Chapter 249: Talia HaleNew15 minutes ago
Jacob and Cora appeared in a frozen, snow-covered clearing deep within a dense wilderness.
They walked through the snow, their footsteps crunching in the silence. After a few minutes, Jacob stopped.
"There," he said, pointing.
A lone wolf stood on a ridge, its grey fur blending with the winter landscape. At first glance, it appeared completely identical to a normal timber wolf, but the aura it radiated was entirely different.
Cora's eyes glowed yellow. She growled low in her throat.
The wolf stiffened. Sensing the threat, its body began to grow—bones cracking and muscles swelling in a terrifying growth spurt until it stood the size of a massive draft horse, its breath pluming in the freezing air.
Jacob watched the transformation with an amused tilt of his head. "It feels stronger than an average Alpha werewolf."
Cora kept her eyes locked on the beast, her breath misting. "We can't use him, Jay. We need a female—one that hasn't given birth yet. That one's male."
"Fair enough," Jacob replied.
He stepped forward. He released a fraction of his dragon aura—just enough to make the Amarok understand what it was facing.
The effect was immediate. The Amarok's eyes widened with primal terror. It whimpered, its massive form shrinking back to normal size, and then it turned and fled into the dense forest as fast as its paws could carry it.
Jacob pulled out Jack Sparrow's compass once more, focusing his thoughts explicitly on finding a female Amarok. The needle spun twice before locking dead north.
"Found one," he said. "Let's go."
They teleported again, this time appearing in a deeper, more brutal winter landscape in the heart of Canada—a snowy valley surrounded by towering mountains.
Before them, a pack of seven Amaroks was gathered. Four were fully grown adults resting in the snow, while three younger pups played around them. The moment Jacob and Cora appeared out of thin air, the entire pack froze.
Two of the adult Amaroks stepped forward, their lips peeling back to expose massive, razor-sharp fangs as low, vibrating growls echoed across the valley. Behind them, the other two adults immediately circled back, shielding the pups with their bodies.
Cora growled back. The moment the pack realized these two intruders were far from ordinary humans, all four adult Amaroks underwent a sudden growth spurt, their bodies swelling rapidly until they stood as towering, draft-horse-sized beasts, their paws sinking deep into the snow.
"Jay, let's take the beta female," Cora said, scanning the pack. "In a wolf pack, only the Alphas breed. The Betas raise the pups. A Beta female would be a clean slate."
Jacob looked over at the two adults protecting the pups, his brow furrowing. "Which one? They're both female."
"The black one," Cora said, a faint note of nostalgia in her voice. "Mom used to shift into a beautiful black wolf."
Jacob let out a soft sigh. "I don't feel good about this. But I'll make it up to them the best I can—I'll take them to Serendell, where they'll live safely."
Jacob unleashed a controlled wave of his Conqueror's Haki.
The Amaroks' eyes rolled back instantly, and all seven wolves collapsed onto the soft snow, completely unconscious.
Jacob opened a portal to Serendell and transported the entire pack—except for the black beta female—to the snowy mountains inside Serendell, where he created a large cave for them.
He placed them gently inside, ensuring they were comfortable and warm. After purchasing some Sker Buffalo meat from the system, he set it down beside them and teleported back to Cora.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go."
He wrapped Cora and the unconscious Amarok female in his telekinesis and teleported the three of them back to Derek's loft.
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Derek's Loft
They materialized right in the middle of the spacious loft. Cogman had already returned to Serendell, leaving only Derek and Isaac waiting anxiously.
Isaac stared open-mouthed at the massive, horse-sized black wolf floating gently in Jacob's telekinetic grip. "Whoa... that is an Amarok?"
Cora nodded. "Yeah."
Jacob reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out the Scroll of Soul Transference. The thing was massive, standing two meters tall in its rolled form. "Derek, Isaac—move the couches and the table out of the way. Clear the center floor."
The two werewolves quickly shoved the heavy furniture to the perimeter of the room to clear a massive space.
