Free Wait for Dusk by Jocelynn Drake

it secret deserves to be staked and dragged out into the sun,” I snarled, lurching forward so I was perched on the edge of my seat. “We’ve grown too sloppy and complacent over the long years. We’ve been the dominant species for centuries. The naturi should not have an edge over us!”
    The nightwalker took a brave step forward as he balled his fists at his sides. “What about the lycans? They’re hunting us as well.”
    “Have you spoken with the pack alpha?”
    “No, not yet,” he replied, his voice losing some of its earlier strength.
    “Talk to the alpha. Set up limitations as to where the lycans can roam during the night hours.”
    “They won’t agree—”
    “They will if they want to continue to live and be free of the naturi,” I argued, cutting him off. “And start hunting down the naturi, damn it!”
    “What about the humans?”
    I slid back from the edge of my seat and rested my head in my hand as I put my elbow on the arm of the chair. “What about the humans?” I repeated. My head was beginning to throb. This was growing tiresome, and I was confident that we weren’t making any real progress. During the early years of my existence, when I was living with Jabari, I spent many hours hovering on the fringe of the coven because it meant that I was close to my mentor. I don’t recall that time being as particularly tedious as it was right at this moment.
    “They’re being slaughtered at an alarming rate. The police aren’t going to buy this serial killer garbage we’ve been feeding them for much longer. It’s only a matter of time before the truth gets out. We won’t be able to protect the secret for much longer if the naturi continue their rampage unchecked.”
    “Then check them!” Jabari growled. “The coven cannot be everywhere at once fighting the naturi. These are your domains. Police them as you are supposed to or step down and let someone else take care of what you can’t.”
    “But the coven can be in a few select places, looking into the matter and making an example of the naturi that are there,” Macaire smoothly interjected, jerking my head in his direction.
    Taking a slow breath, I forced a brilliant smile on my lips as I looked at him, trying not to flash my fangs at him. “That is true,” I agreed sweetly. “Do you have someplace particular in mind?”
    “Actually, I do. Budapest.”
    “Budapest? Have we heard from her keeper this evening? I don’t recall that one,” I said, maintaining my polite demeanor while fighting the urge to grind my teeth. The Elder had something up his sleeve and was simply waiting for me to step into his trap.
    “I have been contacted separately by nightwalkers that live within the city limits of Budapest,” Macaire replied, smiling back at me. “I have also been seeing a growing number of reports out of that city regarding human deaths under mysterious circumstances. Someone must act quickly to quell the chatter that is starting to hit the human media.”
    I slouched in my chair, staring blindly out at the crowd of nightwalkers fanned out in front of me, watching my every move. I hadn’t visited Budapest in years. I wasn’t even sure who her keeper was now. However, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that the keeper was most likely loyal to Macaire.
    “Budapest is a vital stronghold for our people to the east,” Elizabeth chimed in.
    “It’s long been a haven for our kind, but our numbers there have dwindled,” Macaire stated sadly. “We need to protect what is ours.”
    “Shall you be going then to check it out?” I leaned forward in my chair so I could clearly see him around Jabari.
    Macaire looked over at me, a wicked grin growing across his old, soft face. “I thought you would be best suited for this endeavor. You have proven to be quite adept at ridding an area of the naturi. I thought that you might be able to assist the nightwalkers of Budapest. You could clean out the region and make it safe again for