Bloody Freak (A Bloody Series Book #1) (9 page)

    "About damn time you
called me. Where have you been?" She yelled at Ken as soon as she flipped her phone open.

    "I'm sorry. I got caught up with a lead and forgot," he answered.

    "A lead? What do you mean? How could you possibly have a lead?" She tensed up, her thought
s racing about, trying to figure out what he could possibly have learned in twenty-four hours.

    "You'll never believe me until I show you exactly but I think I can get solid evidence that Werewolves exist."

    "But...," she started to argue but he cu
t her off.

    "I know. I said you'll just have to see it to believe me but it's true. I can't explain right now but give me a couple days and I'll have all the evidence that we'll need to prove it."

    "A couple days? You can't take off, Ken. What if I n
eed your help here? The new guy is not going to work out, I can tell you that right now. Iverson will give you your job back. I promise. Don't take off chasing some fairy tale," she pleaded. Ken Farley was one of the greatest deductive minds she had ever
k
nown. Having him find evidence on Werewolves was a sure fire way to become exposed. If discrediting him would dig her out of a shit hole then she would just have to do it.

    "I know it seems crazy, Al, but I have to follow my gut on this one."

    "Even
if you were right, and Werewolves did exist, you can't chase them by yourself. At best these guys are psychotic terrorists." At worst carnivorous monsters.

    "This isn't my first investigation. I know how to keep my head down. I'll call again when I ha
ve more info. Stay sharp on your end." With that he hung up. She stared blankly at her phone, unsure what to do next. Eventually she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. She thought she caught a glimpse of Ethan in her rearview but when she
g
lanced back he was gone. Since Bren hadn't returned any of her texts all day she decided to drive by her apartment. They only lived five minutes apart. It was a choice she knew Brena made deliberately. Her car was parked outside under the giant oak that w
a
s planted in front of the building. She pulled in behind it and listened for sounds coming from Brenas apartment. The TV was on so she got out.

    "I'm coming in!" She yelled. "You home?"

    "I'm back here," she answered from her studio. Alex walked ba
ck to the studio and discovered Bren covered in black and red paint. She had pinned her red hair up in a messy bun on top of her head but that hadn't stopped the paint from getting into it. Before she asked what she had been up to all day Alex stopped to
l
ook at the painting Bren had been working on. It was dark, very dark and it clearly represented Brenas mood as of late. Most of the canvas was a swirling vortex of bleeding color, reds and oranges criss-crossing between the black. In the center Bren had p
a
inted a likeness of a charcoal colored wolf, its jaws wide open, as if leaping to attack.

    "Nice. Suppressing much? You wanna talk about it?" Alex asked. Bren turned to give her a dirty look.

    "He's an asshole, but he does give me inspiration." She
tossed her brush into a jar of water and wiped her forearm across her face, smearing more paint as she went. "He called a few hours ago. You should have heard it, the most piss poor excuse for an apology I've ever heard!" She walked past Alex heading int
o
the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of blood, shaking it in offering to Alex. She scrunched her face in disgust, showing her distaste. Dead blood was not to her liking.

    "No, thanks. So, what?  He wants to get back together?"

   "I have no idea. Not that I would even fathom taking him back after the things he said to me. Actually he seemed more interested in you." She popped the cork on the bottle and took a swig.

    "Me? What the hell for? I can't have spent more than six hou
rs with the guy since you got with him. Last night was first time he invited himself to hang out with us both. What did he want to know?"

    "He asked why you never came to the rallies with me. Why I wouldn't tell him where you worked when he asked. It fr
eaked me out actually. I think he's figuring out who you are."

    "Oh, right. How? We've been nothing but careful." She wondered if maybe Bren was making it up to try and convince her it was time to leave again.

    "I don't know. I swear if I were still
human I'd have a headache." She rubbed her temples. "Any news on the case?"

    "Not much. I don't think the police are going to find anything, the lab hasn't got a clue. Ken is the only one I'm worried about. I just got a call from him saying he's tracking a lead somewhere and that he's convinced he's got evidence that Werewolve
s
are real."

    "Oh, shit. What does he have?"

    "I don't know. He wouldn't say before he hung up but whatever it is I'm going to have to stop him."  Alex ripped her hair tie out and shook her hair out. "I've never had to really lie to him before. It suc
ks."

    "I told you not to get attached to him." Bren sipped her bottle of blood, looking smug.

    "I'm not in the mood for I told you so, Bren. I get it, it was a stupid crush, nothing more. I'll take care of it myself." She wasn't sure why exactly but
her feelings for Ken had always straddled a line between admiration and lust.  Never tipping one way or the other. Somewhere between Ethan showing up and the stress of this case she had apparently landed on admiration. All she could think about was makin
g
sure Ken didn't lose his job over the case. He was too smart to be chasing down mythical creatures, risking his credibility. Even if he was right about it all.

    "It would be so much easier if you would just come with me. If we leave now we can put all
this shit behind us," Brena pleaded. Alex snapped.

