Danners

This chapter really hammered home what your lovely editor said about Seamus and Matt’s communication evolving. They’re on more equal footing now and they can joke about subjects that, not long ago, would’ve had one or more buttholes puckered tighter than an ‘80s perm. How free they are with one another without their insecurities in the way is ... it’s everything. Matt and Seamus already make an enviable couple and fantastic parents. Aidan’s younger half-sibling(s), whenever and however they join the family, are sure to be treasured. And speaking of treasure ... What a gift it is that Mike’s greed made him sloppy or, if not sloppy, complacent enough to not have covered his tracks as well as he should have. Kelly’s parents being in on it isn’t a total shock with what we know of them as (horrible) people and their feelings toward Seamus. I can see their part of the epilogue now once the FBI gets their hands on them ...

There’s a Packers joke in there somewhere with Baxter needing a good punt to the skull for his red neck, territorial, macho bullshit, but as a Minnesotan, I can’t touch it. It’s too bad Cyn’s first impression of the Green Bay pack was a werewolf cop flexing. Baxter fit that “good ole boy on a power trip” stereotype to a “T”. You can bet he does the same thing to everyone he pulls over because he thinks that badge makes him top dog. At the other end of the spectrum, we have Alpha Ken — a good ole boy who is as friendly as he is loud, boisterous. His apology to Cyn shows what kind of a leader he is. The (well deserved) praise he heaped on Cyn in the same breath as he poked good-natured fun at Sheamus was a perfect example of him as a person. We can already tell he’s a great guy and a fierce advocate. Speaking of praise ... Cyn’s nose continues to wow! Is it getting sharper by the minute? (Is being a delta’s mate elevating his already formidable senses?) I must say it every chapter and every chapter I mean it, but ooooooh, this is gettin’ good!

First I was grinning through happy tears and then you stuck us with that cliffhanger. Hmph! I bet Mike and the narcissist’s family are suing for ownership of the businesses, using a previous (and conveniently unearthed) version of Kelly’s will to contest Seamus’s inheritance and/or claiming Mike was integral to the businesses’ success and growth and thus is owed a stake. It would be well within Mike’s character to prove, albeit falsely, that he owns a percentage of the company and force Seamus to buy him out or allow him to keep making money off of it. Hope he doesn’t use all the time Seamus spent taking care of Aidan against him — y’know, the “while you were off playing nanny to your boyfriend’s kid, I was running the company” argument. Whatever happens, I hope Seamus gets his day in court. He can put Aidan on the stand and show the judge and jury that, like the kid’s dirty diaper, Mike is full of shit.

I’m absolutely loving these testimonials. It’s all well and good to learn about a character’s background, but when it’s in that character’s voice, we get so much more out of it. Their recollection is as unique to them as their sense of humor and way of speaking. Finn’s positivity and friendliness shone brightly here — from his description of the fateful snow day that brought his family to Tuct Side to what was left unsaid about his time at Wildwood and his friendships with Nigel’s crew. He has a good head on his shoulders and I admire his attitude. I think I understand where he’s coming from a little more. Makes me want to revisit past chapters and see Finn in a ... well, not a different light, but a brighter one, maybe? “Nowadays, I prefer to keep my mind on the positive. Trust me. It works wonders on the mind.” This really stuck with me because it’s very similar to my own philosophy of “focus on what you can control and let everything else go.” My anxiety is a tricky bitch, so cautious optimism is a must. Gah, yet another comment as long as the chapter! Sorry about that! I can’t seem to help myself.

Being wrong, in this case, would be a blessing. Bring on the honeymoon!

Since it’s at least a chapter too early for marriage, I can only imagine Matt extending legal guardianship to include Seamus. That way, his man won’t ever be kept from Aido Potato’s side. Best belated birthday present ever?

When Cyn attacked his frittata, all I could picture was the restaurant scene from When Harry Met Sally. Cyn: Female patron: Just when I thought he and his wolf couldn’t get any cuter, you go and have Cyn serving Sheamus a little sass about knowing what boats are. What erupted from my lips was something between a cackle and a giggle and I couldn’t be more pleased. How absolutely adorkable! Cyn’s courage and self-confidence continue to grow and it’s so natural a progression that I can almost forget the skittish, terrified mess he was in the beginning. Engaging with that other couple, knowing they were lycan and he was by himself isn’t something he was capable not too long ago. I’m so incredibly proud of him, Sheamus too.

