In Serendell, Jacob woke up in his massive bed to find himself alone. He stretched and let out a satisfied yawn. "Now that was a good night's sleep."
He checked his phone. 'I slept for twelve hours, but it's only 7 a.m. in the outside world. And it's Saturday. I should go back to sleep...'
Just as he pulled the luxurious covers back over his head, Allison appeared in his bedroom. "Jay, are you awake?"
"No, I'm not," he grumbled, his voice muffled by the blanket.
Allison strode over and yanked the covers off. "Get up. You said yesterday you'd spar with the three of us so we could learn to control our new strength."
Jacob's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her down onto the bed. "How about you sleep with me for a couple more hours instead?" He kissed her, then made a face. "Agh, you're all sweaty and salty. What have you been doing?"
"Training with Lydia and Malia," she said, wriggling free. "But none of us could use our full strength for fear of hurting each other. So get up. And fight us."
"Fine," Jacob sighed, surrendering to the inevitable. He teleported them both to a wide, grassy valley far from the palace, where Lydia and Malia were waiting.
He gave each of them a quick kiss. "Alright. You can use all your physical strength and attack me with everything you've got. But only physical strength—no other abilities."
"That's not fair," Lydia protested, crossing her arms.
"What you need right now," Jacob explained, "is to perfectly control your immense physical power. So, no elemental attacks, no teleporting, no sonic screams. And don't worry—I won't shift. I'll fight you in my human form."
Lydia's lips curved into a sly smile. "Are you sure? We might just end up beating your ass."
"That's impossible."
"I know, but can't you let us win?" she pouted dramatically.
"No. And I'm not going easy on you." Jacob's eyes glinted with playful menace. He looked directly at her. "Let's start with you."
He vanished.
A fraction of a second later, he was behind her. His foot connected with her butt in a solid, well-placed kick that sent her flying like a cannonball toward Allison. The two collided with a shared yelp and tumbled to the ground in a heap.
Jacob turned his glowing red eyes on Malia. "You're next."
Malia's own eyes ignited with a fierce golden glow, a wild, eager grin spreading across her face. "Bring it on!"
She was the first to attack. Her body became a blur as she closed the distance in an instant, her fist rocketing toward his face with enough force to shatter concrete. Jacob didn't dodge. He met her punch with one of his own.
The collision wasn't just sound; it was a visible shockwave of compressed air that blasted outward, flattening the grass in a ten-meter radius. Malia was sent flying backward, but she flipped mid-air and landed in a predatory crouch ten meters away, her grin wider than ever.
"Again!" she yelled, and shot forward.
This time, Jacob sidestepped her charge with fluid grace and delivered a swift kick to her stomach, sending her rolling across the grass. Before he could press the attack, Allison was there, having recovered. She leaped into the air, her body a controlled arc, and aimed a devastating flying knee at his head.
Jacob raised an arm. The impact sounded like a thunderclap. He didn't budge an inch, but the ground beneath his feet fissured. In one smooth motion, he grabbed Allison's leg and swung her like a hammer, slamming her into the charging Malia. The two girls crashed into the earth together, creating a new, shallow crater.
Lydia, having recovered and circled around him, used her flying ability to appear twenty meters above him. She flew down like a meteor, her right foot aimed at his head in a crushing axe kick. Jacob simply raised a hand and caught her. The force of her descent drove him knee-deep into the earth, but he held firm, then tossed her aside like a ragdoll.
They continued like that for an hour. The valley became an orchestra of destruction. Every blocked punch sent concussive waves through the air. Every kick that missed tore a fresh gouge in the landscape. The girls were fast, incredibly strong, and began to work with instinctual synergy—Allison using her martial arts and wind-assisted agility to attack him from all angles, Malia, caught up in the thrill of the fight, charged at him on pure impulse—no strategy, no caution, just a direct and reckless confrontation, and Lydia exploiting every opening with precise, powerful strikes, all aiming to wipe the smug smile off his face.
Yet Jacob remained their absolute superior, parrying, redirecting, and countering their onslaught with an infuriatingly calm smile. He was playing with them.
Frustration finally boiled over. "Girls, let's shift!" Allison yelled, panting.
In unison, their forms changed. Lydia's skin paled, her eyes and hair turning white. Malia grew taller, her face elongating into a coyote muzzle, fur rippling over her body, a tail lashing behind her. Allison's hair turned dark green, her eyes glowing with emerald light, her ears becoming elegantly pointed.
Their power spiked.
Lydia landed the first meaningful hit—a solid punch to Jacob's chest that actually made him slide back a few meters, his feet plowing twin trenches in the soil. Malia followed up instantly, scoring a thunderous kick to his side that sent him skidding sideways. Allison, moving like a ghost, appeared behind him and delivered a rapid series of blows to his back that echoed like detonations, finally driving him forward onto one knee in a small crater of his own making.
Jacob stood up, completely unharmed, and smiled. "Now we're talking." The smile widened, showing a hint of fang. "I'm going to stop playing defense."