Jacob unfurled the scroll across the floor. Fully opened, the parchment stretched seven meters in length and two meters wide, glowing with faint, intricate runes. Two large, distinct circular platforms pulsed with a soft light at either end.
"Derek, take Talia's claws out of the jar and place them on the left platform," Jacob instructed calmly.
"Okay," Derek muttered, his hands trembling slightly as he carefully removed the dark claws and rested them perfectly in the center of the left glowing circle.
With a slight flick of his wrist, Jacob used his telekinesis to gently deposit the massive, unconscious body of the black Amarok onto the right circular platform.
Once the wolf was in place, Jacob used his new ability—the Killing Curse. A green light shot from his right hand and struck the Amarok. The beast's consciousness vanished instantly, entirely free of pain or physical trauma.
The moment the Amarok died, the scroll activated. A soft, golden light enveloped both platforms. The soul of Talia Hale—stored within her claws—began to transfer into the empty body of the Amarok. The scroll's magic acted as a perfect life-support system, keeping the biological body functioning perfectly as the new soul anchored itself to the flesh.
The four of them watched in absolute, breathless anticipation as the minute slowly ticked away.
As the final second passed, a soft pulse of light spread through the room. The Scroll of Soul Transference and Talia Hale's claws dissolved into particles of glittering light, completely vanishing from existence. Only the massive black wolf remained, lying still on the floor.
Cora looked at Jacob, her voice hopeful. "Did... did it work?"
Jacob smiled. "Oh, it worked perfectly. And the feeling I get from her is stronger than Deucalion. I don't know if it's because her body is now that of an Amarok, or if she was always this strong." He nodded toward the floor. "Look. Your mother is waking up."
The massive black wolf stirred, its heavy paws twitching as it let out a low, confused groan. Slowly, its massive head lifted, and it opened its eyes.
"Mom?" Cora choked out.
Derek took a hesitant, trembling step forward, his voice cracking. "Mother..."
Talia stood up instantly, her ears flattened. A low, defensive snarl vibrated out of her chest as she locked her gaze onto Derek. Suddenly, her eyes began to cycle rapidly—flashing from a bright yellow, to a deep orange, to a piercing Alpha red, before repeating the loop until they settled on a steady, bright red.
She let out a soft, pained whimper—and the change began. Her bones cracked and snapped, reshaping beneath her skin with wet, grinding sounds. Muscle and tendon twisted and tore, reknitting into new forms. Her fur receded. Her snout collapsed inward, reforming into a human nose, human lips, a human face. The transformation was not gentle. It was not clean. It was the brutal work of a body being unmade and remade—until the massive canine form melted away entirely, leaving behind a beautiful, naked, brunette woman on the floor, gasping for breath.
Talia Hale sat up, her eyes still glowing a fierce Alpha red. She raised her hands, staring at them front and back in utter bewilderment, before reaching up to touch her long hair. As her gaze swept across the room, she instantly recognized the high ceilings and industrial windows of the loft she owned. She slowly stood up, entirely ignoring Isaac and Jacob as her focus locked solely onto Derek and Cora.
Jacob stared at her from the side, a rogue thought passing through his mind. 'Damn, she is gorgeous. Too bad she's Cora's mother. Definitely off-limits.'
"Mom..." Cora called again, tears dripping from her eyes.
Talia's red eyes turned back to the warm, familiar human brown. A soft smile broke across her face, her eyes welling instantly. "Look at you, my little wolf... you've grown into such a beautiful woman."
Cora threw herself forward, crashing into her mother's arms. She buried her face in Talia's shoulder and held on with everything she had—desperate, trembling, afraid to let go—as years of hidden pain and isolation poured out in ragged, agonizing sobs.
Tears began to fall freely from Talia's eyes as well. She wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, pulling her into her chest and rocking her gently, patting her back in that rhythmic, grounding way she used to do when Cora was a child. "Shhh... it's okay, my love. It's okay. I don't know how, but I'm back. I am right here, and I intend to stay by your side for as long as I draw breath."