I’m curious about all the behind-the-scenes rumors, myself. If the town is being observed Big Brother style and events have been orchestrated to some extent, it makes me think of experimentation in social engineering and the like. Tuct Side is so obviously split between the “haves” and the “have nots,” someone pulling the strings wouldn’t surprise me. Why though? Death threats are one thing, but these were apparently serious enough to permanently shutter a school. It doesn’t make sense. Unless it’s part of a larger plan to ... I don’t know ... make an already volatile situation worse by forcing a collision between the two student bodies. Rivals from Wildwood and Patriot suddenly crowded under the same roof? And all the marriages! Whatever is going on, it’s Machiavellian ... At least West’s attraction to Neil is pretty straightforward. A bad boy with music in his soul and a voice you want to hear growling naughty things in your ear. That I understand. Fingers crossed it’s mutual and it remains uncomplicated as they’re given a chance to explore it.

Good to know Cyn and Shea weren’t the only ones suffering through the Tracking Twosome’s romp. Leave it to pragmatic Kieran to land on a solution so obvious everyone else overlooked it. Part of me hopes the headphones he used were borrowed from Arric’s nightstand. Haha. Coffee is life. With a lycan’s heightened metabolism and immune system, I’m curious about how well caffeine affects them. On a chemical level, if memory serves, it temporarily blocks the absorption of fatigue compounds our bodies produce up to a certain point. Do lycans reach that threshold faster? Is there a special blend of Folgers containing highly concentrated amounts of caffeine? (I wholeheartedly apologize for my inquiring mind sidetracking the group bonding over cups of coffee.) Looking forward to this breakfast date — and it’s totally a date. I sure hope Shea talks Cyn into trying a veggie omelette or a scramble of some kind. My vote is for a spinach and garlic egg scramble with cream cheese. Or chocolate chip pancakes. Or both.

The mystery solver in me can’t decide if more questions are worthy of praise or a hissy fit. I’m digging this transcript/flashback format more and more.

Between you and me, I’m worried what will happen if he goes on the family trip. That’s a long time to be away during such a volatile period at home.

Omigod, this (bonus) chapter was everything! Thank you!

I have to agree, there’s definitely some sort of abuse happening at home. It’s comforting that Jorge is at least marginally aware and seems concerned if that’s what their conversation was about before they were interrupted. Neil has no idea what to make of West. S’kinda funny how quickly he falls back on hostility to keep him at arm’s length — and how it’s backfired. I hope having another potential ally from the western side of town can help good-natured West earn his way in.

More bang for the buck. Mm-hmm.

Aw, poor guys. Cock blocked — er, cock bucked? — by a nibble. Good thing it was only Cyn’s earlobe and not a nipple or Sheamus may have had to coax him out from under the bed. As much as I’m looking forward to their bump and grind, I’m glad they waited. Their first time should be special, not some quickie while the Tracking Twosome wagged their tails down the hall. I’m confident Sheamus will pull out all the stops and truly show Cyn the meaning of romance.

Or the spin-off series, the Petermeyer Chronicles.

Hope Mike enjoyed his vacation ‘cause the trip upstate he’s going on as soon as he deplanes won’t have nearly the same amenities. Rat bastard deserves multiple counts of embezzlement. As rough as it was for Seamus to find out, he needed to know. Like Matt, I couldn’t help drawing parallels between Kelly’s and Mike’s mistreatment of Seamus. Pissed me off too. Taking advantage of someone as selfless and generous as Seamus is unforgivable. Leave it to Matt to worry he distracted his boyfriend from discovering the theft sooner, but I’m pleased — and relieved! — he talked himself out of that one. And Seamus helped too. Gratitude, good sex, and ... Matt gripped Seamus tight and breathed him in. “I hope Dad will watch Aidan next weekend because I need to be with you. It’s like I can’t get enough and it feels like I can’t breathe.” Seamus smiled down at Matt. It was so radiant and consuming that it filled Matt’s soul. “I know the feeling,” Seamus said. ... gosh, sounds like love to me. Hehe.

