B e l l a  ♣  A l b y

Beep! Beep! Beep!

What was this annoying sound? I wanted to sleep for some more time. The beeping sound continued. I opened my eyes getting irritated. "Argh! Stop it." I tried to sit up but immediately fell back to the same position.

"Awake?"

I turned my head from where I heard the voice. Xanthos was sitting on a beige colour couch with his legs draped lazily on top of a black table in front of him. He was now wearing a brown leather jacket on top of a white t-shirt. I could see his built body underneath it. His dark brown hair was in a mess. It looked as though he ran his hands many times through his hair. I wanted to run my hand through his hair, It looked so soft. Woah, how can a person look this 'Hot'?

Dirty thoughts! Dirty thoughts! Get out of my head. I bang my head on the pillow underneath my head only to let out a whimper.

Xanthos stood up and reached me. "Are you ok, Bella?" His voice was deeper than before, it sounded more alluring than before. He looked more built and taller than I last saw him.

"Did you complete your puberty today?" I remembered Natasha asking me when she thought my voice changed.

Xanthos looked at me confused. When he made a face of understanding, he let out a chuckle. "Oh uh no, love. I still look the same. Maybe these clothes that I'm wearing is making me look more built." He shrugged his shoulder. I looked at him narrowing my eyes at the word 'love'.

"Ok... so I'm in this hospital for seven days, right?" He nodded his head. "So, that means a week. Wait! Do my um..family members know about this?"

What if they think I ran away? That would be better but they should've found out about me sooner or later.

"Yea, he visited the hospital once but something about him doesn't seem fit, love."

"Why do you think so, love?" I played along with his endearments but he just let it slide.

"He kept on asking when you would be discharged and didn't let the doctors to do other tests even when I mentioned it's on me." 

I laughed and said, "You're smart but I don't know if I should trust you in certain things, Xan."

"What things? Are you being mistreated by any chance, love?" He asked with a concerning eyes when I gulped and didn't answer him, his eyes glowed red before the glass table beside me broke into pieces which made my eyes grow wide. "Is he?" He asked coming near me with a look in his eyes which made me scared. 

I stopped breathing for a few seconds and my face paled. This must be the right time to tell him but what if Xanthos would get hurt from my situation but he too had the mysterious powers which made him equally inhuman. My palms started sweating and I blinked looking at the now broken table.

"I-- I'm scared, Xan." 

He bent down to my eye level and glared, "What're you scared of? Me or for them?"

"The truth. I-" I bit my lip. "I- why're we making a big fuss of something that didn't happen. Mistreated? Who me? haha no-" His eyes didn't waver away from me and kept the glare. 

"You wouldn't get discharged until the doctors do all the check ups." He smiled not so sweetly before walking away making me sit frozen.

4 years ago

I was sitting on the floor of the house's old attic, hiding from the monsters. My stomach growled since it had been a week I ate something.

I heard a knock on my door. I got excited as I was going getting the smell of the food and ran to open it. Today I was going to get my meal! Or maybe my saviour? Another thought occurred but I shook my head. A saviour was never going to come for me.

I swung open the door.  There I saw a young boy of around my age holding a sandwich in his hand.

"The uncle told me there was a dog here but who-who are you?"

"He-Help me, please?"

"Are you being punished?" He came close to me and touched one of bruises on my hand.

I hissed and nodded my head. "Punished for being alive I guess." I started crying as I was happy that he would be my saviour. Finally, someone got to know about me. "Help me escape please?"

He nodded his head frantically, "I'll take you to my house, is that uncle downstairs the one punishing you?" I nodded my head. "I can talk to him, me and him are quite close now and he's sweet with me." 

I shook my head. "N-no please, just take me out of here, he is anything but sweet no please."

He looked at me with a doubtful look before reaching out a hand for me to take. "I'll take you out."

I wanted to scream that I was finally going to get my freedom but my excitement broke down when I heard my  dad's voice. No, my only hope is about to get crushed.

"Tan? Where're you boi?"

"Tan? Is that your name?" I whispered. He nodded his head and slowly walked me down the stairs from the attic.

The surrounding was quiet which made our steps to echo. I heard my dad's steps coming up as we were going down.

"Tan? Did you feed the dog? Whats making you stay there longer?" His voice echoed tauntingly. I heard the doors and window's shut which made the surroundings darker.

"No-Nothing, un-uncle," Tan stuttered back and started yanking me harder. We started running, it was dark so I couldn't see where.

I swallowed. No, this is not how we were supposed to escape. "S-stay put, I'll take you out of here somehow," he whispered as lowly as possible but only I knew my dad had sensitive ears. 

"You can't take her out just like that, Tan." His voice echoed make me shiver in fright. That was it, he knew it all. 

I wanted to tell Tan to escape from here because I knew, my dad wouldn't leave him alone for knowing the truth. I wanted Tan to blame me and just save his life. The lights around me turned on and a shadow fell on me and Tan. That was it. My only hope broke. 

"Tan didn't do anything." Those were the first words that came out of my mouth. I didn't dare to look up and kept my head down. 

"I-I was just passing by and then I saw her all bruised up, uncle," Tan said innocently. 

"So you were helping her, huh?"

"Y-yes."

"Sadly now who's gonna help you boi? Poor soul, you may rest in peace," his words echoed which made me immediately stand up and protect Tan with my body. 

"Hit me, don't do anything to him." I bravely stood in front of him only to get slapped. 

I tried to stand up with as much energy I had in my body yet I fell back to the floor. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come here, I just wanted to see the dog you said you had and wanted to pet it." Tan started sobbing as he understood the situation. 

"Instead you found this bitch right there and now you're stuck. My bad, are you blaming me for being here? How dare you?!" Tan went flying to the other side of the room. 

I crawled towards him with blood wiping the floor. I have to help him. 

"His parents will punish you if you hurt him further," I tried to reason.

"Parents?  Who're they to him?" He laughed sarcastically. "I never knew he had one," He said with a smirk. 

"What do you m-mean?" 

"I'll send him to his parents. Don't worry." 

Tan looked at me with fright and pity. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help you."  I shook my head and tried to stand on my feet, when I couldn't I started screaming and sobbing when I saw my dad dragging Tan away. 

That was the time I realized, I can never ask for help from anyone, he would make them disappear. No, I can't trust anyone. No, I can't let anything to happen to those innocent people out there because of me. 

No, I can't let Xanthos know about me.