"Is that what you want? Your greatest desire?"
She nodded.
"Above Ethan, even? Your own mate?"
"He may be my mate…" Her hands trailed down Cassius's chest. "…but we both know I have a wide range of tastes."
"If you don't truly love him, the change will kill you." Cassius pushed her hand away. "You know this."
"I do love him!" She twirled around. "I love everything about this life. Is it so wrong to want more?"
"Sometimes…" Cassius's face fell. "…it really is."
The scene changed.
Cassius was walking with Ethan. "She's going mad."
"I know."
"It's the power — your power's drugging her, Ethan. You must let her go."
"No!" Ethan roared, pushing at Cassius. "I could no more cut out my own heart, you know that!"
"It's you or her," Cassius said.
"She's pregnant."
Cassius cursed and looked away. "Is it yours?"
"How dare you!" Ethan roared. "Of course it is!"
"And you know this for a fact? Because your mate is true?"
"I'd know if she weren't. I'd taste it in her blood."
"Unless you were too blinded by your own feelings… friend." Cassius shook his head again. "If the madness overtakes her, if you're wrong, you'll have to kill her yourself."
"I'm not wrong."
"So arrogant."
"Are we done here?"
I blinked away the tears. How could Cassius ask that of Ethan? I felt the love he had for her; it was powerful, like a star exploding in the sky.
"A daughter!" Ethan laughed and held up his daughter. "Ara! You've given me a daughter!"
She nodded.
The scene from the dream replayed, only slightly different than what I'd watched before.
Cassius entered the room.
Ara, Ethan's mate, looked away from both of them.
"I told you what would happen," Cassius said. "I warned you." He reached for the child.
"No!" Ethan screamed. "Don't. Cassius if you do this—"