Pray for Dawn Read Online Free PDF Page A

the hill to Factors Walk. As I reached the wide alley, I spotted a remnant of the police tape that had once cordoned off the area, tied to a lamppost. Even in the early-morning light, the alley was bathed in thick shadows thrown down by the buildings on one side and the high stone wall on the other side.
    Factors Walk was a lonely strip of ground even in broad daylight. At night, River Walk was a hot spot for both tourists and locals with its trendy restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, and I had followed more than one vampire and its prey from the waterfront to the shadows of Factors Walk. Yet, I had never encountered anything there that would cause me a moment’s fear.
    Standing in the middle of the alley, I closed my eyes and allowed my powers to stretch out to the cover the immediate area. I could sense humans milling about the River Walk nearby, more humans up in the building beside me. There were no naturi near, but there was at least one lycanthrope standing still at the far end of the alley, most likely watching me. So much for an unnoticed appearance within the city. At this rate, the only thing keeping Mira unaware of my presence in her domain was the fact that the sun was up.
    I opened my eyes and frowned. I wasn’t surprised that I couldn’t find anything because I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for. Only when I saw the exact place where the girl was killed would I be able to possibly sense something, and even then it was a slim chance. But first I needed more information, and a local newspaper was good a place to start as any.
    Unfortunately, it appeared that I first had some other business. As I reached River Walk again, I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk several feet from the three lycanthropes stalking me. I extended my arms from my body, hands open and my palms facing them. I could handle them, but I didn’t want a fight with three werewolves in downtown Savannah in broad daylight. It would go against my vow to preserve mankind’s ignorance of the supernatural species. It would also cripple the fragile peace within Mira’s domain.
    Ignoring the two other werewolves, I turned my gaze on Nicolai. A few inches taller than me, he had thick blond hair and his copper-colored eyes were narrowed against the sun that was rising between us. Nicolai had been another of Mira’s unexpected acquisitions in Venice. She had claimed him after defeating him in a fair fight. She pressed her claim in an effort to keep him out of the hands of the naturi, and maybe even to tweak Jabari’s ego.
    “Gromenko,” I said with a slight nod.
    “Danaus. It’s been a while,” Nicolai matched my nod.
    “Not since Venice.”
    Nicolai frowned, deepening the lines that cut through his face as a soft grunt escaped him. The man appeared to be in his early thirties, but lycanthropes generally aged more slowly than normal humans. He may have been quite a bit older. Judging by the power rolling off of him, Nicolai was considerably stronger than his two companions, making me wonder if Nicolai had been close to alpha status in his last pack. Some werewolves were natural born alphas, while some could grow into the role under the right circumstances.
    Nicolai shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy jacket, his eyes darting away from my face. “We were hoping we could talk to you about an important matter.”
    “Of course.”
    His jaw muscles jumped for a second before he finally spoke again. “Privately.” There was no missing the disgust in his voice.
    “Naturally,” I replied, as my mouth twisted in a smirk. Nicolai’s eyes returned to my face and his frown eased. It was obvious that he didn’t want to be here, but he had most likely been stuck with this task because we knew each other. They assumed I would be more willing to cooperate with someone I was acquainted with than the two thugs hovering behind him like anxious shadows.
    With a stiff nod, Nicolai turned. I followed behind Nicolai, and the two silent