Chapter 247: The Secret of an Alpha's Claws
New
2 days ago
Jacob was relaxing in his private living room, lounging comfortably with his wives and Kitty, when Allison's voice suddenly echoed directly into his mind.
[Jay, come pick up your new wife at the mansion. I can't bring her to Serendell without your permission.]
Jacob smiled, placing a soft kiss on Lydia's cheek as he pulled away from her embrace. "I'll be right back," he murmured. A second later, he disappeared.
He materialized instantly inside the Beacon Hills mansion, finding Allison and Cora waiting for him.
Allison stepped forward, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Alright, I'll let you two talk," she said, giving Cora an encouraging look before teleporting back to Serendell.
Jacob stood before Cora, who was visibly nervous. Saying nothing, Jacob closed the distance between them. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a warm, fierce hug, and tilted her chin up to capture her lips in a passionate kiss that left her completely breathless.
When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. "I don't know exactly what you and Allison talked about, but I'm so glad you chose to be with me. I promise you won't regret it."
Cora looked up into his eyes. "I hope so," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him again. Against his lips, she confessed, "I missed you. I didn't get a single second of sleep last night."
Jacob said, "I missed you too, beautiful."
Cora's lips curved into a smile. "I heard you killed a lot of people yesterday because we broke up."
Jacob rubbed the back of his neck, coughing awkwardly. "Yeah, well... I was sad, I was angry, and I hated seeing you cry. Long story short, I was in a bad mood. I needed to vent, and exterminating a few thousand evil bastards around the world really helped me calm down."
His expression turned serious, his eyes locking onto hers. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Cora? Are you truly willing to spend the rest of your life by my side?"
Cora nodded without a moment's hesitation. "Yes. I thought about it all night. To be honest, I was already thinking about calling you before Allison ever showed up, but my stupid pride and my hatred for Kate kept getting in the way."
Jacob asked, "Did you meet Kate? I can smell her scent lingering on Allison."
"Yeah, I met her," Cora said softly. "She apologized. And even though I couldn't care less about her tears or her regrets, looking at her made me realize she isn't worth losing you over."
Jacob said, "Alright, let's never talk about stupid Kate ever again."
He raised his hand between them, revealing a glowing red tattoo etched into his palm—a circle with a dragon's head at its heart. "Drop a bit of your blood onto this tattoo."
Cora blinked in confusion. "Why?"
"To officially become my wife," Jacob explained. "You'll understand the second it's done."
"Okay," Cora said. Extending her index finger, she let a sharp werewolf claw slide out just enough to nick the skin. A single bead of blood dripped onto the center of his palm.
Instantly, the tattoo glowed with a bright, vivid light, then slowly faded until the symbol vanished entirely beneath Jacob's skin.
Both of them closed their eyes as the system bound their souls together. In Jacob's mind, a system notification materialized:
[Contract Successful. Congratulations, Host. You are now married to Cora Hale. The two of you are bound for life. You cannot betray one another, and her mind is protected from being read by any other creature. You can communicate with her telepathically, and you will sense when she is in danger.]
Jacob opened his eyes and waited patiently for Cora, who was still processing the connection with her eyes shut.
Soon, Cora opened her eyes, a look of wonder on her face.
"Do you understand what that tattoo did now?" Jacob asked with a knowing smirk.
"Yes," Cora breathed, a beautiful smile gracing her lips. "We can never betray or harm each other. And my mind is protected, and I can communicate with you and your other wives telepathically."
Jacob reached out. "Give me your hand again."
Cora complied, placing her hand in his. He gave her the mark to enter and leave Serendell and to use the World Travel Room. "Now you can enter our true home and travel to other worlds."
Cora watched a golden dragon mark glow on the back of her hand before fading and disappearing. Then she looked at him with a frown. "Wait, what do you mean by other worlds?"
"I mean it literally," Jacob chuckled. "I can travel across the multiverse, and I can take my family with me. I'll explain everything and help make you stronger later. But for now, let's go. The girls are screaming in my head, urging me to bring you to meet them."
He hugged her, and they both teleported to the sky of Serendell.
Cora's jaw dropped. She stared down in absolute awe at the breathtaking layout below them—the sweeping, vibrant gardens, the massive, crystal-clear lakes, and the majestic white palace the size of a city. She took a deep, greedy breath of Serendell's magically charged air before turning her gaze to Jacob. "Where is this place?"
