Danners

Vodka martinis, Eloise? Gin, I say, and dirty it up so you can claim the olives are appetizers. Amateur. Bring on Miami and Michael. Considering Patrick isn't aware that Michael knows who he is should make for shocking revelations. I can't help but suspect the cautionary tales of this chapter are foreshadowing . . .

“He’s a flashy fellow, ain’t he? Don’t remember seeing a bigger colt come out of a mare in my life,” Coy said, sitting back on his haunches as he rubbed his arm. S'what the doctor said when he delivered Coy. (I had to.) Life in Larkspur has been kind to the boys and they deserve it after everything they went through to get there. I'm not surprised they're beloved by the townsfolk, as generous and fair-minded as they are. Not to mention the boost to the local economy now that Red Apple Farm is shaping up. I'm so glad we're seeing Mitch again! I have a feeling the mystery surrounding his departure from Red Bluff has something to do with Wes and Lee's murder, as well as what happened to poor Dan. I think Boone leaving and Coy basically declaring his intentions to follow him to the ends of the earth struck something in the Sheriff. With his people -- and by that I refer to Boone's intuition that Mitch was cut from the same cloth as them -- gone, maybe there was nothing keeping him there. I hope he's here to stay. Larkspur could use a sexy DILF lawman.

Neil is full of surprises. I think he honestly doesn't want West to get hurt and that means avoiding Bran altogether. Maybe he does have feelings for West after all but can't let them be known for fear of involving him or having him used as a bargaining chip. The fact that Bran knowing about West is a problem and somehow affects the time table, I suspect the blonde has an unwilling role to play in all this. He'd make an excellent hostage but, y'know, as a cam model West would be positively infamous. And a show with Neil? Hoo boy . . . We all know West can't resist dipping his toe into the dark side, so let's pray he's careful enough to not get caught. Or get anyone else in trouble.

YESSSSSSS!

Right?!

No guesses?!

His brother’s real name is . . . Eloise! Just kidding. This is what you get when I’m waiting for an Uber and don’t have the time to dive into full on conspiracy theories. I know which man has my vote. Who is yours?

Do I sense the end of this book hanging off a cliff and book three beginning with the search for the volume of sorcery capable of undoing Talon's corruption? Since the tome was gifted to the Dlethian royal family, chances are it's in the palace somewhere -- a musty library or the king's secret stash of nudie mags and forbidden texts. With the king wanting to visit, and having already extended an invitation (they violently RSVP'd "NO" to), the group could easily score a short stay. Besides, the surest way to make Talon pop up is for Kalian to be in mortal danger, and I don't think Loren getting handsy qualifies. Still . . . bitch better watch his hands or he's likely to pull back stumps.

I hope the front gate has a DO NOT DISTURB feature. Do you suppose they have a saying like ours, something like "Don't come a-callin' when the Neejah’al are a-ballin'"? Anyway, getting away from the prying eyes must be as delightful as the true and much needed privacy Garjah's beautiful home affords them. The view of that central garden from the second floor is a wonder to behold, I bet. Doubly so if Garjah has Essell pressed up against the glass . . .

Please use protection -- for us.

Considering dreams are rarely literal, born of the subconscious to help us process our lives, I'd wager it's about giving up his dream life -- you know, the "perfect" marriage, the house in the hills, Ford's money -- in order to recapture his independence. Right now his very essence is tied to Ford. He's locked in a gilded cage and the only way to get the key is over Ford's dead body . . . metaphorically. (Or literally if he graduates from eye drops to mixing castor seeds in Ford's coffee beans before grinding.) Another interpretation is that one person is holding his dream hostage. Could be Eloise with her cold indifference. Could be Ford keeping Patrick alone in that house while he's off cheating with every Tom, Dick, and hairy asshole. Silk is the less social of the two cats, the loner, and so could represent one such human -- the black haired man whose identity Patrick has been obsessed with since learning about him. As for "The Loop" -- well, I first saw it as a noose because the marriage in that screenplay is dying, as is Patrick's and Ford's. Either the spouse who was cheated on as just enough information to hang himself (with the adulterer slowly nudging them over the edge) or the adulterer's actions have grown bold and brazen enough that he will figuratively hang himself, leaving him at the mercy of his partner. After more consideration, I think it's an actual loop, a circle, a closed circuit. The couple in the screenplay, as well as Patrick and Ford, are going through the motions, replaying the same series of events over and over and over again -- stuck in a loop -- until someone or something breaks their cycle. The writer of the screenplay seems to indicate this is a third party and my impression is it's one of the adulterer's obsessed lovers. Considering the writer used a quote from Ford in the text, it could be a declaration of his intent: he'll be the one to break the cycle of cruel deception, one way or another. You've given us a lot to think about, Moz. It's like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces that can fit together any number of ways to complete a different picture each time and each one is as viable as the last.

