After Jacob opened the gate, Stiles parked his Jeep in front of the mansion. Then the three of them entered the mansion and went to the living room.
Jacob sat back down between Lydia and Allison and said to them telepathically. [By the way, girls, Scott and Stiles don't know I'm a dragon. I told them I don't know what I am, and after seeing my dragon eyes, they assume I'm some kind of snake shapeshifter. So don't tell them I'm a dragon, okay?]
Both girls responded in his head. [Okay.]
Allison looked at Stiles and said. "Didn't I tell you that Jay is busy today?"
Stiles, already helping himself to a piece of chocolate, replied. "He doesn't look busy to me. Oh, what kind of chocolate is this? It tastes amazing." He took another piece and gave it to Scott "Here, try it."
Scott took a bite. "Wow, it really is good."
Just as Stiles was about to take another piece, Lydia snatched the box away and said. "Hey, this is mine and Allison's!"
Stiles pouted. "Come on, don't be stingy."
Lydia said. "I already let you have one. That's generous enough."
"How generous of you." He grumbled, then stood up and said. "I know where Jacob hides the good stuff."
He bolted to the kitchen, grabbed a handful of snacks from a cabinet, and returned to the living room. Looking at Jacob, he asked. "You don't mind, do you?"
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I do. Put those back where you found them."
Stiles completely ignored him, ripped open a Snickers bar, and tossed a pack of Oreos to Scott. "Here you go, man."
Scott looked at Jacob and hesitated, not knowing if he should eat the Oreos or not.
Jacob chuckled. "It's fine, Scott. Eat it if you want. But Stiles, you're a rude houseguest. At least ask before you raid my kitchen."
Stiles waved him off. "No need for politeness between friends."
Jacob shook his head with a small smile. "So, what's up? Are you guys here to hang out, or is there something you want to talk to me about?"
Stiles glanced at Lydia and Allison, then back at Jacob. "Well, there is something, but we can talk about it later."
"If you want to talk about the supernatural, then go ahead." Jacob said. "I already told Lydia and Allison everything."
Scott almost choked on his Oreo, coughed, and said. "What?! You told them everything?!" He pointed at Allison in panic. "You told the hunter princess that I'm a werewolf?!"
Jacob looked at him like he was an idiot. "I only told her that you and Stiles know about the supernatural. I didn't tell her you are a werewolf, but you just did, dumbass."
Scott froze, eyes wide, and just stared at Jacob in a daze, like his life was over.
Stiles patted him on the back. "Welp. You jumped the gun, man. Now she knows what you are. But don't worry, when her dad kills you, I'll say a few kind words at your funeral."
Hearing that, Scott got even more depressed.
Allison smiled gently. "Don't worry. I'm not going to tell my family about you. And you don't have to be scared of them. I don't think they'll hurt you unless you've done something bad. Jacob told me they follow a code—they only hunt harmful supernaturals."
Scott snorted. "Yeah, right. The only code your dad follows is shoot first, ask questions never."
Allison frowned. "What do you mean?"
Scott said. "A few nights ago, I was in the woods. Out of nowhere, your dad and his goons showed up. He shot me in the leg with a crossbow. If another werewolf hadn't rescued me, I'd be dead by now."
Allison turned to Jacob. "Is that true?"
Jacob nodded. "Yes."
Scott continued. "And let's not even talk about your aunt."
"What did she do?" Allison asked.
"When she first got into town, she shot a friend of mine with a poisoned bullet. If Jacob hadn't helped him, he would've died. And he told me that yesterday she and a few of her goons went to his house, caught him, and tortured him with electricity. She even told him that she ordered the hunters to cut his sister's dead body in half and leave it in the woods—to lure him back to Beacon Hills."
Lydia asked. "Are you talking about Derek Hale?"
Scott replied. "So Jacob told you about him?"
Lydia nodded. "Yeah, he did."