"This is Serendell," Jacob said proudly. "Our home. Only me, my wives, and the people I grant permission to can ever step foot here. It's an extra-dimensional pocket world."
Cora looked back down at the paradise, completely mesmerized. "It's beautiful..." She turned her eyes back to him, the lingering mystery eating away at her. "Can you finally tell me what kind of creature you actually are?"
Jacob said, "I'd rather show you instead of just telling you."
With a thought, he teleported them both down to a clearing far away from the palace. Stripping down until he was only in his underwear, Jacob shifted into his dragon form.
Cora watched, her breath catching in her throat as Jacob's frame began to expand and reshape itself. Black horns erupted from his head. Gleaming, obsidian scales rippled out across his skin like a wave of armor. He grew larger and larger, his presence swelling into something ancient and powerful.
When the transformation was complete, a forty-meter black dragon with an eighty-meter wingspan stood in front of her, looking at her with glowing red eyes.
After the initial shock wore off, Cora's biological werewolf instincts didn't flare with fear—instead, she felt a profound draw to him. She walked up to the massive beast curiously. Jacob lowered his massive, terrifying head to her level. Cora reached out, her palm touching the warm scales at the side of his jaw.
Looking into his massive crimson eye, she shook her head. "I had a million different theories about what you could be, but the thought of you being a dragon never even crossed my mind. I thought dragons were just fairy tales."
Jacob said in a deep, monstrous voice, "I'm very much real, Cora. And I'm not the only dragon in the family. There are two others—and one of them is heading our way right now."
A massive shadow blanketed the clearing as Saphira swooped down from the clouds, landing gracefully beside them. She greeted Jacob, affectionately rubbing her head against his. Then, she turned her blue eyes toward Cora and spoke to her telepathically.
[Hello, Cora. I am Saphira. It is wonderful to finally meet you.]
Cora blinked, managed a small wave, and smiled. "Nice to meet you too, Saphira."
Jacob shifted back to his human form and put on his clothes.
Cora looked between him and the massive blue dragon. "Is Saphira... another one of your wives?"
"Not yet," Jacob explained, walking over to scratch Saphira affectionately under her chin. "First, I need to help her take a human form. Plus, she needs to spend at least four years of Beacon Hills time inside Serendell. That way, she will be twenty years old. Although her voice sounds like a grown woman and she's mentally fully mature, she's actually only four years old right now."
Cora stared at Saphira, completely dumbfounded. "Are you telling me a dragon can grow this massive in only four years?!"
"Well, she shares a bond with me, which accelerates her growth," Jacob laughed. He patted Saphira's snout. "I'll come visit you later, girl."
[Alright,] Saphira replied smoothly. She gave Cora a polite nod of her massive head, spread her majestic blue wings, and launched herself back into the sky.
Jacob caught Cora's hand, instantly teleporting them into the private living room of the palace.
Allison and the rest of his wives were all gathered there. The moment they appeared, every single pair of eyes locked squarely onto Cora, causing the werewolf to instantly stiffen with nervousness.
Before Jacob could properly introduce everyone, Lydia smiled warmly, gesturing to the open spot next to her. "Cora, come sit with us."
Cora took a hesitant breath and walked over, sitting down nervously among the beautiful women.
Suddenly, Cogman appeared in the room, and elegantly laid out a spread of exotic drinks and gourmet snacks on the table before turning to Cora. He gave a formal bow. "Hello, my lady. I am Cogman, the family butler. I am entirely at your service for anything you require—ranging from exquisite cooking to driving, to hunting, torturing, and brutally slaughtering your enemies."
Allison rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "Cogman, how many times have I told you to introduce yourself without immediately creeping people out?"
Cogman smirked, adjusting his cuffs. "I am merely ensuring my new lady is fully aware of my extensive skill set." He leaned in slightly toward Cora. "Are you, by any chance, a sadistic woman who thoroughly enjoys the art of torture?"
Cora blinked, thoroughly bewildered. "Um... no."
"A shame," Cogman sighed dramatically. "But a warm welcome to the family nonetheless, my lady." He then turned his gaze over to Jacob, his eyes gleaming with dark excitement. "Sir, when do you plan on marrying a delightfully sadistic woman? Perhaps someone like Hela from the Marvel universe? I would thoroughly enjoy having her as one of my ladies so we could go on glorious, bloody slaughters together."
Jacob shook his head, amused. "Hela is far too crazy, Cogman. I don't think even I could fix her."
