Save You {Liam Dunbar #2}

VIOLENT HALLUCINATIONS

Isabelle was sitting in between Lydia and Liam on Scott's couch with her printed copy of Dread Doctors in her lap. Kira was on the other side of Liam, looking as unenthused as everyone else was to read the book and, as Valack had so creepily put it, open their minds.

"This book looks scary," Liam muttered. Isabelle turned her head and saw him frowning uncomfortably at the front cover of his book.

"Wait 'til you open it," she whispered, trying to scare him even more. He looked at her with wide eyes and she tried to keep a straight face.

When Liam's eyes moved carefully back to his book, Isabelle snuck a glance across the room, something she'd been doing frequently ever since a certain boy had come in and sat in the armchair straight across from her.

Theo was already looking at her, something he'd been doing more than he cared to admit.

Isabelle's eyes narrowed suspiciously as they stared each other down. She didn't understand why he was here. He'd volunteered, even! Who would volunteer to read this book?

Her eyes wandered to the front door when Stiles and Malia, the ones they'd been waiting for, walked in.

"Sorry we're late," Stiles said, rolling his right shoulder uncomfortably. "The Jeep wouldn't start..."

"Oh, really?" Isabelle asked, the sour mood Theo's presence had put her in momentarily disappearing. "That's odd."

Stiles raised his eyebrows half-heartedly and Isabelle frowned. She'd noticed something up with him the last few days, but she didn't think he'd ever be in a bad enough place where he couldn't bicker with her.

"Good, you're here," Scott emerged from the kitchen. "We can start now."

"Fantastic," Isabelle muttered to Liam as she leaned back in the couch. He smiled and scooted a little closer to her, glaring at Theo as he did so—he'd been noticing Theo's eyes on Isabelle all day, too.

"My mom's book club usually has more wine," Lydia said with a disappointed frown, though she was already opening her book to the first page.

"Well, they also probably didn't read books that cause violent hallucinations..." Stiles pointed out.

"That's why we waited for Malia," Scott looked to the werecoyote.

"So none of us go running into traffic?" Kira asked, referring to the incident Malia experience the night before, which had almost resulted in her being roadkill.

Thankfully, Theo had been there to save the day. The thought made Isabelle roll her eyes.

"Or worse," Scott replied.

"Like what happened to Judy," Malia said, then realized no one had read the book yet. "...chapter fourteen."

"Maybe I should have my mother read it," Lydia mumbled. "She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone."

"Yeah, if it works," Stiles said, still not believing a word Valack had told them.

"It has to," Lydia argued.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked, noticing the odd tone she'd used.

"I think I saw them during my surgery," Lydia admitted quietly. "When I look at the cover of the book, it's almost like..."

"A memory trying to resurface," Theo finished. Everyone turned to look at the boy, but only Stiles and Isabelle had suspicion in their eyes.

"Yeah," Lydia agreed after a moment.