Page 31 of Collar Me Crazy (Hollow Oak Mates #8)

SONYA

T he afternoon air carried the scent of cinnamon and woodsmoke as Sonya worked alongside Freya, weaving protective herbs into the garlands that would decorate the Thanksgiving celebration.

To any casual observer, they were simply preparing for a festival.

In reality, they were fortifying the town's defenses with every carefully placed sprig of rowan and sage.

"Pass me the ironwort," Freya said, her hands glowing faintly green as she infused the decorations with protective magic. "We'll need extra shielding around the main gathering area."

Sonya handed over the requested herb, noting how the other women worked with similar purpose throughout the square.

Cora was enchanting the strings of lights to pulse with cleansing energy.

Katniss and Sera documented the placement of each magical element, creating a tactical map disguised as a social media post. Even Twyla was contributing, her fae heritage allowing her to weave illusions into the very air that would make the celebration appear perfectly normal to any unwanted observers.

"This feels different than our usual preparations," Moira said, approaching with an armload of blessed candles. "More like we're preparing for war."

"Because we are," Sonya replied, tying off another garland. "The decorations, the food, the celebration itself—it's all camouflage for what really happens."

"Are you nervous?" Freya asked, her green eyes serious. "About the claiming, I mean."

Sonya forced herself to answer honestly. "Terrified. Not of being with Ryker, but of getting the timing wrong. If we complete the bond too early or too late?—"

"You won't," Cora interrupted, joining their work circle. "I've watched you guide strategy, seen how precisely you coordinate magical energy. You'll know the exact moment."

"What if my visions are wrong? What if?—"

The question died as the world tilted sideways.

Vision. Not gentle this time, but brutal and immediate.

She stood in the ruins of Hollow Oak, but the destruction extended far beyond the mountain town.

Cracks in reality spread like spider webs across the landscape, each tear leaking shadow creatures into the human world.

Cities burned as the entities possessed millions of people, their collective despair feeding the Void until it grew large enough to swallow entire continents.

The magical barriers between realms didn't just fail—they shattered completely. Supernatural creatures fled their hidden sanctuaries only to find nowhere safe to run. Humans discovered magic existed in the worst possible way, as their world collapsed into chaos and fear.

And at the center of it all, the Void consumed everything. Not just magical energy now, but hope itself. Love. Joy. Every positive emotion that made life worth living, devoured by an entity that grew larger with each life it touched.

The vision shifted, showing her the source of the catastrophe. A claiming ritual performed in haste and fear, the eighth bond completed wrong. Chaotic energy erupting outward instead of harmonizing inward, creating exactly the kind of magical chaos the Void needed to break free completely.

She saw herself and Ryker at the center of the destruction, their incomplete trust dooming not just Hollow Oak but both realms.

"Sonya!" Freya's voice dragged her back to the present.

She gasped, finding herself on her knees in the square with concerned faces surrounding her. The garland she'd been weaving lay scattered across the cobblestones, herbs spilling everywhere.

"What did you see?" Moira asked urgently.

"Failure," Sonya whispered, her throat raw. "What happens if we get this wrong."

"And?" Cora prompted gently.

Sonya closed her eyes, reaching for the other thread of the vision. The one that showed success.

There, the same gathering, the same moment, but different.

Perfect synchronization between all eight couples, their bonds pulsing in harmony like a heartbeat.

The claiming completed at the exact instant when community gratitude peaked, positive energy flowing through their connection instead of chaotic fear.

The Void, sensing the trap too late, caught in a web of love so strong it couldn't break free. Banished to the emptiness between worlds, locked away by barriers that would hold for centuries.

Hollow Oak safe. Both realms protected. The supernatural world hidden but secure, the human world never knowing how close it had come to destruction.

"I saw victory too," she said, opening her eyes. "But the margin for error is so small. One moment of doubt, one second of imperfect timing, and everything falls apart."

"Then we don't doubt," Sera said firmly. "And we trust you to get the timing right."

"What if the pressure of saving both realms makes me freeze up?" Fear was starting to take over.

"You won't," a familiar voice said from behind her. Ryker approached with Emmett and Callum, his expression calm despite the worry in his green eyes. "Because you've never frozen under pressure before."

"This is different. This is?—"

"This is exactly what you've been preparing for your entire life," he said, kneeling beside her on the cobblestones. "Every vision, every choice that led you to Hollow Oak, to me—it's all been building to this."

His hand found hers, warm and steady. "Besides, you won't be doing it alone. We're partners, remember?"

"Partners," she repeated, feeling some of her terror ease.

"What do you need from us?" Emmett asked, his practical nature cutting through the emotional moment.

"Complete trust. When I say it's time, when I give the signal, everyone has to act without hesitation." Sonya looked around at the gathered couples. "No second-guessing, no fear, no holding back. Everything depends on perfect coordination."

"You'll have it," Callum promised. "We've all been through our own claiming rituals. We understand what's at stake."

"And if something goes wrong during the ceremony itself?" Katniss asked, ever the strategist.

"Then we adapt," Ryker said. "But Sonya's visions haven't been wrong yet. I trust her completely."

The simple statement hit her harder than any declaration of love could have. Trust. That's what the vision had shown her—not just romantic connection, but absolute faith in each other's judgment and abilities.

"So, tonight/ What do we need to do?" Freya asked.

"Tonight we finish the preparations. And I spend some time figuring out exactly how to recognize the perfect moment." Sonya squeezed Ryker's hand. "Because both realms are counting on us getting this right."

"No pressure," Sera said with dark humor.

"Actually, that's exactly what it is," Sonya replied. "The pressure of saving everyone we care about. But you know what? I can't think of a better motivation."

Around them, the town continued its dual preparations—festival decorations that doubled as magical defenses, cooking that incorporated protective spells, music practice that would help synchronize community energy.

Soon, they would either celebrate Thanksgiving as the holiday that saved both worlds, or as the last normal day before everything changed forever.

But today, surrounded by people who trusted her completely, Sonya felt ready to bear that responsibility.

Almost.