Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Here is the next chapter for you! I hope you enjoy! :) Thank you!!

Things Best Known—Chapter Twelve

It started out as a low rumble, rippling from her chest and bursting from her throat in a harsh gurgle. Her fingers thrummed in excitement against the glass clenched in her hand. Champagne splashed over the edge and ran down her fingers.

At her brittle chortle, Brennan's eyebrows winged upward. He set his half empty glass down and pulled the glass from Allie's shaking fingers as well.

"Allie?" He waited for her to explain.

She shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes, still snickering. "I am sorry, Brennan, I really am. But there is a time for everything."

He watched her, not following her babbling.

"Time was I thought I loved you." She frowned, chewing on her lip. "I loved your power. We made a great team, didn't we, Brennan."

He nodded silently, eyes narrowing.

She cackled, hands rubbing together. "Your time is past now, Brennan." She reached for her glass, saluting the air. "For you, Steven." She took a deep drink.

Brennan suddenly had a hard time swallowing, throat tight with fear. Her words ran over and over through his mind, seemingly frozen as his heart slammed in his chest.

"You can die now, Brennan." She calmly advised him. "It does you no good to resist. Poison is coursing through your body right now, racing to your heart. You can't fight it, darling."

He gave her a horrified look, shocked from his stupor when through the loud roar in his ears, a tiny splintering crash filtered through his mind. He sluggishly turned his gaze in time to see that Allie had stood to her feet.

Her face was ghastly pale, and she was staring straight ahead, as though astounded by what she saw in her mind's eye. Her flute glass had slipped from her hand to shatter on the floor. She gasped, reaching for her throat. "He knows." She collapsed to the ground in a shuddering heap.

It had been an old game. Brennan groaned, face falling into his hands. He had switched the glasses. He had suspected, but not seriously. Not this, not from her. His heart lurched painfully, reminding him he was still alive. He raked his hands through his hair, glancing back up at her still figure. She must have been so sure she had the right glass. He pressed his lips together. Either that or sure that somehow Steven would be able to protect her. She had always been drawn to power; he knew that, it had stoked his ego when he was young. He had taken great delight in showing off with flashy displays of electricity. But outright betrayal, he had not seriously believed it of her.

He crawled over to her, reaching for her and turning her over. "Why Allie?" His anguished whisper slipped out without his realization. He smoothed back her hair, remembering the girl he once loved.

"Oooh."

The slight moan startled him, and he jumped back slightly, shocked as her eyes fluttered open.

"Allie?" He cautiously bent over her.

"Brennan—" The word was painfully forced from her throat in a raspy gasp. Her hand suddenly shot out, grasping his shirt. He stared at her as her lips twisted grotesquely. "You're—too—late." Her hand dropped.

He scrambled backwards from her searing touch, shuddering as she gave a final rattling sound and died. He didn't know how long he sat there. It may have been only a few moments, or it may have been hours, but suddenly her words registered. Too late.

"Shalimar!" He yelled her name as he ran back to the car, fingers trembling as he fumbled for his keys. They dropped to the ground. "Damn it!" He swiped them off the ground and shoved them into the ignition, tires squealing in sharp protest as he raced away.

He barely put the car into park before he leapt out, charging up the hotel steps, and startling the desk clerk awake from his afternoon snooze.

"Huh, what?" The clerk looked around in sleepy confusion.

"Shalimar," Brennan bodily yanked him out of his chair, "Have you seen Shalimar?"

"Wh-Who?" The clerk's eyes widened in fear.

"Shalimar Fox," Brennan gritted out impatiently, "Beautiful blonde girl."

"Ah, yes sir," The man's finger rose to shakily point to the dining room. "In there, sir."

Brennan grunted, dropping the man to the floor as he turned around and bolted the few steps across the lobby to the dining room. He staggered to a stop in the doorway.

"Shalimar?"

She sat in a wooden chair, back to the door, staring out the window.

"Shalimar?" He took a deep, gasping breath as he approached her. She didn't move at his call. He carefully knelt beside her, hand grasping the back of her chair, peering up into her face. "Shal?"

Her eyes were open, staring blindly through the window at the dusty parking lot. Her face was white, her posture impossibly rigid as she sat straight in the chair. He lifted a trembling hand and placed it on her knee, relieved beyond measure to find warmth pulsating through her jeans.