His counterattack was a blur of controlled violence. He didn't teleport; he simply moved too fast. He wasn't cruel, but he was no longer gentle. Each of his strikes was calibrated to push them to their absolute limit, to teach them the ceiling of their new strength through impact and pain.
The valley echoed with the symphony of their sparring for another two hours before it finally came to an end.
Jacob stood amidst the scarred, cratered landscape, a light sheen of sweat on his brow and a satisfied smile on his face. At his feet, the three girls lay sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily in ragged unison. Their transformed states had faded, leaving them in their human forms, covered in dirt, sweat, and grass stains, utterly spent.
Malia groaned, clutching her side. "I think you cracked my ribs... again."
"Ahhh! Everything hurts," Lydia whimpered, not moving an inch.
Allison just stared up at the serene Serendell sky, her chest heaving. "I'm so tired, I could really use your offer to sleep for a few hours right about now."
Jacob looked down at them. "So, are you girls in control now, or should we spar some more?"
"No," Lydia said immediately. "No more sparring with you, you monster. I'm in total control."
"Me too," Allison panted.
Malia grinned through her pain. "I wouldn't mind fighting you again, but not today. Right now, I'm too tired. I just want to sleep."
"Alright," Jacob said, his smile softening. "But Malia, Lydia—you two should learn how to fight properly from Allison or Cogman. Malia, you charge in blindly, and Lydia, you're trying to be smart, but your attacks are predictable and your defense is full of openings."
Lydia pushed herself up on her elbows. "I'm already learning martial arts from Allison, but it's too boring. Besides, I have my sound attacks, that fire spell you gave me, and teleportation. I don't think I need martial arts." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And why aren't you learning martial arts?"
A grin spread across Jacob's face. "Because I don't need to, I watched all of Bruce Lee's movies." He dropped into Bruce Lee's On-Guard stance, then snapped a punch forward with a sharp "WAAAA-TAAAAH!"—making the girls burst into laughter.
After their laughter subsided, Allison sat up, her expression serious. "You probably should learn some martial arts. If you ever fight someone with the same strength as you, and they're actually skilled at fighting, you could lose."
Jacob shrugged. "Fine. I'll rewatch all of Bruce Lee's movies."
"I'll watch them with you!" Malia said eagerly. "I hate learning the boring way."
Allison shook her head in exasperation. "You two idiots. Movies won't teach you anything."
"Fine, fine, we'll learn," Jacob conceded. He offered Allison a hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping her in a hug. Then he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Since you were the best during the spar, I've decided to reward you with a long bath with me."
Allison rolled her eyes. "Reward me, or reward yourself, you pervert?"
Jacob kissed her. "Does it really matter? We're both going to have fun." Then he teleported them both to the palace's large bathroom, where a different kind of sparring began. 😏😘👄💋💦🍆💥🌊❤️😊
Malia and Lydia teleported to another bathroom, washed off the grime of battle, and then collapsed together in Jacob's massive bed, falling into a deep, exhausted sleep. Two hours later, a refreshed Jacob and a relaxed Allison joined them, and the four slept peacefully for another seven hours.
---
When they finally awoke, they teleported back to the mansion. It was 10 a.m. in Beacon Hills.
The smell of breakfast filled the air. Cogman was in the kitchen cooking. In the backyard, Stiles was sparring with a newly transformed Erica, while Scott watched from the sidelines.
Malia, drawn by the smell, headed straight for the kitchen. Lydia and Jacob wandered out to the backyard to observe.
Allison, however, went to the guest room to check on Kate.
She found her aunt awake, freshly showered and wearing the clothes Allison had left out for her. Kate sat on the edge of the bed, her face pale, looking weaker than Allison had ever seen her.
Kate looked up as Allison entered. "Good morning, Princess."
Allison hated everything Kate had done to the Hales. Yet the sound of that old nickname, the memory of Kate's desperate words yesterday when she thought she was going to die, and the horrific image of Peter slitting her throat—it all collided at once, melting the ice in her heart. The thought of losing her aunt for good was unbearable.
Allison couldn't hold back. She ran to the bed, threw her arms around Kate, and began to sob.
Kate was surprised, but after a moment, a soft, genuine smile touched her lips. She hugged her niece back tightly, tears tracing silent paths down her own cheeks.
When Allison finally calmed, she pulled back and sat beside Kate. She gently checked her aunt's neck—the savage wound was completely healed, not even a scar remaining. She looked at Kate's pale face. "How are you feeling?"
"My body feels weak, but I'm fine," Kate said quietly. She reached out, wiping a stray tear from Allison's cheek. "So… me dying is what it took for you to forgive me?"
Allison let out a humorless snort. "Actually, I was there when Peter slit your throat. And I chose not to help because what you did was truly awful. But…" Her voice broke.
"But what?"
"The thought of you being dead… it broke my heart," Allison admitted in a whisper. "And I regretted not helping you the moment I thought you were gone."
Kate's smile was bittersweet. "So… have you forgiven me?"
Allison sighed. "Yes. Even though you are a monster, and I hate what you did… I still love you."
Kate pulled her into another hug. "I love you too, sweetheart. More than anything."