Several minutes passed, the loft filled only with the raw sound of Cora's weeping. When her breaths finally quieted, she slowly lifted her head. Talia smiled through her own tears, using her thumbs to tenderly wipe the dampness from her daughter's cheeks before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Resting her forehead against Cora's, Talia whispered, her voice trembling, "I missed you so much. I truly thought I would never see you again. I knew Derek and Laura had survived the fire, which is why I stored my soul in my claws—hoping I could one day meet them again and offer them my help if they needed it. But I didn't expect that you survived too—you were in the house during the fire."
"I got out through a window," Cora explained, her voice cracking as a fresh wave of grief hit her. "But by the time I dragged myself out, the fire and smoke had swallowed everything. I thought everyone was dead, Mom. I thought I was the only one left. I panicked... and I just ran. I left Beacon Hills and never looked back."
"I am so incredibly glad you made it out," Talia murmured, kissing her cheek before gently patting her shoulder. "Now, let me go for just a moment, sweetie. We've kept your brother waiting long enough."
Cora reluctantly stepped back, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.
Talia turned her full attention toward her son. Derek stood perfectly still, his posture rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles in his neck strained. He looked completely paralyzed, staring at the mother he had spent years mourning, the mother whose death had defined his entire adult life. The stoic exterior he always wore like armor was visibly fracturing; his breathing was shallow, and his eyes were bright, flooded with unshed tears.
"Derek," Talia said softly, extending an open hand toward him. "Come here, my son. Let me hold you."
Derek strode forward, completely unbothered by her lack of clothing, and collapsed into his mother's embrace. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, his shoulders shaking violently as the dam broke—silent, heavy tears finally streaming down his face. He clutched her with a desperate, crushing grip, terrified that if he loosened even slightly, she would dissolve back into smoke and memory.
"I missed you, Mom," he said, his voice cracking under the weight of years of grief.
Talia held him just as fiercely. "I missed you too, my love."
When they finally, hesitantly broke the embrace, Derek stepped back, wiping his eyes quickly, trying to pull his guarded composure back over himself.
Talia took a slow breath, her maternal instincts immediately picking up on the heavy, fractured atmosphere in the room. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the loft once more.
"Where is Laura?" Talia asked, her voice dropping into a quiet, tentative whisper. "Why isn't she here with you?"
The loft went dead silent. The fragile joy of the reunion vanished in an instant. Derek dropped his gaze to the floor, his jaw tightening as a dark shadow of intense guilt and grief crossed his face. Cora couldn't look her mother in the eye either, staring down at her boots.
Talia let out a heavy, shuddering sigh, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. "How?" she breathed.
"Peter," Cora whispered bitterly. "He killed her, Mom. For her Alpha spark."
Talia closed her eyes tightly, a wave of profound, devastating grief washing over her features. The betrayal and loss of another child cut deep, but she forced a slow, grounding breath through her nose, anchoring herself in the present. She opened her eyes, looking at her two surviving children.
"You can tell me the details later," Talia said softly, stepping closer to squeeze both of their hands. "Right now, we are together."
Her eyes drifted over to Isaac, who was politely keeping his back turned, staring intently out the window to give them privacy. Finally, her gaze landed on Jacob, who was unashamedly looking her up and down.
She raised a brow. "And who are you, little pervert? You appear human, but every single instinct inside my body is screaming that you are not. In fact, you feel incredibly dangerous."
Jacob took a bathrobe from his pocket dimension. "Oh—sorry. I couldn't help but stare. It's in my nature. But first, please—put this on," he said with a polite smile, offering it to her. "Although I'm not interested in you, you are a beautiful woman and you're completely naked. My mind is naturally going to start wandering and thinking about things neither I nor Cora want to happen."
Cora immediately panicked. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't you dare have any ideas about my mom, you pervert!"
Jacob said without taking his eyes off Talia's naked body, "I literally just said I'm not interested."
"Then stop staring at her chest!" Cora snapped, aggressively snatching the bathrobe out of his hands.
Jacob's smirk only widened, completely shameless. "Hey, tell your mother's boobs to stop staring at me first. I don't like losing—not even a staring contest."
