travlbug

This chapter is the first of what I hope are several involving the boys' personalities and back story. Note that Marcel discusses what happens to him before hybridization and after rescue but skips entirely his life as a hybrid sex slave: hopefully, he will one day feel comfortable enough to lance that boil. Duncan's inability to accept treatment before establishing a personal bond with Asa speaks volumes about his trust issues. (I appreciate that Asa wants to cure each pup on the boy's timetable, not his, but what if a boy were never ready?) Hmmm. I'm surprised that Asa and Caleb have yet to visit the moon! (Just don't turn back into human form while you're there!) Russian reconnaissance? I'm still concerned that all Asa and Caleb will find is a token force (to act as a red herring) while Huntington's main force is stealthily on the move. We'll find out soon!

Hmmm. As a Californian, this is how I visualize it: 😁

While Asa and Caleb could wind up adopting Marcel, I prefer the idea that the boys stay together--hence my preference for Corbin adopting all three. That said, as far as I'm concerned, any ending blessing the boys with loving parents would be a good ending!

Oh, can't leave out Marcel: Corbin will (of course) adopt him too. (Parents who would refuse to take their child back--as "damaged goods"--don't even deserve to breath the same air!)

Dibs on the library! As far as Corbin is concerned, "Willa" she or won't she? I love that Corbin is trying to get closer to Duncan and Dante, the orphaned boys. I, like many others (I'm sure), see Corbin leaving Germany with an instant family. Ooh! German pastry! (I bought my first seasonal packages of leibkuchen yesterday! Yum!!! 😋

There may be no movement in Huntington's compound because the enemy has already moved (the sneaky bastards!). Hmmm. A European trip sounds exciting, and it may make more sense than sending 31 pups to the U.S., but I can’t help feeling that Asa and Caleb will be more vulnerable while visiting there. The loss of Asa's healing services will also be an issue if Huntington launches a surprise attack. The new security measures in Giles’ territory are timely and necessary. How necessary will be a question for the next few chapters!

I love that Ms. Jeffries wears clearly inappropriate high heels--and puts up with them. That little factoid defines her character perfectly!

Just being nit picky: Whether Giles has pack members on the police force or not, the police should be investigating the ranch as a crime scene. Hard to believe that Ms. Jeffries has beat them to it. (Caleb implies that the police have aleady performed an investigation by his suggestion that Jeffries refer to the police report, but I find it hard to believe that the police would already have finished their investigation into multiple-structure arson and attempted homicide. Heck, the area isn't even cordoned off with crime-scene tape, and no police have been left on guard.) Also, why haven't the werewolves, with their own heightened senses, conducted a thorough sweep of the area? And if they have already done so, then what did they find? I love that Corbin has been offered pack membership. I wonder if he'll find a fated mate? Giles hasn't mentioned turning him into a werewolf, but the idea of doing so has to be percolating.

Hmmm. If Caleb can have premonitions, then why not Vann? Suddenly, Vann has a premonition that Caleb will need him in Texas and stows away on the return trip. (I know that shifter senses would likely prevent a stowaway, but I love this scenario.) Or perhaps, Vann will simply say that he needs to be in Texas with Caleb, and Silas backs him up. It could happen.... Note that Corbin's ranch is "torched," so Giles already knows that arson is to blame. So how does he know? Further, why would Corbin have returned to the ranch, so why would he be in danger? (I thought he was staying with Giles'pack.) To be honest, I don't see Huntington or his minions gaining much by destroying Corbin's ranch (e.g., the pups have been moved to a safe haven) ; and a "warning" to people who already know you're coming would seem an empty gesture. Is the fire meant to destroy evidence? Again, doubtful, as the ranch never serves as a Huntington outpost. Of course, it might well serve as a distraction, if Huntington and his army decide to strike early and from another direction....