After a long moment, they broke apart. Allison's expression turned firm. "But I'm only forgiving you this time. If you kill innocent people again, I will kill you myself. I promise."
Kate met her gaze solemnly. "I promise you, I will do better. I'll never listen to Gerard again."
Allison nodded. "Speaking of Gerard… he'll probably come to Beacon Hills to hunt you soon."
Kate sighed, a weary acceptance in her eyes. "Yeah. That he will. I have no doubt." She changed the subject. "Do Chris and Victoria know I'm… still alive?"
Allison nodded. "Yeah. They know."
Kate looked genuinely surprised. "I'm shocked Chris let me live, even though I'm a shapeshifter now. I thought he'd follow the Code and kill me himself."
Allison's expression softened. "He said he already watched you die once and couldn't go through that again when I told him you were still alive. He said you're his little sister and he loves you."
"Are you sure we're talking about the same person?" Kate asked, a hint of her old teasing returning.
"Yes," Allison nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Both Dad and I love you, Kate. We've decided to give you a second chance. So don't disappoint us."
"I won't," Kate promised. "But… I need Jacob to teach me how to control myself now that I'm a shapeshifter. Otherwise, I might end up killing someone by accident."
Allison snorted. "Jay's not an option. He's a pervert, and he'd definitely take advantage of the situation to molest you. He might even get greedy and decide he wants you."
Kate smirked. "I don't mind."
"I know you don't, you bitch," Allison shot back, rolling her eyes. "But I do."
"Hey, that was uncalled for!"
"Anyway," Allison smiled, steering the conversation back, "I will teach you control."
Kate blinked. "How?"
"By beating you, of course." Allison's smile grew wider and less sweet.
"What?"
"I'm going to make you lose control. Then, I'll beat you until you regain it. I'll repeat the process until you have total control, even on a full moon."
Kate swallowed hard. "Is there… no other way?"
"That's the fastest and most effective way I know," Allison stated matter-of-factly. "You'll also need an anchor." She then proceeded to explain the concept of an anchor to her aunt.
---
Meanwhile, in the Backyard
Jacob and Lydia stood beside Scott, watching Stiles and Erica spar.
"Erica seems happy," Lydia observed, a faint smile on her face.
Scott nodded, a genuine grin spreading across his own. "Yeah. She was so happy when she woke up this morning that she was crying loudly. And then stupid Stiles started crying with her, even louder. They woke me up—I thought something terrible had happened."
Jacob smirked. "You sound jealous."
Scott's grin vanished. He grabbed Jacob by the collar of his shirt. "Of course I'm jealous! I want to be in love, too!"
Jacob just kept smiling. "Hang in there, man. It'll happen for you, too. Someday. Probably."
"What do you mean, 'probably'?" Scott's grip on Jacob tightened. "You know what, let's spar too."
"Are you sure?" Jacob replied, his smile turning predatory.
With a nervous laugh, Scott released his grip and started smoothing out Jacob's shirt with exaggerated care. "Never mind. I was just joking."
Erica, noticing Lydia and Jacob, stopped sparring and ran over. She stood directly in front of Jacob, her expression earnest. "Thank you. For helping me get the Bite."
Jacob smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it. It was a small thing."
Erica's eyes welled up with tears. "It might be small to you, but to me, it's a favor I can never repay. I thought I'd never be healed…" Her voice broke, and she began to cry.
Lydia stepped forward and wrapped her in a comforting hug, holding her until the tears subsided. When they parted, Erica wiped her eyes, embarrassed. "Sorry, I ruined your clothes with sweat and tears."
"Don't worry about it," Lydia said dismissively. "Let's get you cleaned up. After breakfast, we're going shopping and to a salon. My treat. What do you say?"
Erica's face lit up with a beautiful smile. "Okay. Thank you."
With that, Lydia led Erica back into the mansion. Stiles watched them go, with a lovestruck grin on his face. Then, he turned to Jacob. "Thank you. For helping Erica. And, more importantly, for telling me to go after her."
"You're welcome, buddy," Jacob said.
Stiles's grin turned into a mischievous smirk. He leaned in conspiratorially. "She was beautiful before, but now she's so hot. I'm really grateful." His smirk widened. "So grateful, I want to kiss you right now." He lunged forward, trying to wrap Jacob in a hug and plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
Jacob recoiled in horror. "Disgusting! Get lost!" He hit Stiles in te face with a swift punch, followed by a roundhouse kick. "WAAAA-TAAAAAH!" he shouted, sending Stiles flying through the air.
Stiles hit a tree and slid to the ground, groaning dramatically.
Jacob struck a classic Kung Fu pose and snorted. "Hmph. Stupid Allison said I need to learn martial arts. I should already have a black belt."
Scott watched the entire display with a raised eyebrow. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Nothing," Jacob said, dropping the pose. He turned and began walking back toward the mansion. "Let's go inside."
Scott shrugged and followed, the two of them walking and talking as if nothing had happened, leaving Stiles behind.
Stiles sat up, clutching his side. "Guys! Help me! I think I broke something! Hey! Guys, wait up! GUYS!"
To be continued… 😊