It was nice seeing Arric and Kieran cuddled up on the couch together, just talking and watching a movie. Every date night should be so sweet and so wholesome. Walter worries me a little. Well, not him exactly but the pressure both he and the alpha must be under as his stamina continues to decline. While growing old and wise is nothing to be ashamed of -- far from it -- I imagine the perception of strength is shamefully important where pack leadership is concerned. Arric has enough stress already. Kieran is out as a possible replacement because of his priorities as a professor and his romantic relationship with Arric, but what about Cyn? His unique viewpoint, background, and potent instincts would make for an excellent beta once he's more accustomed to modern living. Perhaps Walter could groom him as a replacement and accept a supervisory role rather than retire outright, allowing him to retain both his personal and pack pride. Anyway, another brilliant chapter! If Eike is there to throw himself at the mercy of the pack, I hope they have a dentist on hand capable of permanently removing the black wolf's teeth. See how terrifying he is when he tries gumming a rabbit to death.

I learned passive aggressive bitch from my beloved grandmother, a woman whose sharp tongue would've had Eloise frothing at the mouth after just one conversation. Tee hee hee.

Sure, Eloise, treating marriage like a business transaction is easy when you cut yourself off from your emotions and distract yourself from the problems. However, no matter how many times you sweep them under the rug, ignore them, or throw money at them, the problems are still there and tend to get worse over time. It drives me insane that she thinks the problem lies with Patrick's feelings and not Ford's philandering. It might be different if he knew there were other men before they got married and allowed it to continue for years before suddenly taking exception to it, but the fact of the matter is he didn't know. There may not have been others until recently -- something could've happened in Ford's life that triggered this behavior, that made him give in to his possibly undiagnosed sex addiction. (Ford's motivation, by the way, is a subject I hope we learn a lot more about because something tells me it isn't as simple as we think.) For all her faults and her deluded way of nurturing her son, Eloise does love Patrick in her own way. While her advice fell short, she was at least partially right: he needs to focus on reclaiming himself. The immediate goal may be to make Ford finally see him and only him, but the end goal should be building himself up into someone whose self esteem isn't tied into anybody else's opinion -- certainly not Ford's and certainly not Eloise's. Maybe he should spend some time with Jude, if only to get his watch back and remind him that Ford doesn't own a casting couch. There are more influential cocks to choke on and his husband's is, after all, accounted for. (If it were me, I'd have threatened his career before now. And his face.)

Well, at least Patrick recognizes what he's been doing is unhealthy but he still hasn't found the strength to do anything positive for himself. He's still wallowing and he's still . . . weak. Even with all of the fact finding and snooping and hiring a private investigator to look into one of Ford's lovers, it's only enabling Ford to continue enjoying his adultery while Patrick punishes himself for still loving, wanting, and needing his lying, cheating husband. I have to say I was worried when he grabbed the bottle of his mother's pain pills and a bottle of wine. The way he's been behaving, the way he's been hurting himself by binge eating and not taking care of himself, I could just picture him swallowing the whole bottle and chasing them down with the wine just so Ford would be the one to find his cold, dead body a day later. I'm glad he called Chloe instead. Even if he passed out before she arrived.

If they paid more attention, they'd have noticed Bouncer and Essell react to Garjah's need in nearly the same way they observed them respond to Essell a few minutes earlier. It's like a hivemind but for the heart . . . a hiveheart? I'm glad Essell stood up for the bond he and Garjah share and in the way he did it as well. The Kardoval needed to understand his reasoning, being that it was formed from both intellect and emotion. If he had simply refused and said he loved this big ole lug, I don't think they would've believed him, but because his reasoning is sound, they have to. Also, kudos on him picking up on their linguistics. It's so interesting! I wonder if al at the end of a name denotes "the people," with val meaning "of the people". Kardoval meaning "Kardo (leaders or leadership) of the people" or some such, with Mereval similarly meaning "Mere (mother?) of the people". (Sloval means "asshole of the people" and you ain't changing my mind. Okay, maybe "skeptic".) Makes me think the ah in Neejah’al refers to their home or territory and jah means along the lines of "of this region/space" in the way American refers to someone or something originating in America. So, broken down, Neejah'al refers to the people of Nee space, making Garjah the protector or guardian of this region/space. Something like that. Maybe?

As someone desperately trying to dredge his memory of the next few chapters and remember who I pinned as Michael's brother (I think I remember but no spoilers!), I somehow feel the need to rub my hands together and inch forward in my seat because this is about to get interesting. Well, more interesting.

