A few days had passed since Jacob dealt with the wendigo family. The news of a cannibalistic family living in Beacon Hills, responsible for countless murders, had spread like wildfire, dominating headlines not just in town, but across the country and the world. Beacon Hills High had sent students home for the rest of the week. Parents were freaking out because Sean had been a student there, and journalists relentlessly harassed the students and anyone associated with the school for comments.
It was Saturday morning. Jacob and the girls had finished breakfast and moved to the living room.
Lydia turned on the TV, and they settled in to watch the news.
Jacob, sitting in a recliner with Malia curled up and sleeping on his lap, stroked her fur absently. "They're still talking about the wendigos."
"Well, it's shocking news." Allison said. "They found thirty bodies hanging in that basement. And they discovered a warehouse owned by the Walcotts filled with human bones. The news said the cops have identified more than a hundred victims from them, and they're still discovering more."
"Guys, look!" Lydia said, pointing at the screen. "They're talking about what they found at the grandparents' house."
A reporter was on screen, standing in front of a house in Sitka, Alaska. ["I'm reporting live from Sitka, in front of the home of the elderly cannibal couple, John Walcott and his wife, Judith, who were found dead in Beacon Hills three days ago. Police and the FBI have discovered a cold room in the basement here containing more than twenty human bodies. We've just received news that the couple also owned a farm where police found additional victims hanging, and even more human bones buried on the property. Excavations are currently underway."]
The anchor in the studio responded. ["Thank you, Noura. We'll check back with you later."] The scene changed to show police in Chicago surrounding a farmhouse, with two body bags being carried out. The anchor continued. ["In a related development, police in Chicago have just killed Frank Walcott and his wife, confirmed cannibals, after they refused to surrender. Human body parts were found in their refrigerator, and a cold room in their kitchen contained additional victims. Frank Walcott was the eldest son of John and Judith Walcott."]
Lydia and Allison watched in stunned silence. Even Jacob, who usually cracked jokes, was in no mood for humor.
"Damn bastards." He muttered darkly. "How many people did they eat?"
"I'm glad we killed them." Allison said. "Now the entire Walcott family and anyone related to them is wanted not just here, but all over the world."
"You know what's worse?" Lydia added. "That's just one family of wendigos. How many other wendigo families are out there? How many cannibalistic creatures like them are hunting people?"
"Don't go there, Lydia." Jacob said. "Don't think about that stuff. We did our part and killed the wendigos we knew about. That's all we can do. This case will wake the government up, and hopefully, they'll start hunting wendigos all over the world."
"I hope so." Allison agreed. "One Walcott family killed more than 130 people, and that's just the branch living here. I don't even want to think about how many the entire extended family has killed, or how many people are killed by wendigos and other cannibalistic creatures every year."
"Lydia, turn the TV off." Jacob said. "I don't want to see or think about wendigos anymore."
Malia opened her eyes and barked at Lydia, who was about to turn the TV off. Understanding, Lydia smiled and changed the channel to an animal documentary. Malia wagged her tail a few times in happiness before focusing intently on the screen.
Cogman, having finished washing the breakfast dishes, entered and sat in an armchair, opening a book to read.
Allison looked over at him. "Cogman, did you do what I asked you to do yesterday?"
"Yes, my lady." He replied without looking up from his book. "I did some hacking and searched all night for any wendigo I could find worldwide and sent the information to the relevant authorities and hunter networks."
Allison said. "That's good. Did you find any more wendigos here in town?"
"No, I did not find any in Beacon Hills. They are scattered here and there all over the states, but the highest concentration was in Alaska and Canada."
Jacob said. "Well, let the authorities and hunters handle them."
Lydia and Allison began scrolling through their phones, and Cogman returned to his book. A quiet, heavy silence fell over the room.
Jacob sighed and thought. 'System, sign in.'
[Daily Sign-In Successful. Rewards Obtained:
- Cheesecake x10
- Pearl Jewelry Sets for Women x6: Each set includes a bracelet, necklace, and earrings.
- Hot Wheels 1970 Models x5: Dodge Charger, Ford Mustang, Ford F100, Jeep CJ-5, Heavy Chevy (Chevrolet Chevelle)]
Jacob read through the list. 'Cheesecake, that's nice, I guess. The jewelry is for the girls.' Then he saw the last reward and his eyes lit up. 'Hot Wheels! Now that's a good reward. My hoarding instincts are tingling.'