I want to be irritated that Roan seems to have made Jared and Cheryl’s separation about himself but I also want to label him as much a victim in this as Greg is. Both are sort of true: he allowed Cheryl to put him in the middle of this. If he truly wanted to help, he should have made his home neutral ground and offered to help them talk through their issues or take Greg off their hands for a little while so the two could focus on fixing their marriage. Instead he chose a side by giving Cheryl and Greg a place to stay. Cheryl, by the way, gets very little — like next to no — sympathy from me. Her husband cheated on her and she suspected he was in love with Roan all along. So what did she do? She ran to his oldest friend and inserted him in the middle of it. Then, after unloading her side of the story, she continued to drive a wedge between the two men by adding fuel to the fire. Dangling Greg in front of Roan’s nose like a carrot and then blaming Jared when she took him away was low, calculated, and vicious. This was, of course; after demanding Jared confess his accusations to his friend. Vindictive bitch knew what she was doing. That last conversation between Jared and Roan — they never stood a chance. Cheryl has done nothing since Jared’s affair but poison the relationship between Jared and Roan. I guess the best revenge is stealing Roan from Jared and obliterating any hope of reconciliation, especially when it ensures the two men will never be able to come to terms with how they feel. (That they love and may be in love with one another.) Jared was in an irrational state of mind and so jumped to the wrong conclusion, and he did so in a way that punished himself by alienating his wife and friend and potentially lost access to his son. Blind guilt and fear — losing Greg more than losing Cheryl — does crazy things to our minds. Both Cheryl and Roan should’ve known he didn’t mean what he said. Granted, he shouldn’t have voiced his accusations to anyone other than his shrink — kudos to Jared for finally seeing one — but Cheryl shouldn’t have forced his hand with an ultimatum. The layers to these characters are astounding. Roan’s loneliness and longing to belong (to Jared, hehehehe); Cheryl’s subconscious and conscious passive aggression; Jared’s devotion, infidelity, and insecurity. Speaking of Jared’s infidelity. We still don’t know enough about it, do we? I can’t help feeling there’s more to it than a simple dalliance. Anyway, another intense chapter. Color me captivated.

My money’s on the older brother, but more likely the disgruntled dad. As terrified as Neil was in that moment, I figure whoever the driver is promised violence if he was kept waiting. Maybe violence regardless. A reaction like Neil’s stinks of abuse. Given the picture Nora painted of Nigel, however, his immediate departure may have been for the group’s benefit as much as his own safety. The driver didn’t think much of almost mowing down bystanders, after all. S’pretty telling behavior. West’s burgeoning crush is gonna be interesting to watch pan out. Can’t say his feelings are mutual just yet but Neil did seem to appreciate the blonde’s unflappable nature. Like with West, I’m excited to see what happens as Neil thaws. Will he work to keep a wall between himself and this intriguing blonde boy, and will it be to protect himself or West? Can he? Keep ‘em coming, Westley!

If Neil is the boy whose father we met in passing in chapter one, I can understand where his behavior comes from. Maybe he’s mellowed with age and been able to separate the “bad boy” demeanor expected by his family with the more valiant nature he keeps subdued. He’s definitely complex and possibly the cold yin to West’s warm yang. No wonder there’s a connection there. Or maybe it’s a case of “only I can mess with her,” but I don’t really think so. I like this girl, Nora. She’s well-spoken and thoughtful, and she’s tougher than any of them know. Hopefully we’ll see more of her.

Seamus’s friend and openly gay football player Jay Petermeyer. Finally he’d have a beau who might actually be interested in his career. Haha.

For all his hesitance to label and proclaim his feelings, Matt sure finds ways to show Seamus how much he cares. I’d say that’s love. Fingers crossed Matt realizes that. Brad’s a great guy. Hope there’s someone for him in the future. If he’s at all bisexual, seems like he’d be a good match for Jay. Huh? Huh? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. As for Mike — well, if he was Kelly’s childhood friend and longtime accountant, maybe he thinks he’s taking what’s owed to him for helping the businesses thrive. Greed makes a lot of bad behavior justifiable, especially if he felt slighted by Kelly leaving everything to Seamus. He deserves his cut and he’s getting it one way or the other.

Hot damn! Go get your man, Rick! Can’t wait for next week when Rick mops the floor with the Takács. He’s got the bucket; s’time to clean up their bullshit.

Another inter species couple I could get behind. I can see Pierce grumbling to himself a lot but secretly pleased with whatever oddball fact Kieran just pulled out of his a — er, hat. Ship’s ahoy!

I’m glad I didn’t suggest a side story or an offshoot or anything. I mean, I was going to but I’m glad I didn’t. Even though he’d make an interesting protagonist. Set him up with a shrewd, sharp tongued anti-hero in a scholastic or counterintelligence setting and I’d be all over it. (Personally, I just want Arric to pound some good sense into him — y’know, by way of a mattress. Hehe.) Sure glad I didn’t say anything ...