Meanwhile, while Jacob was fighting the wizard...
Lydia, Allison, Cogman, and the Argents arrived at the clearing where Jacob had fought the hunters. The scene that greeted them was a bloody massacre. Headless bodies, men and women split in two, and scattered limbs and viscera lay amidst the shattered trees. The torrential rain did little to wash away the sheer horror.
Kate's eyes widened. "This is... terrible. The kid is ruthless."
Allison, who had seen him slaughter hunters before, scanned the gruesome scene with cold indifference. "They came here to hunt him. They got exactly what they deserved."
Lydia, pale and gripping Allison's arm for support, looked away from the grisly sight. Her eyes found the shallow cave. "Malia?" she called out, her voice soft. "Are you okay?"
The coyote emerged from the shadows, her blue eyes meeting Lydia's. She gave a slow, deliberate nod.
Lydia sighed in relief. "I'm glad you're okay. Where's Jay?"
Malia turned her head and looked intently into the raging storm, where lightning was tearing the forest apart.
"He went that way?" Allison asked, following her gaze.
Malia nodded again.
"Then let's go after him!" Allison said, taking a determined step forward.
Lydia pulled her back, her face etched with the memory of pure terror. "How about we don't follow him? Do you see that crazy lightning storm? It's his ability—the one that almost killed me the last time he used it!"
Allison hesitated. "But what if he needs our help?"
Lydia snorted, a touch of her old sass returning. "He doesn't. Trust me. He's probably just toying with whoever he's fighting."
A weak, pained groan cut through their conversation. Marcus, the hunter leader with his limbs bent at impossible angles, lay writhing in the mud. His eyes, glazed with pain, locked onto Chris. "You... you're Chris Argent, right?" He rasped. "Help me... h-help me, please!"
Chris walked over to the man. "Oh, it's you. Marcus Laurent. I thought the Laurents only operated in Europe."
Allison walked to her father's side. "Dad, do you know him?"
"Yes." Chris said, his voice grim. "He's from a French hunter family, like our Argent family, but not as old. They're more like mercenaries than hunters. As long as the price is right, they'll hunt anything—including normal humans."
Allison spat on the man. "Ugh, another disgusting hunter group."
Marcus ignored the insult, his focus solely on survival. He looked pleadingly at Kate. "Kate, help me out. My team and I helped you and Gerard hunt before."
Allison glared at her aunt. "Why am I not surprised?"
Kate held up her hands defensively. "Okay, princess, the Laurents are evil, I admit it. But I only hunted with them twice, and both times we went after some genuinely evil werewolves, I swear."
Then she looked down at Marcus, her expression hardening. "Sorry, man. I can't help you. Out of all the people you could provoke, you had to provoke that kid. Look what he did to your hunters. I don't want to end up like them. He already doesn't like me."
Cogman, having finished a quick search for other survivors and found none, came running over. He grabbed Marcus by the collar and hauled him up. "It seems Sir still cares for me. He kept you alive so I could crush your windpipe." He then looked at Allison. "My lady, I'll be right back. I wish to have some fun with this poor bastard, and I'd rather you not see it."
He turned and started dragging the screaming Marcus away, but Allison stopped him before he could get far. "Cogman, stop right there, you psycho!"
Cogman turned to her. "But..."
Allison cut him off. "No buts. Drop him."
Cogman hesitated, his grip tightening. "I..."
"I said drop him!" Allison commanded. "What if Jay wants him for something and comes back to find him dead?"
Reluctantly, Cogman dropped Marcus to the ground with a thud. "Can I at least cut his limbs off? Or... or gouge his eyes out? Please?"
Allison said firmly. "Nope."
Cogman screamed in frustration and stormed over to a huge tree nearby, furiously punching its trunk.
Allison just shook her head with a smirk. Victoria looked at her daughter. "He seems dangerous, Allison."
"Who? Cogman?" Allison replied. "No, he's not. Although he's a sociopath, he's very nice and respectful to me and Lydia, and he's fun to be around. He's only dangerous to our enemies."
Kate's gaze fell on Malia, who was standing quietly beside Lydia. She noticed the coyote's glowing blue eyes. "Allison, who is the werecoyote?"
Allison looked at her aunt warily. "Why are you asking?"
"Her eyes are glowing blue. She must be dangerous."
"I don't know if she's dangerous or not." Allison said. "All I know is that Jay likes her." She fixed Kate with a hard stare. "And Kate, do you see how tragically these people died? They died like this because they tried to harm her. So unless you want to end up like these dismembered bodies, I suggest you don't look at her the wrong way."
Kate pouted. "You've changed, princess. You're even threatening me now."
Allison ignored her, turning her back to walk over to Lydia and Malia, where she began chatting quietly with her Lydia.
Chris sighed, watching Cogman punch the tree. "It seems we're lucky the kid is in love with Allison. Otherwise, we would have ended up like these poor idiots when we attacked him yesterday."
Victoria nodded in agreement. "Let's not do something stupid like that again."
