Read Online Pray for Dawn by Jocelynn Drake - Free Book Online Page B

around to hear.
    Ryan sent her a quelling look, a frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. For a second, he looked older and a little tired. Ryan didn’t frown often, and it was just a little reassuring that maybe this alliance between these two monsters was tentative at best and more than a little strained.
    “I assigned Collins a new, temporary partner,” Ryan continued, his eyes falling back on me.
    “Who?”
    “His name is Joseph,” Mira interjected. A chill ran through me and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I looked at the vampire. The oh-so-smug smile had returned to her lovely face, causing my hands to ball into fists.
    “Who’s Joseph?” I demanded, forcing the words through my clenched teeth.
    “Joseph belongs to me. He’s been a nightwalker for roughly twenty years and is in desperate need of a little experience,” Mira explained, sliding along the sofa so that she was now seated on the edge of the cushion.
    “Are you insane?” I exploded, pinning Ryan with a dark gaze. “You sent in one of our inexperienced VAMPIRE HUNTERS to hunt a vampire with another vampire as backup!” Usually I was a master at controlling my emotions, but this had pushed me screaming over the edge.
    “Danaus—”
    “What about Joseph?” Mira interrupted, drawing my eyes back to her face. “I’m trusting one of your damned hunters not to stake him as soon as the sun rises. I promised Joseph that he would be safe.” Her narrowed eyes glowed in her growing rage, her hands tightly grasping the cushions.
    “It’d be no less than he deserved,” I growled.
    I was ready when she launched herself off the sofa at me. I caught her thin wrists as her hands went for my throat, forcing me back a few steps to regain my balance. Her arms trembled and her teeth were clenched. Somewhere inside of her I could sense that she was struggling for control, battling the urge to set me on fire. Picking a fight with Mira was always extremely dangerous—she could just set you on fire and enjoy the blaze. I reached for the power that I could feel swirling about her, ready to take control of the nightwalker if necessary if she even attempted to set me on fire. At this moment, she was little more than a puppet to be used.
    “Enough!” Ryan shouted. At the same time, a strong force slammed into my chest, throwing me backward. Mira’s wrists were ripped from my grasp and she was tossed to the other side of the room. My back slammed into the wall, sending a shock of pain up my spine. I slumped to the floor, gasping for air. Mira skid across the floor and slowly rolled to her hands and knees. She tossed her hair out of her face and narrowed her glowing gaze on Ryan, who was now standing behind his desk. The warlock’s dark expression was locked on Mira, waiting to see if she would now turn her anger on him.
    “We don’t have time for this,” Ryan warned. I held my breath for a tense second and then another before Mira finally gave a curt nod. She pushed to her feet and returned to the sofa, brushing her long fiery locks out of her eyes. She never looked over at me. Ryan then turned his gaze on me, waiting. Still frowning, I pushed to my feet and turned to face Ryan, putting my back to Mira. I didn’t trust her, but with her anger just shy of boiling, I knew I’d feel it if she moved closer.
    “Both of your concerns are valid,” Ryan continued. “However, I am confident that this new arrangement will work out. Collins was selected because he is so new to being a hunter. Anyone else on the squad would not have hesitated to stake Joseph at the first opportunity, regardless of my orders.”
    “That’s their job,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
    “If so, then we were wrong. The hunters of Themis should never have been a roving band of mercenaries.” Ryan sat back down in his chair and stared straight ahead, but I don’t think he was seeing Mira. His expression was too distant and tired. “Nightwalkers are