Free Bloody Freak (A Bloody Series Book #1) by Emily Barker

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,