Page 27 of Collar Me Crazy (Hollow Oak Mates #8)

SONYA

R yker's howl reverberated through the square, a sound of pure territorial fury that made every shadow creature pause.

Sonya opened her eyes to see his massive wolf form tearing through the entities threatening her, auburn fur rippling with each powerful movement.

Seven feet of supernatural predator defending what was his.

But the Void's creatures were adapting, learning from each attack.

She jumped out of the truck. "Callum, three more breaches opening behind the bank!" she called, her seer abilities tracking the dimensional tears as they spread. "Emmett, there's a cluster forming near the fountain—they're trying to establish a permanent anchor point!"

Vision flashes hit her in rapid succession. The Void's strategy unfolding like a chess game played across dimensions. It wasn't trying to win this battle, it was testing their defenses, learning how the mated pairs fought together.

"Cora, your left!" Sonya shouted as shadow creatures flanked the fae woman. Silver fire erupted in response, but more entities poured through the cracks faster than they could be destroyed.

A massive shadow form rose from the fountain's base, its presence making the air itself recoil. Through her visions, Sonya could see its purpose—not to fight, but to observe. To catalog the magical signatures of each couple, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

"It's studying us," she called to anyone who could hear. "This isn't a real attack, it's reconnaissance!"

Ryker's wolf head swung toward her, green eyes blazing with intelligence even in his shifted form. He understood. They all needed to understand.

"Lucien, the big one by the fountain!" she directed. "Don't let it finish whatever it's doing!"

The panther shifter was already moving, his liquid grace carrying him across the cobblestones in bounds that defied physics. But the shadow entity simply dissolved before he could reach it, its reconnaissance complete.

Another vision slammed into Sonya. The Void's attention turning toward her specifically, recognizing her as the seer who'd invaded its realm. She could feel its hunger, its desperate need for the power that she and Ryker represented together.

"Freya, ward the apothecary now!" Sonya yelled as shadow creatures began converging on the shop. "They're targeting the places we've been most connected!"

The nature witch's hands glowed green as protective barriers sprang up around her building. But the creatures weren't attacking it, they were circling, waiting.

Vision flash. The Void had mapped every location where she and Ryker had shared meaningful moments. The lake where they'd first kissed. The cabin where they'd made love. The sanctuary where he'd opened his heart to her. Each place was a potential anchor point for the entity's influence.

"Ryker!" Her voice cut through the chaos. "It’s targeting places specific to us!"

His massive head turned toward her, and she saw understanding dawn in his wolf eyes. The shadow creatures weren't randomly attacking—they were specifically targeting the energy signature of their incomplete mating.

A new crack tore open directly above them, larger than the others. Through it, something vast and hungry pressed against the barriers between worlds. Not fully manifesting, but close enough that the temperature dropped in seconds.

"Everyone together!" Callum's voice carried authority even in his human form. "Circle formation, protect the center!"

The mated couples instinctively moved into defensive positions, their bonds creating visible threads of light between them. Sonya could see the magical network they formed, seven bright connections pulsing with shared power.

But there was a gap. An eighth position waiting to be filled.

"Sonya, get behind us!" Katniss called, her human reflexes enhanced by her bond with Emmett.

"No." Sonya stepped forward instead, directly into the center of the circle. "We need the eighth connection to complete the network."

Ryker's wolf form prowled closer, understanding what she was asking. Complete their bond here, now, in the middle of battle. Let their connection fill the gap in the magical pattern.

Another vision hit. The Void's reaction to their potential joining—hunger so intense it made her stagger. The entity wanted their power, but it also feared what they could become together.

"It's afraid," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "The Void is afraid of what happens if we complete the eighth bond."

"Then why are we standing here talking about it?" Kieran called, his tiger instincts clearly on high alert. "Let's give it something to really fear."

Another vision hit her hard—the Void's desperation spiking as it realized what the couples were planning. If they attempted to complete the bond here and now, without the proper ritual, without perfect timing, the raw energy could be exactly what the entity needed to break through completely.

"No!" she called out. "Not here, not like this. It wants us to rush, to complete the bond in chaos and fear."

Ryker's wolf form began to shift once again to human form, understanding her warning. He stood before her, using his discarded shirt to cover himself, his green eyes fierce with protective instinct.

"She's right," he said, his voice carrying across the square. "The bond has to be completed properly, or we'll feed the Void exactly what it needs."

The massive presence above them grew stronger, pressing harder against the dimensional barriers. Reality bent and warped under its influence, but it wasn't breaking through, it was waiting. Watching to see what they would choose.

"Everyone hold positions," Callum ordered. "Don't give it an opening."

"Freya, can you reinforce the barriers around the meaningful locations?" Sonya called, her visions showing her the Void's true strategy. "It's planning to corrupt our connection points, turn them into anchor points for a larger assault."

The nature witch nodded, her hands already glowing with protective magic. Green light spread from her position, creating shields around the apothecary, extending toward the lake, the inn, everywhere that mattered to the couples.

But the Void wasn't trying to break through those barriers. It was cataloging them, learning exactly where to strike when the real attack came.

"It's mapping us," Sonya said, another vision flashing through her mind. "Every location that holds emotional significance for each couple. When it makes its real move, it'll target those places specifically."

Shadow creatures began circling their defensive formation, not attacking but observing. Counting their numbers. Testing their response times. Learning how they coordinated their abilities.

"It's preparing for war," Emmett said grimly.

The massive crack above them began to close, the Void's presence withdrawing as gradually as it had arrived. The shadow creatures dissolved one by one, their mission complete.

"Why is it leaving?" Katniss asked, her grip tight on the silver blade she'd drawn.

Sonya closed her eyes, letting her seer abilities stretch toward the retreating entity. What she found made her blood run cold.

"Because it has everything it needs," she said quietly. "It knows our strengths, our weaknesses, our most vulnerable points. And it knows exactly when we'll be most distracted."

"When?" Ryker demanded.

Another vision flashed—Thanksgiving morning, the entire town gathered in celebration, their magical defenses focused on joy and community rather than protection. The perfect moment for a coordinated assault on every meaningful location simultaneously.

"Thanksgiving," she said, meeting Ryker's eyes. "While we're celebrating, while our guard is down, it's going to hit us everywhere at once."

The last of the shadow creatures faded away, leaving the square eerily quiet. But the silence felt ominous rather than peaceful, like the calm before a devastating storm.

“We need to find out how to complete our bond properly, coordinate all eight couples, and prepare for the fight of our lives."

Around them, the other couples began to disperse, each returning to their homes and businesses to begin whatever preparations they could. But Sonya and Ryker remained in the middle of the square, surrounded by the lingering energy of the battle.

The Void had withdrawn, but its message was clear. It would return. And when it did, everything they'd built in Hollow Oak would hang in the balance.