    "That's your answer to everything, isn't it? Running away?" Brena's eyes widened at her outburst. Alex didn't care if she had finally shocked her. "I'm done running. I'm going to figure out this case,
and I don't want to hear a word about leaving again." She turned on her heels and walked away. Brena didn't make a peep as she opened the apartment door and stormed out. Guilt warred with her anger as she sped off down the street like a mad woman. She ha
d
never truly defied Brena before. There was never really a need. Yes, she had disagreed with her before but open hostility toward her friend was unheard of. Tears leaked over her lashes as she drove home. Memories of the past flittered through her mind, o
f
being alone before Bren. She was seventeen when they met. The nuns had driven her from the orphanage at fifteen, unable to deny the truth of her nature any longer. Seemingly normal in every way but one, she drank human blood. Alex had jumped from home to
home, sleeping on friends couches, sometimes on the street. She was stalking a victim in San Francisco's China Town when she ran into Brena. Turns out they were after the same man. Bren had attacked Alex in a territorial dispute, when suddenly she stopped.
Something she saw in Alex made her pause long enough for her to get the upper hand, but once Bren had stopped fighting her Alex eased off. She still wasn't sure what made Bren stop attacking but ever since that day she had been Alex's closest friend. She
was the only person who didn't see Alex as a freak. Her sudden anger towards Bren was unnatural but warranted. She couldn't run anymore. Her conflictions sure, she drove home more determined than ever to solve the case and put Werewolves responsible to ju
s
tice.

  
Chapter Nine

     "The redhead?" Adam asked Ethan outside of Brena's apartment. Ethan watched as Alex sped away in her car before answering.

    "Yes. She's a person of interest, has lots of ties to the Other community, things of that nature.
I just want to make sure she isn't involved in the case. Bring in whoever you want, I don't care who, just make sure they stay on her from dusk till dawn." Ethan needed Brena out of his hair until this thing with Alex was resolved. Adam certainly wouldn'
t
figure out the truth behind his real motivations. It was true Brena had ties to most every group in the city, all over the U.S. really. She was smart, she protected her charge.

    "I'll have Dom on it," Adam said, flipping open his cell and rapidly text
ing his second in command. Ethan nodded his approval. "So, how was your first day?"

    "Uneventful. The lab has little on the crime scene, and their only theory is a special effects hack and a trained dog. It's the best theory we can twist to our purposes
, so I'll do my best to feed into it. Best to do the same from your end as well."

    "No problem. The police have nothing to go on either. I might have a problem with one or two of the guys, but nothing a little push won't fix. They're got good track rec
ords with case closings but not with cold cases. If we can patch this up quick it shouldn't be a problem."

    "Sounds good. I think we should start questioning the lone wolves in the city first, work our way around to the groups after." Ethan knew little
about the Were population in the city and would have liked to get Brena's help but he was the last person she would help with anything.

    "They'll be bailing the city like rats on a sinking ship, so I have to agree. I'll call Master Orleans, get a roste
r if possible," Adam said.

    "Why hasn't he sent his own men in on this? I meant to ask the King before I left but forgot."

    "I'm not sure. The Beta mentioned something about investigating in their own fashion, whatever that means." Adam glanced in hi
s rear view mirror and Ethan turned to see a red Mustang pull in behind them. Dom had arrived. Ethan waved an arm out the window and he waved back.

    "Good to go. You can drop me off at the condo. I've got some paperwork to type up."

    "Can do, Boss,"
Adam answered sarcastically.

    "Fuck off."

The next day Adam found himself confronted with a situation beyond his experience. Alex was holding one of her co-workers by the throat, strangling him against the cafeteria wall. The man's face was near purple
and Alex had her fangs posed at his jugular.

    "Alex!" He yelled, aghast. She dropped him immediately, snapping her head towards Ethan in shock. Her fangs were still descended but he decided to ignore them, despite the pounding of his pulse in his ears.
Memories of her tiny teeth at his own throat had his pants tightening. He dropped the floor beside the unconscious man. "What the hell were you doing?"

    "I...He was...," she stuttered, fuming in rage. Ethan checked the man's pulse. It was frantic but
strong, she hadn't taken any blood from him.

    "What did he do, Alex?" He switched tactics knowing Alex wouldn't attack a human unwarranted. Her face registered his compassion and she retracted her fangs. Confusion replaced her anger and he knew she was
wondering at his lack of reaction to her slip up. He looked away, tending to the man on the floor again.

    "He's been at me for weeks, almost a year really. Nit picking at my every move. When Ken left he asked me to watch out for everyone and to report
back to him about the case. Don was pissed, he was on me about it. Why didn't Ken choose him? Why was I so special?" Her face flushed with anger again. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my reaction in check, but it's been a long time coming." She pressed her fin
g
ers to her temple, messaging away the tension. "I'm too fucking stressed to deal with this."

    "Go back to your office. I'll take care of this," he said. She opened her mouth to argue but he stood up. "Go," he ordered, pushing her toward the door. She t
urned, reluctantly, and walked away. As soon as he heard the door to her office close he turned back to the man on the floor. It was as simple as breathing, slipping into his subconscious, rooting around for the cause of the man's anger. Jealousy, deeply
r
ooted psychosis, and gender bending issues were just the beginning of Don's problems. Ethan snorted but set to work erasing his memory of Alex's outburst. While he was there he cleared up his need to lash out at Alex as well. Once done he slapped the man,
none too gently in the face, waking him from his impromptu slumber.

    "What the hell?" He jolted awake. Ethan steadied him.

    "Easy there. You took a nasty fall. Your blood sugar must be low. Do you need anything? A Coke?" Ethan asked.

    "Blood sugar? No, I'm not Diabetic," Don answered confused. He looked around the cafeteria.

    "Are you sure? Well, I suggest seeing a doctor right away. By the looks of it you passed right out." He helped Don to his feet, setting him down in a chair
before he fell again.

    "I guess. My head feels funny but I don't remember anything. I don't even remember coming to work." He scratched at his balding head.
Whoops
, Ethan thought to himself,
erased a little too much
. No worries though. The pest got off
light. If he had his way Don would be a dried out husk at Alex's feet. "Is it all right if I take a few hours to go to the hospital? I've never passed out before, I really should get checked out."