Clancy59

Wow. This story just keeps getting deeper and deeper with intrigue! I don’t know about anyone else, but there’s so much going on (and it’s been a while since the last chapter) that I find I have to reread the previous chapter or two to refresh my memory and get back into the correct frame of mind. But every time I see it listed in the lineup, I get so excited! Keep it coming!

I never said my scenario would/could possibly happen. All I postulated was that the McKinneys could have been stupid enough to think they could take out the Beta ‘Leaders’ of Pit River because they are not Alphas. How could they possibly stand up to the powerful Alphas of the McKinneys? If they were stupid enough to think that (and they weren’t just being framed), they could be stupid enough to think they had succeeded. After all, they weren’t around for the aftermath when Aiden and Ethan were named the new Alphas. They wouldn’t necessarily know the guys were involved to that extent. If they did, I doubt they would have attempted this. They would have run far, far away. Of course, that also depends on how much they would also believe in the Elemental powers the guys possess. I think it was more an exercise in wishful imagination and it just kept exploding from there. 🫣

I may not be creative in a literary way, but I can be creative in a twisting, devious way! 😈 Maybe it was all those D&D games I played in college!

Wonderful for the boys to still have relatives. It will free the way for them to go back to WA. Maybe Mrs. Appleton could come, also, since she would also have family again. Just to be clear, the estranged sister, Augustine, would also be the first cousin of Mrs. Appleton, since she was the sister of Cousin Margaret, an acknowledged first cousin. Their children would be second cousins. In this case, we are talking about Mrs. Appleton’s son (the boys’ father) and Jexon’s mother. This would make their children, Jexon and the boys, third cousins. Sorry. My husband does genealogy and these kinds of details get ingrained into the psyche!

Well, if they were to do something like this, they could keep Wade and Ethan isolated using devastating grief and counseling as the excuse. There wouldn’t be a need for the local security for Thad, because they would think their duty to their charge was done. They could actually be transferred to keeping Wade isolated! Casey and Darius could take over the protection of Thad and keep him away from prying eyes. Aiden and Trevor could pull off the preparations for a ‘funeral’ while secretly planning to capture any straggling radicals. During the funeral itself, Wade and Ethan could be guarded and separated by their details to the point that no one would be able to get close enough to see that they are acting a part. I’m sure Wade could be convinced to bring out his best thespian efforts in order to avenge Thad. In fact, his anger and despair over Thad’s injuries in the first place might be enough to fool anyone! Even if their pack guards suspected anything, their first duty is to their charge. They would have to bring any concerns to their superior, who would take it up the chain, which would probably be Casey or Darius before ultimately landing in Trevor’s lap. Whatever, it is unlikely to get out in public, and we’re only talking about a few days or a couple of weeks here. Rumors will fly, no matter what the truth is.

Granted. However, in the instance with Dorian, they kept it secret from the Alpha from another pack. She and Dorian were going to be, but were not yet mated. Here, Wade and Thad are already mated. They could, theoretically, keep Wade isolated using his extreme grief as an excuse. That would keep people from being able to tell, although, Ethan would again be a problem. They kept the truth from him the last time because he tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. He would also have to isolate. Maybe to console Wade? Hmmmm…….

Well, I did say the McKinneys were delusional!

The McKinneys may have people in place to attempt a coup d’état, but so many of their followers, most of whom were family members, were ousted from the pack, there can’t be more than a handful left. And, as @Salerion pointed out, someone could be trying to frame them. (Who could that be?) They have very little power left, especially in this pack. I do like the idea of pulling another Dorian trick, although many pack members have seen Wade around after the assassination attempt, it is well-known about how seriously Thad has been injured. It would be easy enough to fake his death and, therefore, have a (seemingly) devastated Wade, temporarily, give up his position to Trevor or another representative. It would normally be too soon to pull the same trick, but the McKinneys are so delusional about, and anxious to obtain, their right to rule the pack, it would probably work! And I agree with @Geemeedee. The fact that they are still performing surgery is a good sign, I think. They are being careful and not rushing. Cardiac surgery is one of the most delicate surgeries around. It’s one of the reasons they had such a hard time finding an appropriate surgeon (in addition to the Lycan situation). There are just too few of them and they are in high demand ! They are being careful to remove the bullets and damaged tissue while not causing any more damage, if at all possible. Ethan’s presence will likely be a major help in this as he will be able to mitigate at least some of the silver poisoning, and promote preliminary healing, giving Thad a leg up, as it were. Really, Thad has the absolute best team caring for him possible (unless—GASP—one of the surgeons is affiliated with the McKinneys! Please say it isn’t so!).

