Page 38 of Collar Me Crazy (Hollow Oak Mates #8)
SONYA
T he transition from the Void's realm back to physical reality felt like being born again—painful, disorienting, but ultimately necessary.
Sonya gasped as solid ground materialized beneath her feet, Ryker's massive wolf form solid and warm beside her as they crashed back into Hollow Oak's town square.
"You're real," she breathed, her hands finding his fur, needing the tactile confirmation that he'd actually followed her into that nightmare space. "You came for me."
His wolf nuzzled against her, silver fire still dancing along his coat as he began to shift back to human form. When the transformation completed, he was naked and magnificent, his green eyes blazing with power that made the air itself shimmer.
"Always," he said simply, pulling her against his chest. "I'll always come for you."
Around them, the other couples cheered their reunion, but the celebration was short-lived. Above the square, the tear in reality continued to widen, and through it, the Void's fury made the very air scream.
"You have delayed nothing," the entity's voice thundered across dimensions. "I will tear this realm apart piece by piece until nothing remains but hunger."
"Like hell you will," Callum snarled, his lion half-emerged and ready for battle.
"The ritual," she said, her voice carrying across the square. "We have to complete the claiming ritual now, here, in the middle of the battle."
"Are you insane?" Kieran demanded, his tiger instincts clearly rejecting the idea. "You can't concentrate on something that intimate while fighting for your lives."
"We can't wait for safety," Sonya replied, her visions showing her the rapidly narrowing window of possibility. "Every second we delay, the Void grows stronger. By the time we drive it back enough to perform the ritual safely, it'll be too powerful to banish."
"She's right," Freya said, her nature magic allowing her to sense the escalating damage to reality itself. "The tears are spreading faster than we can seal them. We need the eighth bond now."
Ryker's hands framed Sonya's face, his eyes searching hers. "Are you sure? Once we start the claiming, we'll be vulnerable. Completely focused on each other."
"That's why we need the others to protect us." She looked around at the seven couples, seeing determination replace fear in their expressions. "Circle formation, like we planned. But tighter, more concentrated."
"Can you handle the magical coordination while we're—" He gestured vaguely, heat rising in his cheeks despite the apocalyptic circumstances.
"I'll have to." Her own face flushed, but her voice remained steady. "The bond completion has to be perfectly timed with the energy release. When you mark me, when our connection blazes at full strength, I'll channel it through all seven existing bonds and use the combined power to seal the rifts."
"And if the timing's off?" Emmett asked grimly.
"Then it will break through completely." Sonya met each person's eyes, seeing her own fear reflected there. "But if we don't try, it breaks through anyway. This is our only shot."
Shadow creatures began pouring through the smaller tears around the square, drawn by the concentrated supernatural energy of eight potential mates in one location. The Void was done waiting, done playing with them.
"Defensive positions!" Callum roared, his lion authority cutting through the chaos. "Protect the center at all costs!"
The seven couples moved with practiced precision, forming a tight circle around Sonya and Ryker.
Silver fire blazed from Cora's hands while Callum's roar shattered advancing shadows.
Emmett and Katniss worked in perfect synchronization, his wolf strength guiding her enhanced reflexes.
Each couple contributed their unique abilities to a barrier of love and magic that held the darkness at bay.
But barely.
"We need to start now," Freya called, her green magic flickering under the assault. "I can't hold the nature barriers much longer!"
Ryker's hands were already on Sonya's clothes, his movements urgent but careful as he stripped away the barriers between them. She helped him, her fingers shaking with adrenaline and anticipation as she revealed skin that would soon bear his permanent mark.
"Trust me," she whispered as they sank to their knees in the midst of the protective circle.
"With everything," he replied, his lips finding hers in a kiss that tasted of love and desperation and the promise of forever.
Around them, the battle raged. Shadow creatures threw themselves against the barrier while the Void's presence pressed down like a physical weight. But in the center of the storm, Sonya and Ryker found the eye of calm they needed.