Cane23

I love the ending… This reunion had been waiting to happen for so long. It feels like they both needed this closure - not to forgive each other, but to forgive themselves. The hint that they’re connected not only by a destiny shaped by narcissistic, abusive, and selfish adults, but by their own DNA gives a powerful turn from tragedy into a story of love and redemption.

Ben’s eyes might be blinded by the new experience, but I have a feeling another pair of eyes - the “Hawk eyes” - are seeing better, farther, and deeper than ever before. In general, I’m not as intrigued by the final encounter between Kieran and Ben as I am by the encounter between the King and the Hawk (the “new” Riley).

Cheetam Hill excursion was amazing-adventurous, funny… haha. “Fake originals” cracked me up - I once saw knockoff Snickers where instead of Reebok it said Reabok! 😁 The appearance of Lee and Kieran’s shadow is unsettling. It was expected but orchestrated by Ben and Riley...this isn’t a controllable variable. Hmm… could Kieran be behind the Montague business?!

I’m not a violent person and I don’t believe violence is the solution, but in this case… it’s really hard not to feel like someone should put that manipulative bastard Sam in his place!

I had to check Go Home, and then I remembered I’ve read both prequels. Great stories - hot, kinky… a bit controversial, but more as a psychological dissection of the characters than for its own sake. I didn’t know there was a Jake’s Story… eagerly waiting to see his closure.

Kieran too - he was his king, never a partner. He never saw any potential in Riley beyond emotional refuge. When those emotions became leverage, he discarded him.

A lot of interesting characters in the Poisoned Place… Even though everyone seems suspicious, I still can’t tell who the Monstrum is. Or is it person at all...

Well, that's already half chapters of the book five... What are you waiting for?! 😂

At first, I wondered if it echoed The Picture of Dorian Gray - that split between surface and soul. But now I’m also seeing shades of The Wizard of Oz - the Tin Man in search of a 'heart'. Kieran leaves his behind, and Ben carries it forward. In the end, maybe it’s only the one who still has a 'heart' who can be saved.

But he's still legally married!

Wow - three in one. What a great ending, @Topher Lydon! But you have to come back to Charlie’s world - eternity is far too long to leave him without his soulmate.

Of course he is...he's Mr. Shaw after all! 🙂

You are amazing Chris, this place would not be the same without you!

Interesting idea @BendtedWreath, I’m curious - how did you choose the stories? Was it a bit of “eenie, meenie…” or something more deliberate? 😁 I’ve read at least one story from each of the authors you mentioned, and for one of them I’ve read literally everything they’ve published here on GA. That’s partly why I’m so interested in your selections - because for most of the authors on your list, the story you picked wouldn’t have been my first recommendation. With the possible exception of @Rob Colton —his Timber Pack Chronicles is a classic. It was actually the first shifter story I ever read, and it sparked my love for the genre, which I later expanded with works from @kbois, @WolfM, @astone2292 and more recently, @Laura S. Fox. You chose poems from @Parker Owens but if you ever feel like trying one of his novels, I’d strongly recommend A to Z. It’s another GA classic - an absolute must-read. @Wayne Gray's Curing Humanity is one of his newer stories and definitely a great read, but I’d still suggest starting with his masterpiece, Ash and Ember. As for @LitLover - another author who’s no longer active on GA - my first pick would be Unforgivable. It’s a different genre (romance), but a very good novel. For @Arch Hunter, I’d go with Dark Star. It’s one of those high school coming-out stories that really stands out instead of blending into the crowd of similar works. I saved @CasualWanderer82 for last, since he’s already said plenty about Wicked Games. Should I recommend something else? Honestly, I’m not sure - I’m one of those readers who’s gone through everything he’s written. I could, probably, go on but...I'm eagerly waiting to see your A2 list! 😁

And end the story... 😁

I love Jung! Wrestling with the Numinous in order to achieve integration. Riley has fought the fear, now he has to fight obsession... To heal, Riley has to "kill" the myth of the King (Protector) just as he watched the reality of the stepfather die. He needs to see his protector not as a savior, but as a man - perhaps a flawed or even manipulative one.

“270275” Ben said softly. “Deal?” Is this the date of birth?! 🤣 It is so...I don't know...Ben?! 😂

If by “fixing it” you mean unlearning harmful patterns and developing healthier ones, then yes - this is a project that makes sense. There isn’t a simple cure for sociopathy; at best, there’s consistent modeling, feedback, and correction that can help someone behave in more socially acceptable, empathetic ways. As for redemption or absolution, I don’t think this is primarily a moral tale, nor is it our role to judge the characters. What we can do is try to understand them - and perhaps observe how they move, however imperfectly, toward more constructive behavior. No saints here, just flawed people navigating change.

Aww, that, actually, sounds...romantic...

He wasn’t making a weapon or a king. He was trying, desperately, to make a person—a perfect, understandable, obedient person—because the real ones were too chaotic, too flawed, too painful. He was trying to make a friend in a language only he understood. Here are some answers to the questions I asked in previous comments...

When Pip said, "You have me." - I thought he was going to use his wings for transportation!

Do opposites attract? Probably not, that’s just an urban legend… or maybe not. Two former brothers-in-law: Dan - a stubbornly straight, rugged truck sales agent with two failed marriages and three kids - and Rami, a home stager, gym enthusiast, and unapologetically gay. One project brings them together...redecorating Dan’s house to sell it for a good price. But as the tension rises, the masks begin to slip… and then what? Some would call it destiny. Others might say it’s something that should have happened long ago - just waiting for both men to grow up and meet each other honestly. Witty (with @Boy Mercury X's signature humor), hot, emotional, and deeply heartwarming - this is a story that’s easy to recommend and even harder to forget.

There’s something “ugly duckling–like” about Riley - a raw intelligence shaped by the street. He lacks formal structure and polish, but that may be exactly where his potential lies. Ben could turn that into something extraordinary. The question is - what? It’s certainly not Kier. Riley may be shedding the fear he’s carried since childhood, but that doesn’t mean he’ll become a cold, unfeeling machine. There’s still a heart in him. So, Ben… what are you trying to create?