy.

I winced as his hands brushed the tender spot on my wrist. He gave me a curious look.

"What happened to your wrist?" he said. I shook my head. He squeezed it tightly. I screamed.

He shoved me against the wall, holding me there with his body as he stretched out my arm. He tore off the plaster I was wearing to cover the scars.

"Well, well, well. You been taking up wrist slitting Cassandra?" he asked, using my full name, the way his dad did.

"No!"

"So…why do you have a scar on your wrists?"

"I cut myself. By accident. On the broken mirror. When Mark slammed my head on it" he released my wrist and pressed his hand to my throat.

"Mark did no such thing you little liar. He has never touched you in your life" it was the old lie. The one I was forced to recite everyday of my shit heap of a life.

"Say it" he hissed, his mouth against my ear "Say it now"

"Mark never touched me. I tripped. I was clumsy. I'm sorry" he nodded.

"That's better. Now if you ever cut yourself again, I will get the kitchen knife and I was cut every inch of your body" the way he said it scared me the most. Not loudly, not angrily. Just, calmly and quietly stating a fact. I knew he was serious.

**End Flashback**

After that I'd started wearing bracelets over both wrists so that no one could see and ask awkward questions.

I showered quickly, dressed (I had to borrow some of Bella's clothes) then headed down to join her. We all climbed into Edward's Volvo and left.