Allison turned to Jacob, visibly shaken. "I… I didn't want to believe you when you said Kate was bad. She's always been so sweet and nice to me. But now… I don't know how to feel about her or how to treat her anymore."
Jacob said calmly. "You can treat her however you want. Just don't trust everything she says."
Then he turned to Stiles. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Stiles leaned forward. "I found a link between the bus driver and the video store owner."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "What did you find?"
Stiles said. "Both of them were involved in the Hale house fire six years ago."
Lydia asked. "What's the Hale house fire?"
Stiles explained. "Six years ago, the Hale house was burned down. Eight people died in the fire. Derek and his sister survived only because they were at school that day. And I don't think it was an accident."
Lydia frowned. "So the alpha is taking revenge? Does that mean Derek is the alpha?"
Stiles shook his head. "No. That's what Scott and I thought at first too. But Derek's eyes glow blue, not red."
Allison said. "Since he and his sister are werewolves, then the whole Hale family probably was too. Which means there's another survivor—someone else from the Hale family. And he's probably the alpha."
Stiles said. "The only other known survivor is their uncle. But he's in the hospital. He's been in a coma for six years. And although he is awake now, he can't even move a muscle."
Scott added. "Yeah, Derek took me to see him yesterday. He was in a wheelchair, half his face is burned, and he just sits there… completely unresponsive."
Jacob thought to himself. 'Well, it is time to expose Peter.' Then he imagined himself spraying Peter in the face with bear spray while Peter pretended to be sick, and couldn't help but chuckled.
Stiles looked at him suspiciously. "You evil snake… you're planning something bad again, aren't you?"
Jacob said. "No, I'm planning something fun." Then he smirked. "Stiles, I think we should pay Derek's uncle a visit. And bring some bear spray with us."
Stiles smirked back. "I like the way you think."
Scott looked alarmed. "Are you guys serious?! You can't just spray a disabled guy! What if he's not the alpha?"
Stiles shrugged. "And what if he is?"
Jacob added. "Even if he's not, maybe the bear spray will wake him up from his daze."
Stiles nodded. "Yeah. We'll be doing him a favor. We will cure him."
Jacob grinned. "Then it's settled. Let's take Derek with us and do it tonight."
Stiles said. "Agreed. But let's not tell Derek about the bear spray. He'll try to stop us."
Scott groaned. "You guys are evil."
Allison looked at Jacob. "Jay… can I go with you?"
Jacob shook his head firmly. "Definitely not. You're just a normal human. I can't risk taking you. If Derek's uncle is really the alpha, things will be very dangerous."
Allison crossed her arms and looked at Stiles. "What is he?"
Stiles blinked. "Me? I'm normal. I have no powers."
Then Allison looked back at Jacob. "Then why are you taking him with you?"
Jacob said casually. "Because I don't care if he gets hurt."
Stiles looked offended. "Hey! That's hurtful."
Jacob got serious. "If Derek's uncle really is the alpha, I'll be the only one strong enough to fight him. And if it comes to that, I need to be fully focused. I can't protect anyone else during the fight."
Stiles asked. "Wait, you fought the alpha before, right? So who's stronger? You or him?"
Jacob answered. "The first time I fought him, it was just a day after I awakened my bloodline, so he was stronger than me. But now… I think I can beat him. Or at least tie with him."
Stiles raised a brow. "Are you sure?"
Jacob nodded. "Yeah. And he knows I'm dangerous too. Otherwise, he would've attacked me that night at the video store."
Stiles asked. "Say, if you managed to beat him, what are you going to do with him?"
Jacob shrugged. "Nothing. As long as he doesn't mess with me and my girls, I don't care what he does."
Scott frowned. "And what about us? Aren't you going to protect us too?"
Jacob looked at him and smirked. "You two aren't beautiful girls, so why should I protect you?"
Scott frowned. "I thought we were friends."
Jacob grinned. "Fine, I'll tell him to stop bothering you, but only if I win. If I tie with him, he wouldn't listen to me. Besides Scott, you need to learn to protect yourself."