"How about Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter?" Cogman suggested.
"Definitely not my type," Jacob chuckled.
Allison cleared her throat loudly, a dangerous edge to her expression. Sensing the brewing storm, Jacob quickly shot the butler a warning look. "You're going to get us both in trouble, Cogman. Go bring out the rest of the food."
"Right away, sir," Cogman said, vanishing instantly.
Jacob ignored the twin glares currently being leveled at him by Allison and Lydia, turning his attention to Malia instead. "Malia, how about you and I head up to your room to have some fun? You usually hate listening to girls' talk anyway."
Malia crossed her arms, pouting heavily as she glared at him. "No. I'm staying right here. I'm still mad at you for not taking me along to kill people yesterday."
Jacob raised his hands in defeat. "I already apologized, love! I swear, I will absolutely take you with me next time. I promise."
Malia simply snorted in response, crossing her arms stubbornly.
Jacob smirked and made her float to him with his telekinesis. He captured her lips in a deep kiss before pulling back with a grin. "Let's head up to your room, and I'll show you exactly how sincere my apology is."
Before she could complain, he teleported them both directly into her bedroom, where a wild, passionate lovemaking session quickly erased any lingering resentment.
---
Six hours later, Jacob and Malia materialized in the grand dining room of the palace. Everyone had gathered there for a feast to welcome Cora to the family.
Once the celebration concluded, Jacob took Cora out to the training grounds. He gave her the Hulk serum and the Luke Cage serum, along with everything else he had given to his wives. They spent hours sparring under the clear Serendell sky, with Jacob guiding her until she gained flawless control over her new powers.
Exhausted but exhilarated, Cora finally collapsed onto the green grass, panting heavily with a wide, euphoric smile plastered across her face. "I can't believe how strong I feel right now. I could literally snap Deucalion in half with ease."
Jacob walked over, sitting down on the grass right beside her. "If you do decide to kill him, just make sure you don't forget to take his Alpha spark."
Cora's smile faded into something darker, her eyes narrowing as memories surfaced. "I definitely want to beat his ass... and probably kill him, though I haven't entirely decided on his fate yet. But Kali? That psycho bitch is the one I really want to put in the ground. She was the one who kept beating me every time I tried to resist while they had me locked in that bank vault."
Jacob reached out, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Do whatever you want, Cora. No matter what you choose, I've got your back."
A wave of emotion washed over her. Reaching up, Cora grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him down onto the grass, rolling over so she was lying on top of him. She leaned down and kissed him passionately, pouring all her gratitude and affection into a long, breathless embrace that stretched for several minutes.
When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, Jacob smirked up at her. "How about we head up to your bedroom and properly finish what you just started?"
Cora chuckled, but shook her head, resting her forearms against his chest. "Not so fast. Before we fully consummate our marriage, you have to help me retrieve something incredibly important. I need to find my mother's claws. I am absolutely certain they survived the fire."
Jacob blinked. "Your mother's claws?"
Cora slid off him, rolling over to lie at his side. She rested her head comfortably against his chest, her fingers tracing absent patterns on his shirt. "Yes. I want to try to speak with her. I need to tell her that I'm safe, that I'm finally happy. And since you are officially my first and last man, I want to tell her all about you before we take the final step."
Jacob's brow furrowed. "Hold on. What do you mean, 'talking to her'? Cora—isn't your mother dead?"
"I don't know how it works," Cora explained. "But the claws of an exceptionally powerful Alpha can do far more than just kill or turn people. They possess the unique ability to literally absorb, carry, and store the memories, the essence, and even the very soul of the werewolf they belonged to."
Jacob stared up at the sky, genuinely intrigued. "I actually didn't know that was possible."
"Very few people do," Cora said softly. "During the six years I spent surviving on the run in South America, I eventually crossed into Colombia and met a secret, isolated pack of female werewolves. They took me in and sheltered me for a while. They were the ones who taught me what an Alpha's claws are truly capable of. They could actually commune with the deceased Alphas of their pack. They explained that the soul of a powerful Alpha can inhabit their claws for a time, though the duration varies—some only last for a few days, while others can endure for years before they finally die for good. Derek knows about this too. He's been desperately searching for our mother's claws because he hopes to speak with her and ask for guidance, but he hasn't found a single trace yet."
Jacob said, "So, in other words... if your mother successfully stored her soul inside her claws before she perished, she isn't truly gone. She's still alive."