"Pervert!" Cora hissed. She threw the bathrobe into her mother's arms, then quickly hopped forward, slamming both of her hands over Jacob's eyes to completely block his vision. "Mom, quickly, put the robe on! Don't let this pervert take advantage of you for another second!"
Talia caught the robe, an amused, highly entertained expression dancing across her face as she shook her head and quickly slid her arms into the sleeves.
Once she was fully covered, she looked over at her daughter with a soft smile. "Okay, Cora. Get your hands off your boyfriend's eyes. Let me talk to him."
Cora reluctantly pulled her hands away, stepping back to stand beside Jacob. She shot him a heavy, protective glare. "I mean it, Jay. I would never forgive you if you actually tried to go after my mom."
Jacob chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I won't, I promise."
Releasing Cora, Jacob walked over to Talia. He extended his hand with a polite, confident smile. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Jacob. Your son-in-law."
Talia arched an elegant eyebrow, looking between Jacob and her daughter as she shook his hand. "Son-in-law?"
"Yeah," Cora chimed in. "We're married. The supernatural kind of marriage."
Talia's eyes softened with instant understanding. "A mating bond."
Cora nodded happily. "Yes."
"It's truly a pleasure meeting you, Talia," Jacob said, matching her steady gaze. "We can sit down and talk later, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about me. But first, tell me—how do you feel in your new body?"
Talia went quiet for a moment, turning her attention inward to assess her new body. She clenched her fists, feeling the raw, explosive power coiled in her muscles. Then she made her claws appear—a set of sharp, lethal black claws slid gracefully out from her fingertips before retracting smoothly.
A bright, genuine smile broke across her face. "I feel good. In fact, I feel better than I ever did in my old body. Much stronger."
"That's good," Jacob said, nodding in satisfaction. He reached into his pocket dimension and retrieved five small glass vials filled with a shimmering, glowing golden liquid. He offered them to her. "Here, drink these. They were brewed by my wife, Melissa. They'll heal any psychic damage or lingering strain from keeping your soul stored in your claws for so long—and they'll restore your mental energy completely."
Talia accepted the vials, her brow raising slightly as she caught his phrasing. "Your wife? You have other wives?"
Jacob nodded. "Yes. Seven of them, including Cora."
Talia stared at him for a moment, analyzing his scent. "Are you a werelion?"
Jacob shook his head. "I share some similarities with werelions when it comes to mating habits, but no—I'm something else entirely. Something ancient." He cast a brief glance toward Isaac before looking back at Talia. "I'll explain it all to you and Derek later."
Talia studied the golden vials for a second before nodding gracefully. "Very well. Thank you for the potions. And I suppose you were the one who helped me gain a physical body, so thank you for that as well."
Jacob smiled warmly, his gaze shifting to Cora. "You're welcome. I will do absolutely anything within my power to make my wife happy."
Talia's expression softened, looking at her daughter with a warm smile. "Then Cora is very lucky."
"She definitely is," Jacob agreed without a shred of modesty. "She married the most handsome man in the multiverse, after all."
Cora rolled her eyes dramatically, though a fond smile tugged at her lips. "You meant to say you're the most narcissistic man, right?"
Jacob didn't argue. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and silenced her with a deep, passionate kiss that left her completely breathless. When he finally pulled away, he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Alright, I'll leave you to catch up with your mom. I'll see you tomorrow."
Cora wrapped her arms around his neck for a brief moment, her eyes shining with deep gratitude. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Jay. And for bringing my mom back."
"It's the least I could do," Jacob murmured softly. "Especially since I couldn't help you take your revenge."
Cora offered a peaceful smile, shaking her head. "Having Mom back is infinitely better than revenge. I'm glad I chose to spare that evil bitch."
Jacob kissed her forehead gently. "Alright. See you later." He turned his attention back to Talia. "Take it easy, Talia. Try to get used to your new body."
With that, Jacob teleported back to Serendell, leaving Talia and her children to talk.