Since Huntington and his forces are all in one place, a preemptive strike would seem ideal. E.g., the fae could conceivably pop in to poison their water supply or perhaps turn them into their animal forms permanently. (I wonder just how far the fae will go to protect their allied shifters.) I wonder if Vann already knows that Caleb is his father. The kid isn't stupid. (If he's ever seen his birth certificate [I saw mine first when I was in grade school], then the cat is already out of the bag.) The pups' troubles don't end with resolution of their hybrid state: They've lost years of schooling, and they've been prevented from learning social skills during a critical time. Further, just as with other long-term prisoners and torture victims, they are likely to experience PTSD as well as other mental issues. (Some pups may even be more likely to commit suicide after their cure than before it.) Sebastian et al should be well prepared to address these problems, and a cursory exam by Donovan post treatment is grossly insufficient. (I wonder if the Montana pack is ready for the years of aftercare that will be required or if it will leave the various families to do it themselves.)

Ashton and Austin have no difficulties at all in accessing their wolves or turning back to human. However, just because they turn out OK doesn't mean that more heavily afflicted hybrids will do as well. (I can imagine Asa having to give some pups the option of becoming one or the other permanently.) I was surprised that shadow-shifter Kage's essence presents as light when it binds our heroes with their heart-shaped scars. (And being bound by shadows would have been much scarier!) Maybe Kage's aura has been changed by death. That said, one thing about the shadow ability is clear: it wouldn't have been given if it weren't necessary. (This is where I start biting my nails.) Finally, Elijah, who feels that they are being watched, notes the trees moving without a breeze but presumes the cause to be benign. Really? (Bwahahaha!)

First on page 4! I'm donating my prize to the Hybrid Defense Fund! 😇

Hence the need for a fourth book....

The twins are actually the most human of the hybrids, so despite their longevity as hybrids, Asa would likely need to expend less energy to treat them than he would for the most severely afflicted. (Granted that Asa was treating the twins as a twofer, which may have saved even more energy, the timing of the twins treatment is likely not an accurate gauge as to what would be expected with other hybrids.)

I fully expected a cliffie after Asa's first failed attempts at healing the twins. What happened? The idea that the twins need their healing in tandem is awesome. I wonder if Asa will find additional curve balls as he treats the other hybrids. Lemon meringue cheesecake or sex? The older you get, the more sense it makes.... This chapter is one of the best that kbois has ever written. I'm holding her to the new standard!

Evan needs to figure out his thoughts/feelings on religion, but the Church's own teachings--which he has internalized--have muddied the waters. Jordan, by removing the religious overlay, distills and clarifies Evan's views so that, ultimately, Evan can make the realization that he doesn't believe in God. Rather than finding his lack of faith disturbing, Evan experiences relief: he finds the idea of no God preferable to that of a God who inflicts needless suffering. Hopefully, his epiphany will lead to an even better relationship with Drew--and a lot less guilt!

I'm first on page 6! (I'm auctioning the bragging rights.)

If Sebastian had sentenced Caleb to death, then the pack (and Council) would never have found out about Asa--the cure--and even if they had, Asa may have had insufficient energy (without Caleb, his energizer bunny) to perform the cure. I'm not sure if Sebastian's "horrific guilt" is about misjudging Caleb or more about realizing that Caleb's death could have prevented the hybrids from ever being cured (a tragedy twice over!).

The path to curing the pups is all clear. I'm suspicious. Actually, with no internal bar to curing the pups, my fear is an external strike--that Huntington will show up to wreak his revenge. At this point, he may not even care if he lives or dies (if I recall correctly, the rest of the world already thinks he's dead), and his goal may be to destroy the Montana pack. Another alternative is that the wolf who poisoned Caleb attempts to poison Asa. We have to remember that a saboteur may be on the loose! A third possibility is that curing the pups goes perfectly, a remorseful Huntington turns himself in, and kbois decides that food and alcohol are the true evil. Hahahahaha!

"The hybrid pups have been waiting this long. Surely, they could wait one more week?" Sure, what's another week of torture? That said, the mating bond does need to stabilize, so the additional delay is a necessary evil. What if, in mating with Caleb, Asa becomes a werewolf but loses his light shifting–and healing–abilities. Naw…. (The one thing that would never happen is that they would gain each other's abilities and turn pure white…. ) Ok, Rosalie, what's the mythology about two pure white werewolf mates? At least, with Caleb now gifted with light's ability to heal, he will be able to help the pups directly, and it will take only half the time to cure them. There is no doubt that Caleb will be welcomed back to Montana with open arms. And the seeds have been planted about what Asa and Caleb will do after healing the pups! (Yes, Corbin, I think you have a new set of partners!)