I figured the Justice was fictitious. You are a stickler for the details. I’m aware you’ll answer the questions next week. I just have a tendency to ‘think out loud’ in my comments! 😉

Great chapter with a lot of interesting information, but what an ending! And we only have one more chapter to go! Who is this Justice and how will his shooting affect things? I’ve heard the word ‘casualty’ used in terms of any injuries, so were the Justice and his wife killed? Did they get the assassin(s)? Doesn’t seem like it from the response with the Obamas. There are an awful lot of questions to be answered, Carlos! Also, in an aside (kinda), how much longer for the boys’ arrival? The guys don’t seem to be in any rush getting the nursery ready. How’s the surrogate doing? Come on. This is important, too!

You can add my vote to this as a wonderful story and the hope that you will continue with either more stories about Marc and Sawyer or storylines about their various friends. There are so many roads to explore with them! Finn and Sawyer’s past, Finn’s future, Bruce’s choice to relocate and maybe find his one-and-only (there are a couple of candidates), Reba and her family, Tim, Rick, and so on. Marc’s restoration company can easily be the central contact point with this new revitalization project in the works. Maybe we can still see Maggie come to her senses! Hope does spring eternal, after all! Keep up the good work! While I do not have the creativity in the form of fictional writing to do any myself, I am able to identify talented writers from hacks (I am a retired, professional Librarian and critiquing books was part of my job), and you, Miss @Libby Drew, are an extremely talented writer. I do intend to check out more of your stories. Thank you for a very enjoyable time the past couple of weeks. I think I am going to miss my daily visits with the guys!

Yeah. I have a couple of nieces like that. You should have read one’s diatribe against Adam Kinsinger (?) when he voted against T**** (because, of course, he is the great saver of America!). You would have thought he had committed the first, original sin and should be condemned to hell for all eternity. (Did I mention they live in Illinois?). She has developed such a hatred for me and my positions that she actually unfriended me. But she’ll take material items from me! Unfortunately, there’s such animosity from that direction from the nieces (stemming from snide comments from their mother, my SIL), that hubby and I have actually agreed to leave something for the grandnieces (they’re babies right now), but nothing for the older girls. Petty? Maybe. But we’re tired of being looked at as future fortunes, but not worthy of attention now. We have other family who are much more deserving.

Pam gets much more leeway because she’s family. She also has a lot of emotional issues that CJ is trying to, not forgive or ignore, but give her more space as a result. However, she is quickly running out of room. As stated by several people, she needs to accept that Owen and CJ are adults and parents themselves. Their ways and methods may not be the same as hers, but hers were not the same as her or Geoff’s parents’. Opening her eyes will not be an easy or pretty activity. If Rubio does set his people to searching the focus groups to try to figure things out, he’ll be in for a bit of a surprise. He never really did believe that CJ came from family with Republican connections, yet wouldn’t subscribe to them himself. He can’t understand someone who isn’t a lemming.

NO! I wanted to get to the courtroom! I can’t wait to find out how Jonathan reacts when he finds out the updated Will has been found and the witness verifies it in court! And I agree that Simone may need some protection until this is all settled. Maybe she could pay Sawyer a visit? Did we all do this?! I got to 525. My parents thought I was nuts for trying to do it. I, on the other hand, was quite pleased with myself for a long time!

