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Richard sighed. "Because I heard her say she had the bait she needed to get her favorite pet back. She also said something about the emperor, though that part I didn't quite understand. It was pretty clear she was talking about Sadavir, though. She went into… details about what she would do once she got him back." I felt his theatrical shudder at my side.

"But what would she be doing out there in the woods for so long?" Martina asked. "Acacia hates nature. She hates being away from her nest of servants and sycophants. Why would she take—"

I didn't hear the rest of what Martina was saying. It was drown out by pain.

I pressed a hand to my solar plexus to try to contain the pressure. A high-pitched, keening wail rose from my lungs, passing through me without my permission, tearing from my throat as I was flooded by images and sensations. A life flashing before my metaphysical eyes.

I understood my banshee powers better now. Could control them to some extent. But I didn't try to shut down this bust of emotion and premonition. Blood. So much blood. Pain. Love. A life of service and devotion. Of caring and supporting. Fear. So much fear.

"Josh!" I screamed, falling to my knees on the floor, pressing my hands to my temples, even as I refused to stop the flow of power. "Josh." Josh was dying, and I didn't dare miss a thing. Anything that could help. That could stop this. Any hint of how long we had. Any hint that we might be able to save him.

But I knew even then, as I curled into a ball, encircled by a strong embrace, surrounded by power. Practicing with the visions when planning the emperor's demise had left me with an ability to sense time and distance. And this death… this death felt close. It was clear, immediate, and inescapable. It wasn't coming in weeks or days. It was happening right now.

Tears flowed unchecked down my cheeks as the vision passed, leaving me trembling and sobbing, compulsively singing his name. Josh. Josh. Josh.

I slowly came back to reality to find myself on the floor, cradled in Sadavir's arms and surrounded by the others. "What the fuck was that?" Richard asked into the charged silence.

"Josh," I whispered, tears flowing unchecked down my cheeks.

Sadavir squeezed me tighter, and I realized that a heavy serpentine tail was curled around my legs and torso. Oh, goddess, Sadavir. He knew what this meant. He had heard my banshee cries for his beta—for his best friend and lover. His anchor. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and squeezed harder, making it hard to get a full breath. We were leaning against the couch, I thought. The others were close, but Robin's aura was further away, smoke filling the air as she gave us space.

As she did the impossible and allowed Sadavir to cling to the omega in the room to keep himself sane through his grief, even if it killed her to do so. I held out a hand in her direction. "Please."

Smooth, warm fingers wrapped around my own, and she sank down beside us. "How?" she asked softly, her voice a low growl. "When? If we go now—" there was determination in her voice. A flat, cold note that told me she was ready to kill.

"Too late," I said, my voice cracking, swallowing back another wail that had nothing to do with my banshee side. "We're too late. He's… it's… oh, Josh." And then I couldn't speak through my sobs, through the echoes of a stolen life that still swirled inside my head.

Sadavir continued to grip me with arms and tail, wrapping me up tight as if he'd never let me out of his grasp. Cicely stroked my hair, and Sanka gripped my ankle. Martina patted my thigh. Yukio fled, muttering something about tea and sedatives—his own way of showing support.

I expected Robin to struggle with her alpha side, but she didn't show it. She sank down beside us, carefully wrapping an arm around my waist. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Truly."

And I knew she wasn't just talking to me.

Sadavir hissed, but she didn't back off. I felt her move and then she spoke again, and her power flared, hot and demanding. "Stop it, snake. I know you're an alpha. I know you're not mine to order about. But for the moment, desist. Lean on me, damn it." It was only then that I realized she was touching Sadavir, her arm brushing past my head. I freed an arm and reached out to find Robin gripping the back of Sadavir's neck. "Yield," she demanded in a steely voice laced with power.

I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't dare speak up. This was some kind of alpha nonsense that I didn't understand, and I was bound to only make it worse. Sadavir tensed, squeezed me even tighter, and I felt a flare of his power fighting Robin's rising magic. But then, he relaxed. It was as if someone had cut his cords, leaving behind only Robin's fiery aura and my gasping breaths as my ribs were finally able to fully expand.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, worried at how limp the arms around me had suddenly become.

"Shh," Robin murmured, and I belatedly realized she was concentrating, doing something with her magic. Something that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. "He's fine. Sanka."

"Right. On it," Sanka said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head then retreating. "I'll bring blankets and pillows and stuff, and get Yukio to bring up some food."

I shook my head, feeling drained from the vision, and by the grief that was still threatening to suffocate me. "What's going on? I don't understand."

Martina scooped me out of Sadavir's arms and set me on my feet in a smooth show of shifter strength. Her nimble hands ran over my body. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "Of course not."

"Good," she bit out. "He had quite a hold on you. We were afraid he was breaking ribs."

I shrugged. "He wouldn't ever hurt me."

But Martina just huffed. "You never know. Despite our best intentions, Alphas are ruled by emotions. And the naga just had his whole world turned upside down." She patted my shoulder. "Robin's giving him sanctuary. It's… an alpha thing. They can explain later if they want. It's kind of personal, so we usually don't let others know we can do it. But when he wakes up, he's going to need his ma—uh, omega to keep him calm. And he'll probably be a danger to anyone else who comes near."

"Oh," I said numbly.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ru, but you need to pull it together. If you want to keep the snake, prevent us from having to put him down, you're going to have to use your omega mojo to keep him calm."

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