Jacob and Lydia lay naked, tangled together in bed after hours of lovemaking. Jacob smirked in satisfaction, while Lydia, too exhausted to move, had already fallen asleep on his chest, her breath slow and steady.
Jacob absentmindedly stroked her hair as the familiar translucent system screen appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations, host. You have consummated your bond with Lydia Martin. Your strength will now begin to grow faster than before, and you may grant Lydia abilities and bloodlines rewarded by the system.]
[Rewards for consummating the bond with Lydia Martin:
-Storm Call ability (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim): The ability to summon a devastating thunderstorm. Lightning bolts strike random enemies within a vast area for a limited time.
Activation: The host can unleash a lightning-infused roar toward the sky to trigger the storm.
Limitation: Cannot be used indoors or underground. Use with caution around allies because they can also be hit.
-Jake Lonergan's Alien Wrist Blaster (Cowboys & Aliens): A bracelet that bonds to the host's forearm. It can turn into a high-powered alien energy blaster.
Activation: Responds to the host's mental commands once bonded. Cannot be removed or used by others unless the host wills it.
-Arc Reactor (MCU): A miniature clean-energy source capable of powering a small city.]
Jacob was happy with the rewards, and thought. 'Not bad at all. Storm Call is insanely strong—I remember how devastating it was in the game, but I need to test how it looks in real life. The alien gun… I know it can blow a hole straight through a man, but I wonder how it will work against supernatural creatures. And the Arc Reactor… I'll just hand that over to Cogman. He'll find a use for it.'
'Show me Lydia's rewards.' Jacob mentally commanded the system.
[Please select one of the following Bloodlines for your mate:
1. Gorgon Bloodline
- Lifespan: Ageless, long-lived.
- Affinity: Petrification and serpentine control.
- Abilities: Shapeshifting, Petrifying Gaze (requires eye contact), serpent communication and control, venomous bite, living snake-hair, poison immunity. Standard shifter abilities.
2. Fire Kitsune Bloodline
- Lifespan: Ageless, long-lived.
- Affinity: Fire element.
- Abilities: Shapeshifting, create and control fire, enhanced intelligence and cunning. Standard shifter abilities. Naturally skilled in weapons and martial arts.
3. Silver Banshee Bloodline (DC)
- Lifespan: Ageless, long-lived.
- Affinity: Sound manipulation, spiritual power.
- Abilities: Sonic Scream (Unleash a destructive wave of concussive force capable of shattering steel, stunning enemies, and causing internal damage), superhuman physique, accelerated healing, advanced sound-wave manipulation, flight, Aura of Dread (Project an overwhelming sense of supernatural fear to weaken enemies' resolve), short-range teleportation, spiritual possession (Possess the bodies of others).]
Jacob read through the options carefully. His lips curved into a grin. 'There's really only one good choice here—the Silver Banshee. Some versions of her are even strong enough to challenge Superman. And this version the system is offering seems like the most powerful one. Lydia's about to become terrifying.'
He asked the system in his mind: 'By the way, if I remember correctly, Silver Banshee's powers came from a curse. Will Lydia be cursed too?'
[No, host. Lydia will not be under any curse.]
Jacob let out a quiet breath. 'Good. That's a relief.'
He glanced at Lydia, sleeping peacefully against his chest. For a moment he thought about waking her, but seeing how deeply she slept, he decided against it.
'System, merge the ability Storm Call into my body.'
[Are you sure, host?]
'Yes.'
Jacob didn't feel anything different, just a faint flicker of energy before another message appeared.
[Ability has been successfully merged.]
After that, Jacob absently stroked Lydia's hair, lost in thought. 'After I deal with that auction on Saturday, maybe I should go after Malia… or maybe I should wait until Kate and Peter fight each other—that should happen in a month or two. That gives me more time with Allison and Lydia to strengthen our bond before adding another mate. As for Kate and Peter… I won't interfere. If I stop them, I might lose an event sign-in, maybe even a quest sign-in. So let those two idiots tear each other apart.'
He remembered the alien weapon. Reaching into his pocket dimension, he pulled it out. It looked like a black braided leather bracelet, but it was actually metal.
'Well, this looks a lot cooler than I expected. I thought it'd look like the one from the movie.'
He slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. Instantly, he felt it bond with him. With just a thought, the bracelet unfolded, transforming into a sleek alien wrist blaster, complete with a holographic targeting display.
Jacob grinned, testing it—switching it back and forth between bracelet and weapon a few times before finally letting it rest in its bracelet form. He pulled Lydia tighter into his arms, kissed the top of her head, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
---
Two hours later, he felt Lydia moving and woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his.
Jacob smiled. "So… should we continue?"
Lydia's sleepiness vanished instantly. She sat up straight, flustered. "No! No way. I can't do it anymore."
Jacob chuckled. "Come on. You've got superhealing. You should be fine now after you slept for a couple of hours."
She said. "Even if I don't feel pain, I'm still completely numb down there. I can't feel a thing. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
She leaned in and kissed him playfully. "But Allison wasn't lying—you really are good."
Jacob raised a brow. "I seem to remember someone doubting if I was even a man… even calling me a eunuch."
