Sever (The Ever Series Book 3) Read Online Free

calls.
    “That’s us!” my mom says. “You wouldn’t believe how long the wait is on the weekends without a reservation!”
    “We’ll be right after you,” Ever smiles.
    I watch with my stomach tied into knots as my worst nightmare puts his hand on my mother’s back and guides her into the restaurant. Ever turns to me, but I can barely concentrate through my desperation.
    “Wren, don’t dare think for one second that Caroline would have been better off without you. She needs you. So do I. I promise you, we will win this.”
    What he means is that creatures from his world have finally come back to claim what they want—me.
    “ How do we win?” I whisper.
    “Together.”
    With a shuddering sigh, I take Ever’s hand and follow him inside, walling off my thoughts with each step, given I don’t know what this thing is capable of. Rick could be prowling around in my head right now for all I know. Or he could be waiting to lobotomize me—he is a neurosurgeon, after all. Either way, the last thing I want to do is make small talk with it . With a sinking sensation, I realize that giving him a look at my power, however flimsy it may be, was not the best thing to do.
    When Alex first showed up, I remember thinking that everyone wants something. Alex wanted something—something he knew I couldn’t give him. So he did the only thing that would bind me to him forever by sacrificing himself. Whatever Richard is, he—or whatever is controlling him—wants something, too.
    What I need to do now is to find an advantage. When I ran away to Southern California last year and volunteered for partial amnesia, I thought that everything I loved made me weak. At the time, I had assumed that giving up everything would protect those around me. Now I know that my power lives in how hard I’m willing to fight for what I love.
    If I give up now, I let the other side win.
    Ever pulls out my chair and then takes the seat next to me. Looking at him, I can see the barely contained hostility despite his benign expression. The restaurant is loud, warm, and crowded. Watching my mom lean toward her date, I have to restrain myself from reaching across the table and zapping him with whatever I’ve got left. Ever grabs my hand and squeezes it gently, and a second later our server comes over with menus. Picking up mine, I glance at my mom, who winks at me. My stomach heaves as I turn and watch her date looking over the menu with impressive concentration. He looks up at me and smiles.
    “Well!” he says merrily. “I know what I’m getting.”
    Trying not to frown, I look down at the menu. Usually I’d be dying for something less than nutritionally sound—French toast or pancakes maybe. Not today. I can’t afford the brain fog. I need protein.
    “So, Wren. Your mom tells me you’re a big runner.”
    I smile grimly.
    “I’m preparing for the zombie apocalypse.”
    Rick—or It , as I prefer to think of him—laughs like I’ve said something really funny.
    “Aren’t you a bit young to be pondering the end of the world?” he chuckles.
    Our server returns, saving me from saying something crazy. With a smile, I order the spinach and mushroom omelet, and Ever orders a black coffee. My mom orders the French toast, and I stare when Rick asks for the restaurant’s “full breakfast,” which includes more than one human being can possibly eat.
    “Rick’s training for a marathon,” my mom says.
    “Neurosurgery, marathon training—you must never sleep,” Ever says.
    “You’re right. It feels like hundreds of years since I’ve slept,” Rick says, his expression jovial.
    A minute of silence passes before I force myself to look over at him.
    “So, how’d you meet my mom?” I ask, bracing myself.
    “Caroline, you’re a better storyteller than I am,” he smiles.
    Great. All my mom needs is an opening.
    “Well, I had seen Dr. Foley—” she laughs, “—several times in the cafeteria during the night shift, but we worked on