The next morning, Jacob woke up feeling refreshed. He sat up in bed and stretched with a loud yawn.
"Aaahhh, that was a good night's sleep. System, sign in."
[Daily sign-in successful. Rewards obtained:
-Black Widow's underwear: she just took it off and it's still warm (Marvel)
-Ten kilos of freshly caught lobster
-A military-grade knife]
Jacob groaned. "Seriously, system, stop giving me gross rewards. If you're good enough to steal Black Widow's still-warm underwear, then just bring her to me, damn it! Ugh, I should go burn that thing in the backyard again."
He sighed. "Well, at least the lobster looks good, and even the knife isn't bad for a daily reward."
After playing with the knife for a while, Jacob took a quick shower, got dressed, and made himself a big breakfast. Once done, he grabbed his bike and rode off to school.
---
At school, Jacob met with Scott and Stiles and greeted them.
Stiles looked at him and said. "Oh, you're not ignoring us today and running straight to class to sleep."
Jacob smirked. "No, I had a very good night's sleep yesterday. So yeah, I have time to talk to you idiots this morning. You should feel honored."
Stiles snorted. "Yeah, we feel very honored to get to talk to you, you narcissistic stupid snake."
Jacob laughed. "So? Did you two get into any kind of trouble yesterday?"
Scott shook his head. "Not exactly trouble, but I heard gunshots around 2 AM. Then I heard a howl. You didn't hear anything?"
Jacob replied. "I didn't hear the gunshots, but I heard the howl. It was the alpha, and he sounded very pissed."
Scott nodded. "I went to see what happened, but I didn't see the alpha."
Stiles frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Scott shrugged. "I'm telling you now."
Stiles crossed his arms. "No, no. When something happens, you should tell me first and as soon as possible. Remember, you should tell me everything."
Scott snorted. "Sure, should I tell you when I poop too?"
Stiles replied quickly. "Yes—wait, no! Who said anything about pooping? I meant when something supernatural happens, you should tell me."
Jacob chuckled. "So Scott, what did you see when you got there?"
Scott leaned in slightly. "I saw Allison's dad with another woman. She told him she was attacked by two werewolves and that she shot one with a poisonous bullet."
Jacob narrowed his eyes. "Did she say how long he has to live?"
"She said he has 48 hours to live." Scott replied. "And then Allison's dad started scolding her."
Stiles blinked. "Why? Does he feel sorry for the werewolf that got shot?"
"No." Scott said. "He was mad because he wanted the beta alive to use as bait for the Alpha. They assumed the one who got shot was a beta."
Stiles asked. "Do you think it was Derek who got shot?"
Scott shrugged. "I'm not sure."
Jacob said. "Well, that's none of our concern for the moment. And Scott, you should stay as far away as possible from that woman."
Scott asked. "Is she Allison's mom?"
Jacob tilted his head. "Did she have short red hair?"
"No." Scott said. "She was blonde, I think, and her hair was long."
"Then that's not Allison's mom, that's her aunt, and she is very dangerous. Stay away from her." Jacob warned. "And while we're on the topic, stay away from Allison's mom too, if she thinks you're a threat, she won't hesitate to kill you. She is very mean."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Remind me again why you're hanging out with the hunter princess and trying to date her?"
Jacob smirked. "Because she's beautiful, sweet, and I like her. And—oh, look, she's here. See you later, losers."
Jacob left them behind as he went to greet Allison and Lydia, who had just arrived.
Stiles watched him go and muttered. "That stupid snake is completely blinded by love. Isn't he even a little worried they'll find out what he is and skin his scaly ass?"
Scott chuckled. "Let's go to class, and don't worry too much about him. He is very strong and can handle himself."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Is he as strong as Derek?"
Scott shook his head. "No. He's stronger than Derek—way stronger, actually. Honestly, I think Jacob might be as strong as the Alpha. Sometimes I get this intense sense of danger from him... even more than from the Alpha."
Stiles blinked. "But how do you know for sure that Jacob's stronger than Derek?"
"Remember when he trained me?" Scott said. "No matter what I did, I couldn't even land a single hit. Jacob was toying with me—and he didn't even shift. Now, compare that to Derek. When I fought him, he used all his strength, but he wasn't that much stronger than me. I think now that I'm more familiar with my powers, I can tie with him or even win against him."
Stiles let out a low whistle. "I never thought Jacob was that strong. When you hang out with him every day, it's easy to forget how dangerous he actually is. By the way, what kind of shifter do you think he is?"
Scott shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever he is, he is very dangerous. I'm just glad that he is our friend. So we don't have to worry about him. He is a good guy and we can trust him."
Stiles nodded. "I think he is a good guy too. It's just that he is a little too full of himself sometimes. But you're right—my gut tells me we can trust him, and I have a very keen sense when it comes to telling good people from bad ones."
---
After school, Jacob met Allison and Lydia at the front gate.
Lydia looked downcast and sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't hang out with you guys today. I've got to head straight home."
Allison smiled. "That's too bad."
Lydia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. That big smile on your face is dripping with sympathy."
Jacob stepped next to Lydia and, to her and Allison's surprise, gave her a tight hug.
He said gently. "I can feel your sadness and fear, so whatever is going on with you, you can tell me. I might not be able to fix it, but at least I will listen and be there for you."
Lydia was stunned for a moment, then smiled softly and hugged him back. "Thanks… and I'll take you up on that."
Jacob released her, and Lydia gave him a kiss on the cheek before saying. "See you tomorrow. And Allison, you better behave yourself when I'm not around."
Allison rolled her eyes and flipped her off. Lydia laughed and walked to her car.
Once she was gone, Allison turned and glared at Jacob.
He sighed and pulled her into a hug too. "Are you satisfied now?"
Allison snorted but hugged him back without saying a word.
When they pulled apart, Jacob said. "I think something's going on at Lydia's home."
"Yeah." Allison agreed. "She wasn't her usual self today. What do you think it is?"
Jacob paused. "Not sure… but if I had to guess, maybe her parents are going through a divorce or something like that."
Allison said softly. "If that's the case, I can't imagine how she's feeling."
Jacob nodded. "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. When she's ready to talk to us, we'll listen to her and support her. For now, what's the plan for today?"
Allison smiled. "I already told my mom I wasn't coming home after school, so… how about we go back to your place? I haven't played video games in a while."
Jacob grinned. "Sounds perfect to me."
As they walked toward his motorcycle, Allison noticed and grinned. "Oh, you brought your bike? Can I drive?"
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know how to ride a bike?"
"I know how to ride a bicycle. Aren't they the same?" She said innocently.
Jacob immediately placed a finger over her lips. "Shhh… she might hear you."
Allison swatted his hand away, confused. "She? Are you talking about your stupid bike?"
Jacob walked up to the bike, gently stroking the seat. "It's okay, baby. Allison didn't mean it. You're not stupid—you're beautiful. She's the stupid one, and don't worry… I'd never let her drive you."
Allison pouted. "Hey. I can hear you."
Jacob turned back, smiling as he poked her cheek. "Okay, okay, stop pouting. Let's go. I'll teach you how to ride when we get home."
Her eyes lit up. "Really? You're the best!" Then she kissed his cheek.
Jacob grinned, hopped onto the bike, and handed her the helmet. "Let's go."
Allison slid the helmet on and climbed behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. With the engine roaring to life, the two of them sped off toward Jacob's mansion.
To be continued... 😊