Poor Pam just really can’t seem to get it into her head how powerful her son and especially his husband truly are. She still thinks of them as kids and needing guidance. I am so looking forward to, while also dreading, CJ’s rebuking of her. She’s going to turn to Owen and Geoff for help and support, and they’re going to tell her that they had warned her multiple times to back off, but she just wouldn’t listen. Yikes! CJ is so good at putting people in their places without seeming to. Rubio knew how CJ felt about him, but thought he would never dis him in front of guests, especially family, as I am sure he overheard. Rubio definitely don’t know CJ, do he?! I wonder if he’ll figure anything out about the campaign ads. How could CJ know about them when they haven’t been released yet and have only been shown to the focus groups? Does CJ have spies? Rubio is going to start rethinking how he deals with this young upstart from now on. I knew this was only going to be a short story, but I’m still sorry to see it ending in just a couple of weeks, while still enjoying every word.

Maybe this comes from being the daughter of a legal secretary who actually worked as an untitled paralegal. Oh, the stories I heard and the legal advice/warnings I received!

Finn looked horrified, because all this time he thought of his grandfather as this horrible person, only now to find out that he had risked his own life to save his grandson’s without a second thought. And it looks as if Sawyer is at least somewhat willing to try to give Finn a chance simply because Marc trusts him, even with years of history between them. It looks like the Calhoun boys are finally growing up! Now if only Marc’s parents, especially his father, would do the same thing! Come on, Finn! Think! The guys told you Simone was aware of the subsequent, updated will. You need to get her in front of the judge to attest to that. It won’t give Marc his inheritance, but it will be enough, hopefully, to give them the time to really search for the will and force Marc’s father to allow them access to May’s house so that they can search her personal papers under threat of prosecution himself if he tries to prevent it in any way. Could there be anyone else who may be aware of the updated will? Is the proposed parkland the property Jonathan is trying to claim? If the city is planning to build a couple of parks there, it would be poetic justice for them to take the property from Jonathan by eminent domain. He wouldn’t get near what he wants for it.

A couple of people have tried to teach me how to drive manuals. Haven’t succeeded yet!

That’s true. He could have been safely at home this entire time. I guess I was focused on the running away. That really would explain why he hadn’t been reported missing—because he wasn’t! And if the family didn’t have a history with the police, no, they wouldn’t know them. Yes, Cassidy has her own apartment, but every child I know has free rein to come and go in the family home. She could easily come in when her parents were not home. She would know the family schedules and it isn’t much effort to simply lay in wait and watch for an opportunity. She may not have even been an active instigator. Some of her ‘friends’ could have decided on their own to get some vengeance for perceived offenses by Seth. And I’m sure she wouldn’t have exactly discouraged it if she had known ahead of time. As far as Seth coming back bigger and better than ever…PLEASE! Yes! But not necessarily obviously. The best revenge is the one that comes unexpectedly. Seth could go away with Trevor for awhile and get stronger, both physically and emotionally, without it being too obvious. Then when he returns to his parents, he can stand up for his rights and put his sister and her minions in their proper places. But that’s just the kind of thing I would like to see. Thank you for pointing out all of this to me.

Wow. Starting with a wonderful day and ending with a despicable act by a jealous, hateful sister against her innocent, younger brother. Thankfully, his parents seem to be fully aware of Seth’s situation and want to be supportive of him, although, I have to wonder why they didn’t go to the police themselves when he disappeared after Cassidy’s diatribe. Good for Trevor for letting her have it with both barrels while still maintaining control over his wolf. Overhearing the comment from Wade and Thad helped with that. Yes, if anyone has had positive role models, it’s Trevor. It looks like he may need to take Seth under his wing in order to build up his self-esteem while protecting him from these vipers who attacked him. I agree with @James B. that Cassidy, maybe with Hannah’s help, may be the one behind this. Seth may be safer staying with Trevor right now. I highly doubt he would be safe in his own home with Cassidy around. I can even foresee Seth moving to PA when Trevor returns. Bitten by the attacking lycan? That’s an interesting idea, especially with the strictures against biting and turning unwilling/unknowing humans. Someone could be in a whole lot of trouble with pack leadership, and I don’t just mean Wade and Thad. Seth is understandably nervous around unknown people. Randy did just the right thing to show him he was in safe company. Randy is also able to get the police in touch with Seth’s parents (again , why don’t the police know who the parents are? Why haven’t they reported Seth as missing?). I really want to know what they are going to say. I’m very glad these chapters come out as fast as they do. Less time to wait! Less angst!

