Read Online The End of Never by Tammy Turner - Free Book Online

you. I tried to retreat to a cave in the heart of a dark forest at the edges of the land my father conquered when he ruled a thousand years ago. I hoped that doing so would keep me far from the burdens of civilization. I was wrong. Men like war. Men like to kill other men for what they have. Your uncle found my cave because he was soldier. He found me because of destiny.”
    Alexandra felt as if a mudslide had washed over her shoulders and into her face. If she could only spit out the gravel binding her tongue, she could ask the first of a thousand questions to this unbelievable creature sitting in front of her.
    Peeking into her mind, Kraven pulled the question from her lips before she could form the words. “Yes, I am cursed,” he said, “but not by immortality. Dragon blood made me this way, but the true curse of my life is my insatiable craving for the only thing I ever wanted as a mortal man. Until now, I was never able to claim what I wanted, even as an immortal. You will lift the curse, Alexandra. You will save me.”
    Rubbing Jack’s spotted belly, Alexandra let her eyes linger on the boy on the playground. “How can you be so sure?” she said. The question drifted to Kraven over the light breeze.
    His fingers reached for the medallion dangling from the leather cord around Alexandra’s neck. Etched into the bronze was a creature with the tail and wings of a dragon. The creature pictured spat a plume of fire, but from the head of a man. “This medallion was meant for you,” Kraven said. “Just as I am.”
    Inside the pocket of her cut-off jean shorts, her cell phone buzzed. Alexandra ignored the ring until it stopped and rang again.
    She glanced at the call screen and then at Kraven. A blush spread across her cheeks. “Hello,” she stammered into the phone.
    At that moment, a police car was backing out the Woodward’s driveway, with Taylor fuming, cuffed in the back seat.
    Benjamin climbed into the driver’s seat of his mother’s BMW. “Alex,” he said calmly into his cell phone, “we have a problem.”
    Alexandra rolled her eyes. “What did Taylor do now?” she asked, giggling. “Drown her stepmother?”
    Silence.
    â€œHello?” Alexandra asked. “Ben?”
    â€œTaylor’s on her way to jail,” he admitted.
    â€œOh swell,” Alexandra sighed as she nudged Jack from her lap. Her legs wobbled beneath her as she stood and planted a hand on her hip. “What are we going to do?”
    Benjamin grinned. “We’ll figure something out. You want to come over to my house? I’m rolling up in the driveway now. With luck, Mom is asleep. Being pregnant has turned her into a whole different person. She likes to bake these days: apple pie, brownies, carrot cake, so there’s lots to eat. She’s turned into some kind of Suzie Homemaker all of a sudden. She even asks if I need help with my math homework.” He stopped, realizing that he was rambling because she made him nervous—a good type of excited queasiness, the kind of feeling he got in his stomach when he saw perfect, ten-foot waves breaking offshore under a pink and gold sunrise.
    Alexandra winked at Kraven. “I would,” she said hesitating, “but my Jeep . . . ”
    â€œI forgot,” Benjamin said before the girl could offer a polite excuse for not driving to the other side of the city. “You don’t need to come over, Alex. Can I . . . ”
    â€œSure,” Alexandra gushed before Benjamin finished his question.
    Kraven tensed beside her.
    â€œUm,” she hesitated, “You don’t mind if we have company?”
    â€œSure,” Benjamin said gruffly. “No problem.” He paused, the silence awkward. “Your friend might come in handy if we have to break Taylor out of the pokey.”
    â€œOkay,” Alexandra said, laughing and yanking on Jack’s leash. “I’ll