Page 42 of Furever Bound (Hollow Oak Mates #7)
MADDOX
T he transformation of Hollow Oak from peaceful mountain town to supernatural fortress happened with efficiency that proved their community had been preparing for federal confrontation far longer than Elena realized.
Within hours of the agents' retreat, protective barriers that had been carefully concealed became visible manifestations of power that made the town impossible to locate for anyone who approached with hostile intentions.
"Concealment fae magic, hedge witch protection spells, and shifter territorial marking," Maddox catalogued as he walked the perimeter with Sera, noting how individual abilities had combined into collective defense that transcended the sum of its parts.
"Elena's federal colleagues are going to have significant difficulty finding us again. "
"Finding us to do what?" Sera asked, her enhanced psychic awareness picking up resonances from the protective barriers that felt like being embraced by the town itself.
"To justify the federal resources they've already committed to supernatural community oversight," he replied grimly, his academic mind working through political implications that extended far beyond their individual situation.
"Elena's failure here will require explanation to federal authorities who don't accept defeat easily. "
He felt Sera's growing understanding that their victory over federal acquisition had created larger political problems that could affect supernatural communities throughout the country.
"So they'll find other targets," she realized with horror at the thought of Elena's federal pressure being redirected toward communities that lacked Hollow Oak's unified defensive capabilities.
"Unless we provide them with reasons to abandon supernatural oversight entirely," he said, the solution crystallizing as he processed their tactical advantages. "Evidence that supernatural communities serve national interests rather than threatening them."
"Evidence like successful cooperation between federal authorities and supernatural entities?" Sera asked with sharp intelligence that immediately grasped the political possibilities.
"Evidence like a supernatural community that chooses to share beneficial abilities rather than hiding from government attention," he confirmed, though the plan he was developing involved risks that made his protective instincts rage against exposure.
They paused at the town square where Grimjaw maintained protective vigil, the guardian's massive presence serving as both symbol of their defensive capabilities and reminder of what supernatural cooperation could achieve when approached with respect rather than coercion.
"Grimjaw," Sera called, her psychic connection allowing direct communication with the transformed manifestation. "Would you be willing to work with federal authorities if they approached with cooperation rather than control?"
"Cooperation serves protection," the guardian replied with ancient wisdom that proved its intelligence extended beyond individual community defense. "But federal watchers seek control, not partnership. Their purpose is domination, not service."
"What if we could change their purpose?" she asked, her developing abilities apparently revealing possibilities that his academic training hadn't considered.
"Purpose changes through choice, not force," Grimjaw observed with philosophical depth that challenged Elena's assumptions about supernatural entity consciousness. "Federal watchers would need to choose cooperation over control, partnership over domination."
"Which requires demonstrating that supernatural abilities benefit them more than threatening them," Maddox said, understanding flowing through his scholarly mind as he recognized the elegant solution to their political crisis.
"A supernatural community that provides federal assistance voluntarily establishes precedent for cooperation rather than oversight," Sera added with growing excitement at possibilities that could protect other communities from Elena's interference.
"But cooperation requires trust that federal authorities haven't earned," he pointed out with protective concern for exposing their sanctuary to continued government attention.
"Trust that starts with small demonstrations and builds toward larger partnerships," she replied.
"Such as?"
"Such as Grimjaw assisting with federal investigations that actually involve genuine supernatural threats," she said, her psychic connection to the guardian revealing its willingness to protect beyond their immediate community.
"Hostile entities that endanger civilian populations, manifestations that lack conscious choice about their behavioral patterns. "
The revolutionary concept of supernatural law enforcement partnership represented possibilities that could reshape federal policy while providing their community with protective legal status rather than target designation.
"You're proposing that we become federal contractors rather than federal targets," he realized with academic appreciation for elegant solution that turned their greatest weakness into strategic advantage.
"I'm proposing that we become partners who provide valuable services in exchange for autonomous sanctuary," she corrected with diplomatic precision that proved her communications background had prepared her for exactly this kind of negotiation.
Through the town square, they could see other residents working to strengthen defenses while children played in the November snow, their laughter mixing with serious adult conversations about protection and political strategy.
"The community would have to agree," he said, noting how their unified response to federal pressure had created decision-making dynamics that prioritized collective welfare over individual preferences.
"The community would have to understand that hiding forever isn't sustainable when federal authorities possess resources and patience that supernatural concealment can't match indefinitely," she replied with pragmatic honesty that forced acknowledgment of long-term vulnerabilities.
"And Elena?"
"Elena gets what she wanted from the beginning," Sera said with satisfaction that proved she understood federal motivations better than bureaucratic language had suggested. "Access to supernatural abilities for national security purposes. Just through cooperation rather than coercion."
As they completed their circuit of Hollow Oak's newly visible defenses, Maddox realized that protecting their sanctuary had evolved beyond hiding from federal authority into actively reshaping the political relationship between supernatural communities and government oversight.
"It could work," he admitted with growing confidence in Sera's strategic thinking. "Assuming we can convince both the community and federal authorities that cooperation serves everyone's interests better than conflict."
"It will work," she replied with certainty that resonated through their mate bond. "Because the alternative is permanent warfare that neither side can afford to sustain."