Lydia blinked innocently. "Oh really? Who would ever say that?"
Jacob smirked, rolling her over and giving her a playful smack on her bare backside. "You did. And my pride still hasn't forgotten. Dragons don't take insults lightly."
He leaned over her, his eyes glowing golden. "So maybe I should punish you until you beg for mercy."
Lydia laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Then I'll beg right now. I'm sorry, okay? Just let me rest tonight. You can punish me tomorrow."
Jacob chuckled, pressing a deep kiss to her lips before pulling away. "Fine. You're lucky I'm in a forgiving mood. Now let's go take a shower—we're all sticky."
He scooped her up effortlessly and carried her to the bathroom. After a taking shower together, they returned to the bedroom, cleaned up the mess, and settled back onto the bed, warm and comfortable in each other's arms.
Then, Jacob told Lydia about the three bloodlines in detail. When he was done, his tone grew serious. "I think you should take the Silver Banshee bloodline. Even though you're already a banshee, this one is different—and much stronger."
Lydia nodded thoughtfully. "I agree. I've read about banshees in the bestiary, they can only predict mortal danger and use weak sound-based attacks. This is way better."
"So?" Jacob asked, raising a brow. "Will you choose the Silver Banshee bloodline?"
"Of course." Lydia replied without hesitation. "I don't like snakes, so Gorgon's out. Kitsune is tempting, but… no. The Silver Banshee bloodline is perfect for me. It'll make me strong enough to keep up with you, mister dragon."
Jacob smirked. "By the way, before I pass the bloodline to you, I should tell you—there's a character in DC Comics called Silver Banshee. She has similar powers to the bloodline I'm giving you."
"Really? Show me."
Jacob grabbed his laptop from the nightstand, and together they read articles and watched videos about Silver Banshee.
After about an hour, Lydia leaned back against the pillows. "It looks like the bloodline you're offering me has all the abilities from every version of Silver Banshee combined."
Jacob nodded. "Yeah. You could say it's the perfect version."
Lydia's gaze softened as she looked at him. She didn't say anything, just studied him with an expression that made him raise a brow.
"What?" he asked, half-smiling. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing." Lydia's lips curved into a tender smile. "You're just… magical."
Jacob smirked and tapped his chest. "And handsome too. You couldn't find a better-looking man than me even if you searched the whole multiverse. You're lucky, Lydia."
She shook her head, amused, before kissing him. "You're right. Allison and I really are lucky to have you. Now… you can pass the bloodline to me. What do I need to do?"
Jacob said. "Nothing. Just turn around."
Lydia turned her back to him, and he placed his palm against her back. 'System, merge the Silver Banshee bloodline into Lydia's body.'
[Are you sure, host?]
'Yes.'
A surge of energy pulsed from Jacob's hand into Lydia. Her body grew warm, every cell igniting as the power wove itself into her essence.
After five minutes, a new prompt appeared in Jacob's vision.
[You may remove your hand now, host. The transformation will take approximately one hour to complete.]
Jacob removed his hand, watching closely. Lydia's eyes were closed, her expression peaceful. No pain. Only calm.
Satisfied, he let her finish the transformation. He slipped on his headphones, opened his laptop, and started watching anime.
---
An hour later, Lydia stirred. Her once-red hair had turned snow-white, her skin pale as porcelain. When her eyes opened, they glowed with an eerie, radiant white light.
Jacob felt her move and looked over. He was surprised. He hadn't expected such a drastic change. But surprise quickly melted into admiration. "You look… gorgeous."
"Really?" Lydia frowned, brushing a strand of her new white hair between her fingers. "My skin looks like I've never seen sunlight, and my hair is white."
Jacob smirked. "Your eyes are glowing white, too."
Her brows shot up. "What? Let me see!"
She hurried across the room to the floor-to-ceiling mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. She tilted her head, studying her new look. "Okay… I'll admit, the white hair isn't bad. But the glowing white eyes? With this pale skin? I look like a ghost."
Jacob walked up behind her, slid his arms around her waist, and met her gaze through the mirror. "Then you're the most beautiful ghost I've ever seen. How about we celebrate properly, hm? How about we do it again, my beautiful ghost?"
Lydia rolled her glowing eyes. "No. You have to wait until tomorrow."
Jacob chuckled. "Allison did it with me again right after she got her powers. You're weak, Lydia."
Lydia shot him a look over her shoulder. "Say whatever you want—we're not doing anything tonight. And I doubt Allison did half the crazy stuff we did."
Jacob grinned. "True. You'll have to teach her."
He gave her a playful spank, and said. "Well, since we're not doing anything, let's go eat. I'm starving."
Lydia shifted back to her normal appearance and stretched. "I'm starving too—and after we eat, I want to test my powers."
"We'll head to the woods after dinner."
They went downstairs into the kitchen. Jacob pulled an impressive spread of cooked dishes from his pocket dimension, filling the table with steaming plates. They sat together, eating, laughing, and teasing one another.
When they were done, they changed clothes, exchanged a look of excitement, and headed out toward the dark woods.
To be continued… 😊