"Shal?" He tried again, "You ok?"

She didn't answer for the longest time, but then finally, she slowly blinked, looking at him in confusion.

"Brennan?" Her voice was small.

"Yeah, baby," His hands shook as they cupped her pale cheeks, "I'm right here."

"He smelled like you." She stared at him in wonderment.

His eyes darkened in fear. "Who?"

"Steven," She blinked again. "I met him."

"What?" His gaze quickly searched the room, shoulders slumping when finding it empty. "What happened?"

Her eyes rolled up as she searched her mind. He felt her body shiver. "I don't know," she finally answered. "I was upstairs, and now I'm here."

He groaned, pulling her close, wrapping his arms around her.

"I thought he was you." Her voice rumbled against his chest. "But then I realized it had to be him."

"Did he hurt you?" The words were enunciated slowly, fearfully.

"No."

His eyes dropped shut at her firm answer, face dropping to bury in her shoulder as he released a shuddering moan. "Oh God, Shal, I was so scared."

Her hands idly rubbed his back. "I'm ok, Brennan. I don't understand it, but I'm ok."

He sniffed, pulling back after a long moment, desperately running his fingers over her face, memorizing her. "I love you so much."

She smiled for the first time. "I know, I heard you before."

He chuckled in disbelief, shaking his head. "Ferals." He trailed the back of his knuckles down her cheek. "Well, it's true, and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

She reached up and stilled his hand, pulling it to her mouth and placing a gentle kiss on it. "I knew, Brennan. I knew." Her eyes crinkled tenderly. "I've loved you too, for so long."

He leaned up, seeking her lips, urgently needing to connect with her. She kept the kiss slow, passionate, soothing him with her touch. Finally he pulled away with a sigh, resting his forehead against hers.

"Where's Allie?" She thought to ask, remembering the danger of their situation.

He sighed quietly. "Dead."

"What?" She pulled back with a gasp, searching his face.

"She tried to poison me," He gestured in the air. "A few drops of cyanide in my glass."

Shalimar's eyes flashed golden, growling low in the back of her throat.

Brennan again cupped her cheek. "I switched the glasses." He dropped his eyes. "It was just an old game we used to play, I half suspected, but not really."

"We came so close," Her own fingers reached to stroke his chest, pressing against his heartbeat.

"What about Steven?" He again glanced around the room. "What are you doing back here?"

"I had to come back, Brennan." She fingered his shirt thoughtfully. "Everything in me called me back here. And when I got here, I could smell you, but I couldn't feel you." She grimaced. "It scared the hell out of me."

"He found you?" Brennan carefully watched her face.

"Yeah," She nodded with raised brows, "It was him. It took me a moment to realize it actually wasn't you."

"I'm sorry, Shal." He grasped her hand in both of his.

"But suddenly I was down here," She shook her head. "I don't know what happened, Brennan. I think it might be part of his sick fantasy. He wants me to be afraid of him, to fear what will happen next. It—it excites him."

"The anticipation of the hunt," His eyes narrowed dangerously. "He will not get near you again."

"No, Brennan," Shalimar squeezed his hand, drawing his attention. "We have to let him find me again." She pressed a finger against his lips, stilling his automatic protest. "I refuse to be the prey in this thing, Brennan." Her eyes glinted. "But he doesn't have to know that."

"You want to hunt him?" He shook his head adamantly. "No, Shal, absolutely not. He's too strong." He grasped her upper arms, leaning closer to her. "You have to leave, for good this time."

"No," She yanked herself out of his grasp. "I am not running, and you have no right to ask me to." She crossed her arms, eyes sparking.

He knew that look and swore under his breath. "Stop being so stubborn, Shal. It's not up to you this time, you don't understand."

"Obviously." She stood to her feet. "And obviously, you have not told me everything, or you wouldn't be reeking of fear right now."

He didn't use his height very often, but he did now, rising to his feet and purposely standing over her. "You're going home."

She clenched her teeth in frustration, taking a few steps backward. "Over my dead body." She turned on her heel and disappeared out the door.

His face blanched at her words, and he sank bonelessly into her vacated chair. She had no idea how close those words actually were to the truth.