Scott nodded. "That's fair enough, and I will try to get stronger."
Jacob noticed Stiles staring at him, wide-eyed, and asked. "Hey, dumbass, what's wrong with you?"
Stiles blinked. "You just said: 'As long as he doesn't mess with me and my girls.' Does that mean you three are dating?"
Jacob smirked and threw his arms around Allison and Lydia. "Yep. I'm too handsome for them to resist. When I asked them both to date me, they couldn't say no."
Lydia just rolled her eyes with a smirk; she didn't care about Jacob's narcissism.
Allison elbowed him. "Hey! I thought we agreed to keep it between the three of us."
Stiles snorted. "He already told us the day we met him—said his dream was to have a harem. Don't worry, we won't tell anyone."
Jacob leaned back smugly. "Speaking of dreams… me and Scott already achieved ours. I'm dating two gorgeous girls, and Scott's the captain of the lacrosse team. But Stiles… you still haven't become Superman."
Stiles shot him a glare. "Screw you."
They all laughed, and Jacob said. "Don't worry, Stiles. If that crazy supernatural doctor I know comes up with something to make humans stronger, I'll get it for you."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "The same crazy doctor who gave you that healing medicine that made people fart?"
Jacob chuckled. "Yep. You want it or not?"
Stiles shrugged. "I mean, I can deal with farting… or even diarrhea, if it makes me stronger. But if the side effects include turning into a frog or losing my hair, I hope you can tell me in advance."
Jacob smirked. "Sure. And hey, if you don't want the medicine, you could always become a werewolf like Scott."
Stiles quickly shook his head. "No thanks. I don't think I could control myself if I became a werewolf. So for now, I'll stay human."
Lydia looked at Scott. "Hey, Scott, can you turn into a beast like the alpha?"
Scott shook his head. "No, all I can do is this..."
He shifted. His eyes glowed yellow, fur sprouted from his cheeks. Then he went further—his face became wolf-like, fur grew on his arms, and his skin darkened to a dark grey color
Allison and Lydia both stared at him in fascination. Lydia said bluntly. "Fascinating. But… you don't look good. Your werewolf form is ugly."
Scott shifted back, clearly a little offended. "What does being good-looking have to do with anything? As long as I'm strong, it doesn't matter."
Lydia shrugged. "Well, beauty comes first. Strength comes second."
Stiles rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, when you're fighting something like the alpha, nobody cares if you're good-looking or not. What matters is strength. If you're not strong enough, you'll end up dead."
Lydia smirked. "But Scott not only doesn't look good in his werewolf form, he's also weaker than the alpha. So he'll die anyway if he fights the alpha, and he'll die ugly."
Jacob laughed. "Alright, Lydia, stop bullying Scott. He can't control how he looks when he shifts."
Then he looked at both Scott and Stiles. "By the way, have either of you told your parents about the supernatural stuff?"
Scott looked uncomfortable. "No. I haven't. I'm not ready. I'm scared my mom will look at me differently… or worse, be afraid of me."
Jacob said. "You should trust her more. She's your mother. She'll love you no matter what. Besides, it's safer for her to know what's really going on."
He turned to Stiles. "Same goes for you. You should tell your dad and let him know that what he's dealing with isn't a mountain lion."
Stiles sighed. "He wouldn't believe me even if I tell him. So when I'm ready, I'll need Scott's help… or yours."
Jacob nodded. "Okay. I'll help if you need me."
Stiles said. "Thanks." Then he glanced at the bestiary on the table. "By the way, can't you find out what you are with the help of this book?"
Jacob shook his head. "Nope."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Did you even try? Did you look for creatures with eyes like yours?"
Jacob nodded. "I did. But there are too many creatures with eyes like mine in the bestiary—reptilian shifters, fox shifters, cat shifters… even shark shifters."
Stiles blinked. "Hold on. Did you just say shark shifters?"
"Yep." Jacob replied. "There are shapeshifters that can turn into fish-like creatures. But they mostly live near the sea. Oh, and by the way—mermaids are real too."
