Torment (Teen Wolf__Missing Family Book Two)

Chapter 20__Echo House

I was dreaming. I knew that.

In my dream, I was in my old home, the home that had been mine and Isaac's before Mom died. Before Camden died. Before Dad turned so violent . . . Before he died. Before we were werewolves and ever meeting Derek, Erica, Boyd, Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, Kira . . . Before all of it. When we were human and happy, with our family intact.

And then I saw them dying.

Mom first, when she had gotten sick.

"It's happening again," she said before dying, and I cried in the dream.

Camden second, and even though I hadn't been there for his death, I knew what it would look like.

In complete army regulation uniform, shot to death as he fell, looking toward me and saying with his dying breath, "It's happening again."

Then Dad, and I had been there when Jackson had killed him and hurt me to an almost-death. I could hear his scream.

Like I had done then, I had weakly turned my head to see what happened, gasping in horror and pain in the pouring rain. He looked up. "It's happening again."

Then in the vault, Ethan and Aiden holding Boyd and me back as Kali killed Erica, and Erica falling to the floor, reaching toward us. "Boyd. Natalie." Her voice turned hard and cold as she looked at me. "It's happening again."

Then the death I didn't want to see. Ever, ever again.

Boyd's.

How he had tore me from Kali's grasp to save my life, and Kali dropped him onto the claws of Derek that Ethan and Aiden were each holding, and Isaac holding me back for my own protection as I cried.

After they had left, I had ran to Boyd's side, and he he had fallen completely into my arms, holding his dying body as he looked up at me, and I knew what he would say. Mom, Camden, Dad, and Erica had said it.

We said together in whispers, "It's happening again."

I knew what the nightmare meant.

Isaac was hurt. The dream was showing me images of my dying loved ones.

My subconscious was trying to tell me Isaac was going to die.

Finally, the dream placed me in Isaac's hospital room, standing by the doors as I looked down at Isaac's half burned body, slowly walking forward until I stood next to him.

The machine that kept track of his heart beat and breathing was saying that they were both starting to slow by the beeping's increase.

"No," I said, whispering. "No, no, no."

I gripped his hand as I tried to take his pain, just to spare him the pain or to try to prolong his death.

As the veins started to creep up, I took too much, coughing and gasping at the pain that was effecting me now.

I looked down at my hands as I started to pull back.

And Isaac's hand gripped mine. To the point where his grasp hurt.

I looked up at his face in confusion and shock.

His skin was still burned heavily, and he still looked near-term, but his eyes were open and he looked dark, twisted and evil as he said the same but different thing Mom, Camden, Dad, Erica and Boyd had told me before.

"It's happening to me."

£

In reality, I lurched up in the chair I had been sitting in since Isaac had been here, breathing heavily and nearly screaming when Ms. McCall's hands rested on either of my shoulders. "Natalie. Natalie, hey. Honey. It's okay. You're all right." I slowly started to calm down, not looking at her, still breathing heavily. "It was just a dream. You're okay."

Letting out a shaky breath, I kept my eyes locked on Isaac. "Is he dying?"

She didn't answer as I looked at my brother.

He was still. Absolutely still. Unconscious, like he had been for days.

And it reminded me so much of the dream with Mom, Camden, Dad, Erica and Boyd and him.

"It's happening again," I said, whispering the words I hated, but felt so vulnerable and scared, on the verge of tears.

"Oh, sweetie," Melissa said, wrapping her arms around me as I leaned my head against her shoulder, still not looking away from Isaac as I let the tears overflow.

I couldn't bear it if I lost him. Not when he was my only family left. Not when I had a list of the loved ones I had to watch die, including my best friend and the love of my life.

But part of me thought that was what was happening. That he was dying.

I really wished and hoped fiercely, sadly, that part of me was completely and utterly wrong.

That he wasn't going to die. That he was going to stay strong and fight through like he had always done for me, like I had always done for him.

I just . . .

I just hoped I wouldn't lose him too.