All signs to point to a more powerful and nefarious shadow behind the gangs in Tuct Side. Considering they seem unaffected by Friedrich Kuttner IV's status, it's one that moves outside of the basketball player's sphere of influence. While I'd love for Tuct Side to be the staging ground for a government run social engineering experiment, seeking to study how illegal elements corrupt America, it's more likely the local arm of a national or even international criminal organization. It's scary to consider power on that scale. Out of West's crew, I'm most worried about Justin and Kaspar. The former's shift in personality seems tied to his newfound drug use, making him particularly vulnerable to whatever is happening at Patriot High. I suspect he's using more than just weed, or the weed is laced with something, because stoners are the opposite of aggro. Kaspar, on the other hand, with his short temper and outspoken dislike of the Wildside crew, and being as popular as he is, almost certainly has a big ole target on his back. And Neil recognized West's attraction to him. He remains a mystery to me. He knows he could use West's feelings to his advantage and yet he hasn't, and that's a point in his favor. Yet he said what he said in front of West's friends in the heat of the moment. Was it simple frustration over the blonde's presence, that he remained outside the brawl despite who else was involved, or was he trying to out West in front of his friends and potentially drive a wedge between them? At least Nora remains a sweetheart.

For some reason, Patrick having a degree in Psychology makes his actions that much more alarming. I just wish his self esteem wasn't so caught up in Ford's infidelity. You'd think, given his background, that he'd understand what an issue that is. Then again, his sheltered upbringing and domineering mother probably made him particularly vulnerable to Ford's duplicity -- charmed by his presence and lured into a false sense of security, making it possible for Ford to conduct his affairs in relative safety. I guess it proves that intellect is no match for emotions, especially when they stem from a broken heart. I worry that Patrick will self-destruct long before Ford finishes the job, one chocolate chip pancake at a time. The movie script, particularly that line of Ford's, hints at some connection between Patrick's husband and the writer. Also concerning is the premise of the gay couple fighting over one of them cheating. If the writer is one of Ford's (former?) paramours, why send him what amounts to a declaration of their history? What reaction was he intending to incite?

The pack's inclusivity is wonderful. Cyn is an easy guy to like but it was heartwarming how readily the rest of the pack accepted him, herbivore and carnivore alike. A testament to caliber of people Arric surrounds himself with. Speaking of Arric . . . is that the glint of competition I detect on the horizon? Is the little wolf Orson has his eye on the same dope our favorite alpha is courting? That's a mud wrestling match I wouldn't mind seeing! Haha.

Oh Eloise. She means well but she's too blinded by her own version of reality to let anything Patrick says sink in. She wants what's best for her Patrick, not what's best for Patrick himself. Yes, she's perceptive enough to notice something was bothering him but instead of investing in the conversation and needling her son until he spilled the beans, she conjured a headache and told him to seek counseling. Merely indulging what you perceive to be a non-issue and keeping him at arm's length is no way to show how much you love and adore your favorite child. Heh, and the irony that she chitchatted with the twink who accompanied Ford to Miami and who was given Patrick's heirloom watch as a gift isn't lost on me.

Me too. Bran had no business being where he was when he was. The creepy awkwardness was coming off him in waves the longer he was around Jack and then off he went, presumably to sneak out a side or back door. You don't do that if you're there for a legitimate reason. Finally, that lie about having just come from talking to Theresa sealed it for me: he was definitely up to no good. Abducting a kid from Tuct-In would be a ballsy and . . . mmm, rash decision. A kid disappearing from from there would set off all kinds of alarms because it's supposed to be secure, leading to authorities digging into the lives of employees, volunteers, and vendors alike. Attention a gang or child trafficking ring does not need. Maybe that's where a cache of drugs is stashed? As for the garage door, it seems like their sojourn across the tracks didn't go unnoticed. If West's family and friends weren't in the crosshairs before, they certainly are now. I'd like to think one of the neighbors saw something or, better yet, one of Neil's lackeys won't be able to resist mouthing off about it.

If nothing has changed from the chapters you had posted on Patreon way back when, I'll just be over here in my corner with steepled fingers, grinning like a fiend in anticipation of the full story. I can't wait to rediscover this creepy tale of yours as it unfolds. I adore Patrick already. Ford, on the other hand, not so much. Can't believe you're back!

No wonder they acquiesce to Garjah's wishes! It also explains the Kardoval's offer to dissolve the bond between he and Essell. If they think the human has influence over the man in charge of their entire civilization's security, that's a risk they can't let slide. Along the same vein, if someone or something drew them together, that poses an even greater risk this whole thing was orchestrated to potentially undermine the Four Arms. Still I'm a big softy at heart and I hope that special something about Ardra is a benevolent one.