Lydia's eyes lit up. "Are you serious? I loved The Little Mermaid growing up! My grandmother used to call me Ariel."
Jacob scratched the back of his head. "Well… I hate to disappoint you, Lydia. But real mermaids aren't exactly like Ariel. There are different kinds of them. Some are beautiful… but they're not exactly nice. There's a race called Finfolk—they lure men into the water and, uh, rape them. Apparently, they only give birth to females, and the men usually die afterward for some reason."
Lydia stared at him. "What?! That can't be real."
Jacob shrugged. "That's what's written in the book. And believe it or not, those ones are actually considered the nicer kind of mermaids I've read about."
Allison said. "Wait, are you saying the other kinds are worse?"
Jacob nodded. "Yeah. There's another kind—ugly, sharp teeth, full-blown cannibals. And then there are Sirens. They're beautiful but deadly. Their songs hypnotize sailors and lure them to their deaths. They don't even need to live in the sea—they can walk among humans, and they like to control humans mentally and cause chaos."
Lydia frowned. "You're saying there are no nice mermaids at all?"
Jacob said. "I don't know. I haven't read the whole bestiary yet. Maybe there are some nice ones, but so far… it's not looking good."
Stiles sighed and leaned back on the couch. "You know… when you think about it—about all the crazy, dangerous creatures out there—you start to realize how terrifying this world really is."
Everyone went quiet, the thought sinking in. Even Jacob, for a moment, felt a chill as he imagined all the deadly creatures hiding in the shadows of the supernatural world.
'I've got to get stronger.' Jacob thought. 'Strong enough to protect myself… and everyone I care about.'
Trying to shift the mood, Jacob clapped his hands. "Alright! No more thinking about scary monsters. Stiles, tell us a joke."
Stiles blinked. "What? You can't catch me off guard like that! I can't tell a joke on demand!"
Jacob leaned forward and said. "Alright then, let me tell you guys a story."
Allison and Lydia perked up with interest. Lydia smiled and said. "Go ahead, we're listening."
Jacob began. "In the year 1999, a man from Texas traveled to India and lived in a village for a few months. One day, while he was there, an elephant came to his house—wounded by an arrow in one of its legs. The man pulled the arrow out, bandaged the injury, and took care of the elephant until it fully healed."
"During that time, the two became friends. The elephant trusted the man and even after it recovered, it would return from time to time to visit—hugging the man with its trunk and playing gently with him. But eventually, the man had to return to Texas."
Lydia asked. "Then what happened? Did he take the elephant with him?"
Jacob chuckled. "Nope. After a sad goodbye, he left the elephant behind in India and went home. Ten years later, a circus came to Texas, and the man decided to attend. During the elephant show, a massive bull elephant went wild—ignoring its trainer and charging toward the crowd… directly toward the section where the man was sitting."
He paused dramatically.
"People were running in every direction, panicking—but not the man. He stood up and walked toward the elephant with a big smile, arms open wide. As the huge bull reached him… it wrapped its trunk around the man and hugged him."
Lydia smiled. "It was his old elephant friend from India!"
Allison rolled her eyes. "Lydia, let him finish the story!"
Jacob smirked. "So, the elephant hugged the man with its trunk and lifted him high. The man's smile grew wider—but suddenly the elephant slammed him to the ground and began stomping on him. It crushed him—shattered his bones and killed him on the spot."
Allison, Lydia, Stiles, and Scott sat there in stunned silence.
Jacob looked at them, grinned and said. "It was not his old elephant friend from India."
Then Jacob burst out laughing.
Lydia pinched him. "That wasn't funny! I thought it was going to be a happy ending!"
Scott and Stiles lost it, laughing so hard they nearly fell off the couch.
Stiles wiped a tear from his eye. "That's hilarious! That man was an idiot!"
Allison laughed and shook her head. "Well… at least he died with a smile on his face."
To be continued… 😊