Cora nodded, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "In a way, yes. But the only way I can meet her is by physically inserting her claws into the base of my neck. It forces my consciousness into a deep psychic mindscape where I can talk to her."
Jacob sat up abruptly. "Resurrecting the dead is impossible. But if she is technically still alive and her soul is intact inside those claws... then maybe we can help her reshape a brand-new body."
Cora bolted upright, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Really? You can actually do that?"
"Give me a second. Let me talk to Nex," Jacob said.
He contacted the system. 'Hey, Nex. Can you help?'
A familiar, slightly annoyed voice echoed in his mind. [I told you to stop calling me... ah, forget it. Since what happened to Cora is really sad, I can help. But I cannot simply manufacture a human body out of thin air. However, if Talia Hale's soul is genuinely still alive inside her claws, I can help you transfer her soul into an existing body.]
Jacob frowned internally. 'So the only way to give her a physical form is through possession?'
[Correct,] the system replied. [But the body you find for her must be completely empty—which means you have to kill the body's owner and transfer her soul into it the moment the owner dies. The best body for her would be an identical genetic doppelganger. But I cannot locate a doppelganger for you, and even if I could... would you honestly be comfortable killing an innocent person just to steal their body?]
'No, absolutely not. I'm not a monster.'
[Then your best alternative is to utilize the body of a wolf,] the system advised. [Because Talia was an Evolved Alpha capable of full-shifting. If we place her soul into a wolf, the animal's physical vessel should naturally reshape itself to mirror the true form of her soul, allowing her to take human shape again. And even if she struggles to shift initially, you'll just have to wait until I can grant you a specific system reward designed to help animals unlock human transformations.]
'Thank you, Nex. I appreciate the help.'
[Alright, now stop calling me Nex. And since I'm a system, I will give you my help through rewards. Let's just hope Talia is really still alive.
Quest Available: Host can sign in after retrieving Talia Hale's claws.]
'Perfect. Thanks.'
Jacob looked at Cora. "What we need to do first is find your mother's claws and confirm whether or not her soul is actually preserved inside them. If she's truly alive in there, handling the rest will be easy."
Excitement radiated off Cora as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Really? You can actually help her?"
"Yes," Jacob smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But like I said, it all depends on her being alive inside those claws."
"Thank you, Jacob. Thank you for giving me hope of seeing her again—I'm pretty sure she's still alive. Thank you so much," she whispered, pulling back to kiss him fiercely on the lips.
Jacob stood up, pulling her to her feet. "Alright, let's go get Derek and go find your mother's claws right away. There's no time to waste."
With a quick wave of his hand, Jacob cast a cleaning spell over both of them, instantly washing away the sweat and dirt from their training session. After slipping into a fresh change of clothes, they briefly explained the situation to the rest of the wives before Jacob grabbed Cora's hand and teleported them directly back into Derek's loft in Beacon Hills.
They found only Derek and Isaac there.
Cora said excitedly, "Derek! Get up! Come on, we're going to go search for Mom's claws right now!"
Derek blinked, looking at his sister's radiant expression in utter confusion. "Why are you suddenly so excited?"
"I'll explain everything on the way, just move!" Cora urged.
Meanwhile, Jacob pulled out his enchanted Jack Sparrow compass, focusing his mind entirely on the location of Talia Hale's claws. However, the needle simply spun in rapid, erratic circles, refusing to lock onto a single heading.
Jacob lowered the device, his eyes narrowing in thought. 'If I remember correctly, Talia's claws were placed inside a jar crafted from the magical wood of the Nemeton. And the Calaveras locked that jar inside a chest lined with Mountain Ash, and buried it deep under a massive pile of Mountain Ash dust to completely mask its powers and hide it from any supernatural creatures. That's why the compass doesn't work. But let's start with Deaton—he will point us toward the Calaveras, because they were the ones who stole the claws from him.'
Jacob put the compass away and said, "Let's go visit Deaton. He was the Emissary for your mother's pack. He either knows exactly where they are hidden, or he knows who took them."
"Perfect. Let's go," Cora agreed instantly.
Isaac quickly bolted upright from the couch, raising his hand. "Uh, can I tag along with you guys?"
Derek glanced at him. "Sure."
Jacob wrapped Cora, Derek, and Isaac in his telekinesis and teleported the four directly inside the quiet lobby of Deaton's animal clinic.