"I admit that was stupid." Chris said. "But it's not like you didn't think about killing the kid, Victoria. I know you, and I know what you're capable of."
Victoria shrugged. "Indeed, I was planning to kill him. But when I heard about the mating bond with Allison, I wanted to confirm if it was true. If they were lying, I was still going to kill him. But now I'm sure they have a real mating bond."
"Because they were talking telepathically with him when we were at his house?" Kate asked.
Victoria nodded. "Yes. Both Allison and Lydia were talking to him telepathically, which means the two of them really have a bond with that kid."
Chris sighed. "Although I will reluctantly accept the little punk as our son-in-law, I still want to know what he is."
"Allison said he'll tell us when he trusts us." Victoria reminded him.
Kate looked at the raging lightning storm caused by Jacob in the distance. "Good luck with that. He might not care about the fact that you two tried to kill him..."
Chris interrupted her. "We didn't try to kill him!"
"But the hunters—our hunters—opened fire on him yesterday, remember?" Kate countered. "Anyway, he might not care about that, but the fact that the hunters opened fire on Allison and Lydia, and that you tried to break him up with Allison, will make it very hard for him to trust you. That kid seems to hold a grudge—just look at these dead hunters. If you want him to trust you, you'll have to work hard for it."
She looked at them pointedly. "And I advise you both to put your pride away and try your best to earn his trust. Because having a monster like that as an ally is a very good thing."
Chris and Victoria just looked at the lightning storm in the distance, which was finally calming down, and both sighed in silent resignation.
---
After dealing with the wizard, Jacob ran back to the clearing where he had fought the hunters and found Allison and the others waiting for him.
Lydia, Allison, and Malia saw the shirtless Jacob with a missing arm and panicked, running toward him with concern. "Are you okay? What happened to your arm?" Lydia asked.
"I cut it off." Jacob said calmly. "The guy I fought was a wizard, and he used some dark magic on my hand. I had to cut it off, otherwise the curse would have spread to my heart and killed me. I'll show you the memory of the fight and his memories when we get back home."
"But you lost your arm!" Allison said with concern.
"Don't worry, it will grow back soon." He reassured her.
He kissed both girls, then petted Malia's head. Finally, he looked at Cogman, who was still furiously punching the poor tree in anger and frustration.
He raised a brow. "What's wrong with Cogman?"
Allison smiled. "He wants to kill the hunter you left alive, but I stopped him. Now he's throwing a tantrum."
Jacob called out. "Cogman, come here."
Cogman noticed Jacob and immediately came to his side, straightening his butler suit. "You're back, sir! But you're missing an arm. Should I create a synthetic one for you?"
"No, my arm will grow back in an hour or two at most." Jacob said. "Now, I want you to gather the guns from those dead hunters. I'll read the survivor's mind, and then I'll let you do with him as you please."
Cogman's face lit up. "You're the best, sir!"
He then turned around and began gathering the guns from the clearing with palpable excitement.
Jacob shook his head with a smile and walked over to Marcus. He glanced at Chris, Victoria, and Kate. "Why are you guys here?"
Chris spoke up. "I couldn't let Allison come here alone at night to fight whoever you were fighting."
Jacob's response was blunt. "I hate to break it to you, but Allison can protect herself. If there had been a real fight, the three of you would have just been a liability. She would have had to fight and protect you."
Chris opened his mouth to retort, but found he had nothing to say.
Jacob ignored him and knelt beside Marcus, who was begging for mercy. He ignored the pleas, inserted his claws into the back of the man's neck, and read his memories. When he was done, he took a wallet from Marcus's pocket and kicked him away in disgust. "Damn it. He's another evil monster in human skin."
"Is he like the Harvester hunters?" Allison asked.
Jacob shook his head. "No. He and his family don't butcher people and sell their parts, but they hunt anything as long as the price is right. And I mean anything—men, women, children, babies. Anything."
"It's like Dad said." Allison murmured.
Jacob looked at the Argents. "Yeah, he knows your family. He even hunted with Kate and Gerard."
"I only hunted with them to take down some bad werewolves!" Kate said quickly.
"I know." Jacob replied.
Cogman returned with an armful of guns and looked eagerly at Marcus. "Sir, can I...?"
Jacob nodded. "Go ahead. And, Cogman?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Make sure he doesn't die quickly."
Cogman grinned. "With pleasure, sir."
He grabbed Marcus by the collar and dragged him away. Marcus screamed in pain, shouting. "Help me, Argent! You're a hunter too! Are you going to let these freaks kill me? Help me, plea...!"
Cogman kicked him in the mouth, breaking his teeth. "Shut it. No one is going to help you."
He dragged Marcus behind a tree, and a moment later, the man's agonized screams began to echo through the clearing.
Jacob shook his head. "Poor bastard."
Allison pointed at the remains of the Barghests. "By the way, Jay, what are those dog-like things?"
"They're a supernatural creature called a Barghest." Jacob explained. "They can absorb supernatural energy—let's call it magical energy—and grow bigger and stronger. I fed one of them my fire, and it grew to the size of an elephant."
