Chapter 1
The room was intimately lit. Alana Bloom was sitting opposite from Will Graham, a mixture of annoyance and pleasure coursing through her. Pleasure to see him again after weeks of them shutting each other out, because she had missed her friend, and annoyance at doing so in a controlled environment. How could she grill him about everything when their interaction was observed?
So she remained quiet, politely sipping her wine wishing it was beer and observing Will underneath her lashes.
Will was doing the same. An invitation to dinner with Hannibal and Alana was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he hadn't realized how deeply his own feelings for the brunette ran, truly it was more of an annoyance ever since she bluntly told him he was losing touch with reality six months ago, not until he found himself fantasizing about her during intercourse with Margot the previous night, and a curse for the exact same reason.
She was with someone else.
The cannibalistic serial killer he needed to catch, for Hannibal had messed up his life, no matter how deeply undercover he went. It didn't help that Will's own actions pushed her to Hannibal's bed nor that Hannibal knew about Will's feelings towards Alana. All because Will was upset and punished her shifting trust and love by shutting her out.
At least he was making her equally uncomfortable if the pursing of her lips and the frequent sips of her wine were any indication. Nimble fingers were playing with her starfish pendant, threatening to choke the little silver. Will snorted under his breath. If only the poor thing could talk...
Alana looked up sharply at the snort. Blue eyes met bluer ones and the annoyance inside her won. Pulling her hand away from her pendant she pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear and sat straighter hearing the squeak of wheels as Hannibal approached the dining room. If nothing else, at least this evening would be a chance to see how the two men interacted.
"How are you?"
Will asked seeing her look at him. Alana's wine glass was halfway to her mouth and she took a sip to cover her search for an answer that would be both polite and true.
"Lie"
A female, childish voice commanded her and she froze. The wine crawled back up her throat and she began wheezing and coughing violently. Eyes wide, she was looking everywhere for the owner of the voice, knowing fully well she was the only woman in the house.
"Lie"
it said again and this time Alana frightfully looked down. The tiny eyes etched on her pendant were looking at her, incredibly alive and the tiny mouth moved again commanding her
"Lie"
Gasping for breath Alana looked at will who was looking at her alarmed. She was whiter than a sheet and looked downright scared
"Alana, are you okay?"
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. The contact brought Alana out of her focus on the talking pendant and she managed to swallow.
"I'm fine"
She said between cough
"Went down the wrong pipe"
She excused pointing to her throat and licked her lips trying to clear her head and sort the thoughts running crazy in her head. Feeling Hannibal's presence behind her she pulled her hand from will's grasp uncomfortable with it and pushed her hair back with both hands.
"Brined and roasted whole suckling pig"
Hannibal announced, his voice and soothing presence caused her to relax even at the sight of the roasted whole pig, sausages, god knows what else and grapes. Her appetite was slowly disappearing. Feeling Will's eyes scrutizing her Alana spared him a look with a mixture of camaderie and reproach.
"A gift from a friend"
Hannibal went on serving her a small bite of meat and mixed rice
"A friend of yours, not a friend of the pig"
Will's cold tone killed the smile Alana had just shared with Hannibal.
"There are those who raise livestock and have genuine affection for them. The farmer who hand rears lambs loves them and sends them to slaughter"
Hannibal responded to Will as he served his other guest.
"They love and kill what they love"
Alana remarked, her earlier thoughts about Will and conversation with Freddie returning to her mind, chasing the worry about her talking pendant away. She'd deal with her 'sode later, maybe never.
"And eat what the love. It's a paradox"
Will felt read to puke. Not because of the food, for he knew it was pig this time but for the conversation. Hannibal had practically told him he had no problem killing and eating who he loves and Alana was sitting across from him, agreeing with their host having no idea what she was talking about. Hopefully.
"Freddie Lounds thinks the two of you are a paradox. She sees something no one else sees"
She said her eyes looking at Hannibal but being intrigued by will's barely visible flinch that he covered by asking
"What's that?"
"That neither of you is the killer she's writing about, but together, you might be"
She explained unconsciously avoiding her food
"Freddie Lounds must consider you a bland interview subject if she's already resorted to fiction"
Hannibal joked gently touching her knee with his and allowing the contact to sooth the day away. Alana noticed that even though his body was touching hers, his eyes were to Will and the men were locked in a look that excluded her.
"She won't be fenced in by something as malleable as the truth. Freddie has no boundaries"
She pushed. Before taking a bite of her food. Felt Will's eyes on her, she looked at him, Hannibal and his eerie calm in the corner of her eye, but didn't hear what he said. Her attention was stolen by the pig laying on the serving tray next to Will that chose that minute to open its blasted mouth
"Run or become me"
Almost on reflex her bite was spat on her napkin and she pushed her chair back coughing harder than before.
"Run or become me"
The pig insisted and Alana felt tears clouding her vision. She was dimly aware of Hannibal jumping out of his chair to touch her
"What did you say?"
She almost shouted
"Run or become me"
The pig spoke louder and covered Will's reply
"Someone without boundaries is a psychopath"
This time Alana jumped to her feet and swayed remaining upright only by Hannibal's arm around her waist pulling her onto his solid frame.
"Alana, are you alright?"
Hannibal was worried. Taking subtly her pulse he felt it racing too fast and she was paler than the dead, her eyes wild and her breath fast.
"I don't feel so good. I think I should be getting home. Sorry to ruin our meal"
running a hand over her face and finding her feverish Hannibal brushed away her apologies and spoke softly in her ear paying no attention to will sitting in his chair taking the two of them in, observing the couple.
"Nonsense. Why don't you head upstairs and in bed? I'll join you shortly"
Almost paying no attention to what he said Alana nodded and bid Will goodbye absentminded. Borrowing strength from Hannibal she walked out of the room and waited till she was out of sight before holding onto walls on her way to the bedroom.
In the dining room Hannibal turned to Will and regarded the younger man his tone a careful mix of accusation and wonder
"What did you say to her?"
Will shrugged a response but was equally curious about her. Hannibal sat back down and the two continued their dinner, their conversation about Freddie and what would have to be done with her but will could see that Alana's abrupt departure was higher in the internal list of Hannibal's focus than Freddie or himself.
He tried not to admit to himself how upset he was that Alana was spending the night.
Hannibal dimly remembered guiding Will to decide that Freddie had to be eliminative although if his attention wasn't mostly on Alana, he would have realized that it was imperative that Freddie remained alive. If she died now it would be obvious that it was her current story would point to her killer even to someone with jack's limited brain capacity
It was pointless since he was not gifted with the ability of sight through ceilings, floors and walls but he found his eyes traveling to the ceiling hoping to see Alana and make sure she was alright.
She hadn't even tried his mixed pig and human meat sausages.