He moved Malia from his lap to the recliner and sat down at the table. He retrieved the Hot Wheels cars from his pocket dimension and began inspecting them, handling each one with the reverence of a collector examining priceless treasure.
Lydia and Allison, intrigued by his sudden focus, leaned closer. Each picked up a car to look at it. Lydia then tried to open the plastic case to take the car out.
Jacob let out a horrified scream and snatched the car from her hand. "Aaaahhh! What are you doing?!"
Lydia blinked in confusion. "Um… I'm trying to take it out to look at it."
"No! You can't do that!" He exclaimed, clutching the car protectively. "If you take it out, it will lose its value!"
He then swiftly took the car from Allison's hand. "Give me that! You girls are not allowed to touch my Hot Wheels!"
Seeing Lydia and Allison pout, he softened. He took six boxes from his pocket dimension and handed them over. "Here, this is for you girls."
Lydia took the boxes and opened one. Her eyes widened. "Wow, pearls! How much did these cost?"
"I didn't buy them." Jacob said. "I found them in my pocket dimension this morning."
Lydia turned to the Cogman. "Cogman, see if you can find out how much this pearl jewelry is worth."
Cogman took one set and scanned it meticulously. "According to my observation and cross-referencing with online databases, these pearls are authentic. This particular set is made of South Sea pearls. Given their size, perfect shape, and the white gold setting, I would estimate its value to be at least $70k."
"Really?" Allison said, impressed. She handed him another box. "What about this one?"
Jacob ignored them and went back to admiring his Hot Wheels, thinking. 'I should ask Cogman to make a display in the gaming room for my collection, and help me buy more Hot Wheels... no, I should do that myself. That's the fun part.'
Half an hour later, Lydia and Allison had split the pearl jewelry sets, each taking three and storing them safely in their spatial rings.
Just then, a car pulled up in front of the mansion gate.
"Cogman." Jacob said. "Go open the gate for Scott and Stiles."
Cogman went out, opened the gate, and Scott drove his new car—a white 2000 Mustang GT—into the driveway. He and Stiles entered the mansion, with Cogman following after closing the gate.
Stiles and Scott sat down. "Hey, Cogman." Stiles began. "Can you please get us something to eat? I spent the night at Scott's and we haven't had breakfast yet. Please?"
Cogman, who had just settled back into his armchair with his book—American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis—flipped a page and said flatly. "We are out of food."
Allison gave him a look. "Cogman, be nice."
"Fine." Cogman relented, closing his book with a sigh. "I'll make them something."
As Cogman went to the kitchen, Stiles asked. "What is he reading, anyway?" He picked up the book. "Oh, he's reading American Psycho. I saw that movie; it was not bad."
Lydia shuddered slightly. "The book is filled with extreme graphic violence. I tried to read it, but it was really disturbing."
Stiles put the book back exactly where Cogman had left it. "I guess that's why Cogman is reading it."
Then, Stiles noticed the Hot Wheels on the table. "Oh, are you collecting Hot Wheels, Jacob?"
"These five are my first." Jacob said proudly. "I'm planning to start a collection."
They kept talking, and soon Cogman returned with breakfast for Stiles and Scott. Jacob, though he had already eaten, joined them at the table.
After they finished, Jacob asked. "How's your old man doing, Stiles?"
"Not good." Stiles replied. "These days he's barely getting any sleep with all the FBI and reporters in town. What he saw in that basement really got to him. He's even blaming himself for not catching those wendigos sooner."
Scott added. "Even my useless father is back in town."
Lydia looked curious. "What does your father do?"
"He's an FBI agent. He lives in San Francisco."
Stiles turned to Scott, surprised. "Rafael is back? Did you meet him?"
"No." Scott said. "He came to my house yesterday morning, but I didn't meet him."
Jacob narrowed his eyes. "He didn't spend the night, did he?"
Scott raised an eyebrow. "No, my mom kicked him out."
Jacob sighed in obvious relief. "Good. I don't want him spending time with Melissa."
The room went silent.