May and Sawyer’s Granda? Never saw that one coming! Although she did seem to know an awful lot about the antiques in that house! Well, now they can get back to the house and pull everyone off of the phone calls and get them searching Paul’s archives. Hopefully they didn’t get tossed with the mass clearing of all the hoarded stuff Sawyer found! I am sure Attorney Paul was much more careful with his legal papers. Sawyer was surely cognizant enough to recognize legal documents and put them to the side to protect them. Maybe they could also get Simone to attest that there was another, later will leaving everything to Marc. The judge may not take it as the final word until they have an actual document, but her testimony might buy them more time to search for it. Who was the second witness? Was that required? Not all states require that. Good luck, guys!

They will absolutely be rocking their grandchildren in that chair! It may be making the rounds between Liebe and the boys as as they have their own children! The arguments will start with who will inherit it! Pam just didn’t know the history of the chair. She thought it had just had too much use and needed to be replaced.

OK. I remember now. For some reason I thought he was going to buy May’s house. I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying that.

Jonathan seems to be in an awful hurry to get rid of these properties, including Marc’s, which I still don’t understand why he would have the rights to. Didn’t Marc buy it himself? It doesn’t matter where he obtained the loan, I thought. He could get another loan from another institution at this point with the equity he has built up in that house and his business. That way he wouldn’t owe the estate anything. Maybe Bruce could front him for a couple of weeks to protect him. I don’t care that Jonathan is putting on a facade of altruism, this whole thing rings false. Probate has not been settled. He has no right to block Marc from May’s house or from the items inside. Marc should be able to search for the will there. Marc said that May’s old friends have moved away. OK. But they may remember something about the updated will. They could let them know where May stashed it, even. They should still be contacted. Marc seems to have a better handle on Finn than Sawyer does. That’s not too surprising since Sawyer is coming with years’ worth of baggage that he can’t seem to let go. Marc is looking at Finn with fresh eyes. Maybe he’ll be able to get Sawyer to calm down and really think about his brother. The process seems to have already started with the way Finn has jumped in to help Marc (and pro bono, too). Word is slowly getting around about their relationship. Heidi noted Marc’s description of their relationship, and while it gave her a momentary pause of surprise, she simply carried on. Jonathan seems to be the only one bothered by the whole thing. Could that be why the rush now?

As stated by others, Pam is still deeply grieving the loss of her daughter to a devastating illness that they thought they had conquered once already, only to have it return stronger than ever. It didn’t help Pam’s frame of mind that it was Liz’s decision to not fight. Pam is probably feeling, not only the angst of the loss, but also the guilt that she was unable to protect and save her daughter, no matter how ill-conceived the idea is. There was absolutely nothing she could have done, but she feels guilty, nonetheless, that she couldn’t. She was the mother. Mothers protect their children and she failed in that. Now, there is Liebe. Liebe is Liz’s daughter, having been conceived by using the eggs Liz harvested and saved prior to her first battle with cancer. Pam has transferred all those emotions to Liebe, even if they are subconscious, and she is determined that she will be protected, wrapping her in blankets and bubble wrap so that nothing harmful can ever get to her. The Mexican Incident probably shook her to her core, as a result, even knowing that everyone was safe. Now she is overcompensating by becoming a helicopter grandparent, to the guys dismay, and Liebe’s frustration. She is going to have to accept that the guys DO know what they are doing (The example of the firecrackers comes to mind. That was dealt with quite well by showing her the firecrackers going off so she can lose her fear of them in the future.) Geoff has told them that Pam is afraid of CJ. Understandable, since CJ is not exactly known for holding back. But he does care for Pam as Owen’s mother and does understand why she is doing what she is doing. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t lose his patience with her! He wisely defers to Owen when dealing with her. The interview was interesting as it brought out a few details and thoughts as perceived by the guys, not necessarily by the readers looking in from above. It would be fun to read the actual article when it gets published! Thanks, Carlos, for another fun chapter. I always look forward to Friday mornings, knowing another chapter will be waiting to be enjoyed!