I'm imagining a scenario where Asa tries to cure the first hybrid: the chapter ends on a cliffie when he comes out of his trance saying "I couldn't cure him...." Of course, the next chapter shows that the pup is fighting his efforts and has to be sedated for Asa to succeed. Or perhaps, he needs to link with Caleb and use him like a battery to get the power to fight the hybrid state. Whatever evil plan kbois has devised, treating the pups will not be straightforward. I'm sure that Asa will want to treat the least human hybrids first--the ones that can't communicate at all. However, where pups have mental issues (up to and including suicidal ideation or even attempts), he will likely make exceptions and bring them to the front of the line. (Somehow, I think that Ethan and Tyler's mates will be the last two treated. ) Caleb will be forced to interact with his old Montana pack mates when he and Asa move to the area to treat the pups. I'm looking forward to seeing how he's welcomed home!

"'You don't have to do this,' Caleb said. '...Maybe therapy will help.'" Kudos to Asa for realizing that organic/medical problems require organic/medical solutions and that talking will never fix a physiologic problem. "'It's a risk I'm willing to take,' Caleb declared." This statement is Caleb's first positive action in forever, and it shows how deeply Caleb's been affected by Asa's presence. Asa tells Caleb, "'Your head is totally fucked up.'" Don't you hate the way that Asa sugar-coats the truth? Yes, Asa, if Caleb had to summarize what you really represent, it's air freshener! The amount of energy that Asa expends to cure Caleb is staggering. I wonder what this means for his ability to cure the pups and their attendant mental issues.

I usually dislike coincidence in a story (Nick is in the right place at the right time to observe the accident; one of the drivers just happens to be Brock; and Nick's job--and working car--provide the perfect situation where Nick can spend the entire afternoon with Brock). That said, this story is a wonderful exercise in wish fulfillment, such that the coincidences rise to the level of fate. Of course Nick and Brock live happily ever after--it's in the fairy tale code! And all it took was a leap of faith!

Actually, there are three elements to Caleb's rehabilitation: a) cure the poisoning, b) cure the mental damage, and c) convince family/friends/pack that Caleb's inappropriate actions were orchestrated by the villains of the piece. I honestly don't see Caleb repatriating to his prior pack (too much water under the bridge), but he has a head start at building a new life with Asa in Gile's pack. The only question is whether he'd ask for Vann to join him, and I doubt he'd uproot him, as Vann's life is with the Montana pack. So, the two elephants in the room (since I'm commenting on page 5, I'm sure they've already been discussed, but I'll mention them anyway): how was Caleb poisoned, and can Asa truly cure the hybridized pups? I'm afraid that at least one traitor resides in the Montana pack--the person(s) who poisoned Caleb. I can't imagine that Caleb (or his wolf) would consume a mercury/silver nitrate compound, so my bet is on the wielders of syringe and needle--e.g., the Doc. Of note, the traitor may have been blackmailed into poisoning Caleb (the perps' typical modus operandi), so people who would otherwise be considered beyond reproach will need to be suspected. Finally, if Asa has the power to cure a pup, then why hasn't he offered before now? (Is his secret identity as a light shifter worth the lives of so many tortured youngsters? [Selfish bastard!]) Hard to believe he didn't know about the pups, but I suppose it's possible. Yet, even if he has the power to cure them, how many pups could he cure in a day--one, two, three--before he be becomes exhausted (and how long would he have to recharge between attempts)? It could literally take months to heal all the pups, and who chooses who gets healed first and who gets healed last? At least, knowing both Caleb and Asa, I'm sure they'll try their best.

Asa giving beer to a patient? He wins caretaker of the year! Asa abandons good food merely to have a talk with Caleb. (Kbois, are you feeling OK? [At least he takes his beer!]) Note that Asa doesn't have to strip before transforming. (I can feel Caleb's disappointment from here! ) Wow! I've never before seen a kiss being used as a diagnostic tool! But who in Giles' pack would poison Caleb--and more to the point, why? What could he know that makes him a target? Caleb is already sidelined by depression and grief, so why would someone risk exposure to attempt his murder? The answer, of course, is in the trunk of the '55 Chevy! And Huntington is NOT involved!