Jacob suddenly came back to his senses and found Scott and the girls glaring at him, while Stiles was smirking. He said. "Shit, did I say that out loud?"
Stiles laughed. "Yes, you did."
Jacob quickly moved away from Allison, who had been sitting next to him. He went to the recliner, scooped up Malia, sat down, and placed her on his lap as a furry barrier. He then winked at Allison, who just snorted and looked away.
"Jacob, stay away from my mom." Scott warned. Then a sly smirk spread across his face. "You know what? I think I'll just persuade her to forgive Dad and get back with him. I don't like him, but it's better him than you."
Jacob's eyes narrowed. "Do that, and I'll ask Kate to go after your stupid werewolf ass. And don't worry, I won't let her kill you. She'll just have fun with you. Just a heads up, she's a sexual predator and a dominatrix who likes minors. So she's going to have a really good time with you and might help you awaken some new traits... like turning you into a masochist."
Scott looked at Allison for help. She just shrugged. "Don't look at me. Kate would probably do much worse things to you than what Jay just said."
Lydia smirked. "Like she'll tie you up, and she'll be the male during sex."
Scott's eyes widened in horror. He looked back at Jacob. "Don't! Don't let that crazy bitch get near me!"
Stiles howled with laughter. "Scott, are you sure? I mean, it might be fun. You might enjoy it."
Scott glared at his best friend. "Screw you! If you think it's so fun, then go find Kate yourself!"
Jacob smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Scott, don't worry. Nothing will happen between me and Melissa, at least until I turn 18. And would it be so bad? I mean, I would make her stronger and protect her."
"Yes, it would be bad!" Scott insisted. "I don't want my mom to date my friend."
"You know." Jacob mused. "the more you tell me to stay away from her, the more I want to get close. I don't know why... it's like she's the forbidden fruit." He trailed off, lost in his imagination, a distant look in his eyes. "Like, you're the king, Melissa is the mother queen, and I'm the hot stable boy..."
Lydia's eyes lit up with interest. "What kind of dirty book have you been reading? Because I'd like to borrow it."
Stiles raised his hand. "Me too! I'd like to borrow that book, please."
Jacob didn't answer them. He was completely lost in thought, smirking like an idiot.
"Earth to Jacob? Hello?" Lydia called, waving her hand.
Allison smiled wryly. "The pervert is gone."
Stiles grinned and patted Scott's shoulder. "He's probably already married your mom in his dream, become the king, and kicked you out of the palace."
"Shut up, Stiles!" Scott retorted. "It's not like you don't have Erica to worry about. He might go after her, too."
"No, he won't." Stiles said confidently. "He was the one who told me to go after her. I don't think he's sick enough to ask me to date a girl he's interested in. In case you haven't noticed, he's very possessive. I saw him beat up three guys from the opposing school's soccer team last week just because they tried to hit on Lydia and Allison when they walked by."
Allison looked surprised. "He did what? I didn't know about that."
"Well, you girls were heading to class and passed by those poor bastards." Stiles explained. "They tried to talk to you. I didn't hear what mean thing Lydia said to them, but you two left laughing, leaving the guys stunned. Then Jacob followed them to the locker room and beat the shit out of them. One of them even peed himself. The best part? Those guys didn't even know why Jacob was beating them. They were just begging him to stop without knowing what they did wrong. It was hilarious."
Allison looked over at Jacob, about to say something, but she stopped. She saw that both Jacob and Malia had fallen fast asleep. She sighed softly. "Sometimes I envy him. He can sleep whenever he wants."
Scott smirked. "Stiles, wake him up."
"Are you stupid?" Stiles hissed, pointing at the sleeping pair. "Look at him! He's smiling in his sleep. He's probably having a nice dream about Melissa. Do you want me to wake him up and get my ass beaten? No, thank you. You can wake him up yourself. I'm going to play games."
Allison added. "Take the plates back to the kitchen before you go. Cogman is lost in his book; he hasn't even looked up since he brought you guys breakfast."
Stiles pointed at Scott. "You take them." With that, he quickly made his exit to the gaming room.
Scott sighed in defeat, gathered the plates, and took them to the kitchen before following Stiles.
Left in the quiet living room, Allison and Lydia shared a smile and went back to scrolling through their phones.
To be continued... 😊