Wayne Gray

I love our world sometimes.

Goodnight, tim.

Having some wine, writing a bit, reading a bit, chatting a bit, waiting for dinner to warm on the stove. Not a bad evening. How's everyone doing?

That moment where Stravor tells Keter that he would run, that if Keter wished, they'd try to run from this monstrous, powerful god. That it'd forfeit both of their lives, but that he'd still try. That's the moment I truly began to love Stravor. Nice chapter, tim. Good job.

Good questions. Thanks for reading and for commenting, Parker. Typically, pack leaders command wolves, not other pack-leaders. If they do, then it's completely apart from the pack voice's effects. Pack leaders are immune to the voice of others like themselves. Continuing this line of thought - suddenly Joan has a lot of power over Jed in the form of command over his father. But, the pack voice isn't absolute. It makes the recipient predisposed to view the command/request by the speaker in a favorable light. If Joan told Daniel to jump off a cliff, or attack his son, he wouldn't, and she would likely lose him as a pack mate. I tried here and there to hint at the limits of the voice, but I don't think I did a very good job of it. I also didn't do a good job of showing the need for a pack leader to actually lead others. It fulfills a piece of them; they're born into the role. Without a pack, a pack leader is severely diminished. Their own beast will be difficult. Spending power and energy on the pack bleeds off the need for the beast to get wild and crazy. In short, a pack leader who pays attention to their "wolves" is more stable, stronger, happier. Wolfgang and Jed are a very odd pairing. Wolfgang's talent interfaces with Jed's beast in a strange and wonderful way. They're all learning just how far that can go too. Whoa. Sorry for the dissertation.

Thanks, rick. I'm glad you found meaning in it. 🙂

Thank you. And you're welcome, Mike.

Thanks, Fae. Me too. It was grand, and we're already planning next year's trip.

Hahaha... yes indeed! I'm glad you revealed that now, that way there are no nasty surprises later.

Thank you, tim. 🙂

Thanks, tim. It was a great time, and mostly relaxing. That end bit was just there to ensure the experience was stamped in our minds.

I've been meaning to read something of yours for a while, and this was a lot of fun. I love what you did with that crazy prompt! This was geeky, had tension (sexual and externally driven), and characters I'd like to get to know better. Nice work, Parker.

Thank you, Parker. I'm glad you liked it. The beast, nest and sparrow can be whatever you imagine them to be. I know my own thoughts, and the "story" in my mind. I hope it conjures either the little drama in the life of a fledgling sparrow for the reader, or some other struggle entirely.

Thanks, Tom! Yeah... that's really the heart of Camp Refuge. There are sexy, funny, and beautiful things that happen too, but mainly it's about people lifting one another up.

Shadowed by the beast, a sparrow pushed from its nest escapes to the sky.

You assume correctly. 🙂

Ohhhh... look at you, thinking ahead and stuff! Man, I need to get that next chapter written and done. I have it outlined, and a kick-ass scene written, but the rest still needs doing. I'll get it there, don't worry. Thanks for commenting!

Hehe. Well, I'm glad you've traveled along with me on this journey. If you want a good fantasy story, you should check out @Mikiesboy's tale he's currently posting. I'll link it here below. If you're at all into fantasy or think you might be after your dip into the paranormal, give it a try. But, you're right about this story. You've not seen anything yet.

Oh, there's definitely a bad moon on the rise (bonus points to anybody who gets that reference). Stick with me. We'll get to some pretty wild scenes soon. Thanks for commenting, rick!

I keep thinking about how intense Wolfgang's experience with others must be. How feeling what he does himself, and then what the person he's with does too, what that must do to him. Imagine, never having to doubt how your partner felt. Feeling the first inkling of love from this person you're with... KNOWING it's there. I think Wolfgang would be hard-pressed to avoid loving someone who loved him. With both Jed and the beast feeling for him, he has fallen quickly and hard. Thanks, Thorn. More to come!

Hi Chris, thanks for commenting. There were some high stakes for Daniel. If things hadn't worked with Joan, if they were not compatible, and the voice had little to no effect, then it would have cost his life. So it's good for all that it worked. There's more to come. 🙂

Hi Jeffrey. My goal in the next chapter is to tie things up a little better. There are a few unknowns dangling out there. Two are Joan and Ursula. More is coming on them, and I think that will help. Also, we'll get to see Evan again. Next chapter will be a HUGE one. After that, things should be clearer.

Hehe. Well, I'm glad you're ready for it. I still need to proof it, then send to Thorn for editing, but it'll be coming. Each of them feels a lot for the other. The military taught me that bonds happen quickly between people you depend on for your life. I've never been a cop, but the situations parallel. Those emotional connections will build, even when there's no possibility of a romantic component. It just happens. These guys have loved one another for years. They just weren't prepared to call it that until now.

Hi Jeffrey, and thanks for commenting. Yeah... the first time I wrote this chapter it got away from me. I was out to write a "slow burn" sort of story, but it just took off on its own. I rewrote it without the sex, and it was just, "blah". So, it stayed. Later I realized why. There is no conflict between Greg and Clay. In every story there has to be conflict, but between them there's none. The conflict(s) is(are) coming though.