Page 6 of Collar Me Crazy
But there was more to it than that. Had to be. Her gift didn't drag her across state lines for simple introductions.
She started the engine and pulled up directions to Moonmirror Lake on her phone. Twenty minutes to answers, to the man who'd been haunting her dreams for weeks.
Twenty minutes to discover what fate had been trying to tell her.
As she drove through Hollow Oak's winding streets, past shops glowing with warm light and residents settling in for cozy evening routines, Sonya felt the pull in her chest grow stronger. Whatever was waiting for her at the sanctuary, whatever connection her visions had been showing her, she was about to find out.
Ready or not.
4
RYKER
The sound of a car door slamming broke the evening quiet, followed by footsteps on the gravel path leading to the main cabin. Ryker looked up from the medication chart he'd been updating, frowning. He wasn't expecting anyone, and unannounced visitors usually meant either emergencies or trouble.
Both, as it turned out.
"Yoo-hoo! Ryker, honey, I brought you some goodies!"
Twyla Honeytree's voice carried across the sanctuary grounds like birdsong laced with mischief. Ryker set down his pen and headed for the door, already bracing himself. Twyla only made house calls when she had an agenda, and her agendas usually involved other people's business.
She stood on his porch wearing a yellow sundress that had no business looking that cheerful in November, holding a covered basket that smelled like cinnamon and butter. Her wheat-colored hair caught the porch light, and her smile held enough secrets to stock a library.
"Twyla." He kept his voice neutral. "Kind of late for a social call, isn't it?"
"Oh, you know me. Time's just a suggestion anyway." She breezed past him into the cabin without invitation, setting the basket on his kitchen counter. "Besides, I figured you might be hungry. You missed dinner at the Fang again."
"I had things to do here."
"Mmm-hmm." She lifted the cloth covering the basket, revealing what looked like fresh apple turnovers and some kind of bread that practically glowed with warmth. "How's our messenger hawk doing?"
"Recovering. She'll be ready to fly in a couple days." Ryker crossed his arms, staying near the door. "Twyla, what's this really about?"
"Can't an old friend just drop by with baked goods?"
"You could, but you don't. Not without a reason."
Her laugh tinkled like wind chimes. "You know me too well. Fine, fine. I met the most interesting person today. A lovely young seer who just rolled into town following her visions."
Ryker's wolf perked up instantly, ears forward and alert. He ignored it. "Good for her."
"Oh, it gets better. She's looking for someone, you see. Auburn hair, green eyes, keeps to himself." Twyla's smile turned predatory. "Ring any bells?"
"No."
"Liar." She pulled a turnover from the basket and took a delicate bite. "Sonya Sibyl. Ebony curls, brown eyes. Pretty thing, looks a bit like her cousin, Moira, around the eyes. Says her visions have been showing her this mysterious man for weeks."
The description caught him off guard and for some reason the name made it all more clear, though he kept his expression carefully blank.
Sonya. The woman from his dreams had a name, and she was here, in Hollow Oak, looking for him.
His wolf wanted to bolt from the cabin and track her down immediately.
"Never heard of her," he said.
"Uh-huh." Twyla's tone suggested she wasn't buying his act for a second. "Well, I told her where to find you. She seemed quite determined to make your acquaintance."
"You what?" he said sharply, finally giving Twyla his full attention.
