Page 45 of Collar Me Crazy
The final assault would come soon. And when it did, everything would depend on whether she could convince Ryker that the prophecy everyone feared was actually their only hope for survival.
The truck's engine turned over with a reassuring rumble, but as they drove toward the sanctuary, Sonya couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Not by human eyes, but by something vast and hungry, counting down the moments until it could finally feed.
26
RYKER
Ryker pulled his truck into the alley behind the Silver Fang Tavern, the engine ticking as it cooled. Through the windshield, they could see the main square where people were slowly returning to their normal routines after the restaurant incident. But Sonya sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
"Tell me," he said, shifting to face her fully.
"The entity isn't random. It's called the Void, and it's been planning this for centuries." Her voice was steady, but he could see the tremor in her jaw. "It exists in the spaces between worlds, feeding on magical energy that leaks through dimensional barriers."
"Okay. That explains the attacks, but?—"
"No, you don't understand." She turned toward him, brown eyes intense with urgency. "The mate bonds aren't causing the Veil to weaken. They're giving the Void enough power to break through. Every couple that's completed their connection has fed more energy into the magical infrastructure, and this thing has been drinking from it like a parasite."
Ryker felt his wolf stir uneasily. "So the bonds are the problem."
"The bonds are the solution." Her voice turned sharp with frustration. "But only if we complete the eighth one properly. Only if we trust what's happening between us instead of fighting it."
"Sonya—"
"You're not the destroyer in the prophecy, Ryker. You're the key to saving everyone." She reached for his hands, her touch warm against his cold fingers. "Your bloodmoon heritage makes you sensitive to dimensional barriers. You can feel where the Void is weakening the Veil, guide the other couples into the right alignment."
Ryker pulled his hands away, his wolf beginning to pace beneath his skin. "You're asking me to believe that everything I've been told about myself is wrong."
"I'm asking you to believe that prophecies aren't instructions. They're possibilities." Her voice grew desperate. "I saw two futures, Ryker. In one, we complete our bond in fear and chaos, and the Hollow uses that energy to tear reality apart. In the other, we synchronize with the other couples and create a barrier strong enough to banish it forever."
"And if you're wrong? If I really am the thing that destroys everything?" He shook his head, his voice turning harsh. "My pack died because people were afraid of what I might become. What if they were right?"
"They weren't right. They were terrified." Sonya's tone turned fierce. "Fear made them see a monster where there was just a scared child. Don't let that same fear make you into the thing they imagined."
"You don't know what you're asking me to risk."
"I know exactly what I'm asking." She moved closer, her hand finding his cheek. "I'm asking you to trust me. To trust us. To believe that love is stronger than prophecy."
Ryker wanted to lean into her touch, to let her certainty wash away the doubts that had plagued him since childhood. But the weight of responsibility pressed down like a physical force.
"What if completing our bond gives the Hollow exactly what it needs? What if your vision was wrong, or incomplete, or?—"
"Then we'll face the consequences." Her thumb traced along his jawline. "But I won't watch you destroy yourself trying to prevent a future that doesn't have to happen."
"Sonya, I can't?—"
"You can't what? Can't trust your mate? Can't believe you might actually deserve happiness?" Her voice rose with frustration. "Or can't admit that running away is easier than fighting for something you want?"
The accusation hit like a slap. "I'm not running away. I'm protecting people."
"You're protecting yourself from getting hurt again." She pulled back, eyes flashing with anger. "You'd rather live alone and miserable than risk caring about someone enough to lose them."
"That's not?—"
"That's exactly what this is." Her voice turned cold. "You're so convinced you're going to destroy everything that you won't even try to save it. And you know what? That kind of self-fulfilling prophecy might be exactly what dooms us all."
Ryker's wolf snarled at the challenge in her tone. "Don't lecture me about destiny when you've known me for two weeks."
"I've been seeing you in visions for months. I know you better than you think."