"Really?" Lydia asked, wide-eyed.
"Yep." Jacob said. He then looked at the Argents. "Have you guys dealt with a Barghest before?"
Chris shook his head. "I've heard of them, but I've never dealt with one. Besides, they target the supernatural, so they're not our enemies. They're more like allies to us."
Jacob nodded in understanding. "So hunters won't hunt a creature that hunts the supernatural."
He held out his hand, and a giant, life-like fire snake appeared from his palm. It hissed, slithering across the clearing and swallowing the bodies, turning them to ash as the Argents watched in shock.
After the grim task was complete, Jacob looked at Malia. "I don't know how you survived out here alone, but the woods are too dangerous. You're not staying here by yourself anymore. You're coming home with us."
He petted her head gently. "And thank you for trying to avenge me when I got shot and you thought I was dead. I appreciate that. But never do that again. I'm really hard to kill."
Lydia's eyes widened. "What? You got shot?"
Jacob nodded. "Yes. I was too cocky and thought the bullet wouldn't penetrate my skin, but I was wrong. They used a high-caliber rifle, and the bullet shot straight through my chest."
Allison and Lydia looked at his chest, which showed no wounds or scars. "You should be more careful." Allison said, her voice tight with worry. "What if they had shot you in the heart or the head?"
"Don't worry, I'll be careful next time." Jacob assured her. "Besides, even if they shot me in the head or heart, I would heal. Like I said, I'm really hard to kill."
Seeing both Lydia and Allison glaring at him, he raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Stop looking at me like that. I'll be careful from now on."
Just then, Cogman returned. His white suit was painted red with blood, and a satisfied smirk was plastered on his face.
Jacob looked at him. "Done already?"
Cogman shrugged. "You broke his limbs and made him lose a lot of blood. He was already dying before I even started playing with him."
Jacob nodded. "Well, let's go to their camp. They have a lot of weapons there."
After Jacob burned Marcus's body, the group headed to the hunters' camp. They took everything useful and burned the rest to ash before finally making their way back to Jacob's mansion.
---
When they arrived at the mansion, the Argents decided not to come inside and prepared to leave.
Chris looked at Jacob, his expression serious. "Victoria and I will accept you as our son-in-law. But if you ever hurt my little girl, I will make you regret it."
Jacob smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I will never hurt her."
Victoria turned to Allison. "Although I'm not happy that Jacob turned you into a fairy, I suppose it's a good thing. At least now you have the strength to protect yourself. And since it was your choice, I'm going to respect it."
She reached out and touched Allison's cheek. "And I'm not going to lie—when I saw how you handled our hunters yesterday, and how you didn't even flinch at the massacre Jacob made in the woods tonight, I was proud of you. I thought, 'As expected from my daughter. She's not some scared little girl, but a fearless, strong woman.'"
Allison's face lit up with a hopeful smile. "Really?"
Victoria hugged her tightly. "Really. I'm proud of you, sweetheart. And I'm sorry for what we did yesterday."
"It's alright." Allison said, returning the hug. "I know you were just trying to look out for me."
"Okay, we should leave." Victoria said, pulling back. "Are you coming with us or not?"
Allison glanced toward the mansion. "Can I stay here?"
"Of course." Victoria replied. "You're married now, and this is your home. But you should visit us from time to time."
Allison kissed her mom's cheek. "Thank you. And of course I will visit."
Victoria pinched her daughter's cheek playfully. "Just be careful, and don't get pregnant. You're still too young for that."
Allison's face turned bright red. "Mom! We don't need to talk about that!" She then noticed Chris staring at her with wide, horrified eyes. Utterly embarrassed, she turned and ran into the mansion.
"Come back here, Allison!" Chris shouted after her. "You are not allowed to stay here!" He spun to face Jacob, his composure shattered. "I changed my mind, you little punk! Let's fight to the death!"
Victoria and Kate quickly grabbed Chris, dragging him toward the car. "Kid, take care of my daughter." Victoria called over her shoulder.
"I will." Jacob promised.
"Victoria! Kate! Let go of me!" Chris yelled, struggling. "I want to bring my little girl with us!"
"Get in the car and let's go." Victoria said firmly.
Kate was laughing hysterically. She opened the car door, shoved Chris inside, and slid in beside him while he continued to protest. "No! Not my little girl!"
Victoria got into the driver's seat, waved a final goodbye to Jacob and Lydia, and drove away.
Lydia, Malia, and Jacob went inside the mansion. "Lydia, please help Malia take a bath." Jacob said. "I'm going to join Allison upstairs in the bathroom."
He ran upstairs, shed his pants, and joined Allison in the shower. He hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear. "So... how about we make some babies?"
Allison rolled her eyes, turned to face him, and kissed him. "No babies. We're still babies ourselves." She smiled warmly. "But I'm happy that I can stay with you here from now on. So let's celebrate."
The two of them began to kiss, and soon the bathroom was filled with the sound of Allison's happy sighs, laughter, and cries of pleasure.
To be continued... 😊