Jacob and Stiles played at the arcade for a couple of hours before leaving and getting back into the Jeep.
"Let's go grab something to eat and take dinner to my dad." Stiles said.
"Alright, I could eat some food." Jacob agreed.
Stiles snorted. "And by 'some food,' you mean eating all the food in the diner."
"I can't draw that much attention to myself." Jacob said with a grin. "But let's go to a diner that has a food challenge."
Soon, they arrived at a diner. Jacob asked the waitress. "Tell me about the food challenge you have here."
The waitress smiled. "You have to eat a two-pound burger, with one pound of fries, a large plate of mac and cheese—which is about two pounds—a large bucket of chicken tenders, and a large milkshake. All in thirty minutes."
Jacob smirked. "Easy. Bring it."
"Are you sure you can finish all that food, honey?" The waitress asked, skeptical.
"Yes, I'm sure. Bring it." Jacob confirmed.
"As you wish." She said.
Stiles sighed. "They have no idea what they're dealing with." He then went to order his own food since the waitress was focused on Jacob and didn't take his order.
Soon, the waitress brought the mountain of food to Jacob's table. Stiles took his burger to another table and started eating while watching the show.
People gathered around Jacob's table to watch. He looked at the waitress and said. "You are about to see something special."
Then he dug in. He didn't eat too fast, not wanting to scare people. After ten minutes, he had finished the burger and fries. He took another fifteen minutes to finish the rest, pretending to have difficulty while people cheered him on.
Stiles sighed and thought. 'Jacob is just acting. If these people saw how much he really eats, I don't know how shocked they would be.'
After Jacob was done, the waitress gave him a T-shirt, took his picture, and hung it on the diner's "Wall of Fame."
After celebrating with the waitress and the cheering crowd, Jacob left with Stiles. They took dinner to Sheriff Stilinski, and then Stiles drove Jacob home.
---
Meanwhile...
Scott, who had just arrived home after his shift at the clinic, was lying in bed when his mom, Melissa, barged into his room.
"Hey, Scott, I'll be late tonight." She announced.
Seeing Scott look at her in surprise, she asked. "What? Is it my hair? My makeup?"
"No, no, nothing! You look beautiful." Scott said quickly. "But... why do you look so beautiful?"
"Because I'm having dinner, for once, with a member of the male gender who is over the age of sixteen." Melissa confessed.
"Who?" Scott asked.
"It's a medical rep that came into the hospital today. We just kinda started talking, and the next thing I know, I'm saying yes to dinner and... I'm really hating myself for skipping the gym last week."
"What... medical rep?" Scott pressed.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"That medical rep." Melissa said, her eyes widening in a panic. "And, uh, I'm not... I'm not ready. I'm not done, I'm not ready! So if you could please just get the... get the door and talk with him, okay? Just... be nice."
Scott went downstairs and opened the door, his face freezing in shock at the sight of Peter.
Peter smirked. "Hello there."
Scott's eyes glowed, and he growled. "What are you doing here, Peter?"
"I'm here to take your mom to dinner, of course." Peter said smoothly.
"No, you are not. I'll tell Jacob." Scott threatened.
"Go ahead and tell him." Peter replied, unfazed. "I promised him I wouldn't bother you, and I haven't. I don't mean your mom any harm. I just like her and want to have dinner with her, that's all."
"If you hurt her, if you even touch her..." Scott began, his voice trembling with anger.
Peter cut him off. "Scott, if I may interrupt your listing of the top five most impotent-sounding threats for a moment, try and remember that I've been in a coma for six years. Don't you think I'd like to have dinner with a beautiful woman? And like I said, I mean her no harm."
Before Scott could say anything else, Melissa shouted from upstairs, "Scott, aren't you gonna invite him in?"
Peter pushed past Scott and entered the house. Scott wanted to protest, but Melissa came downstairs and looked at Peter. "I'm ready, I'm ready."
Peter offered her his arm, and she took it. They both exited the house.
Scott followed them out. "Mom..."
Melissa glared at him. "Yes, sweetheart?"
Scott hesitated, finally relenting. "Have a good time."
Melissa smiled. "Thank you."
After watching them drive away, Scott took out his phone. He was about to call Jacob and ask for help, but he changed his mind. He didn't want Jacob to meet his mom. So, he called Stiles instead.
---
Stiles, who had just stopped his car in front of Jacob's mansion, got Scott's call. After hearing what happened, he said. "Alright, I'll intercept Peter's car. Don't worry, I will ruin their date."
He hung up the phone and looked at Jacob. "You heard that, right?"
"I did." Jacob said. "Wait, I'll bring my car and follow you. But why didn't Scott ask me for help?"
Stiles shrugged. "I don't know."
Jacob got out of the Jeep, opened the iron gate, and went to get his Camaro.
Stiles looked at him and thought. 'Scott is probably more afraid that Melissa will meet Jacob than he is afraid that Peter will hurt her.'
Soon, Jacob drove his car out and followed Stiles' Jeep.
They drove for about eight minutes before Stiles swerved and hit a car parked on the roadside. He got out of his Jeep to assess the damage.
Jacob stopped behind him, briefly wondering how Stiles had found Peter's car, but didn't dwell on it. He got out and saw Melissa arguing with Stiles.
Peter, who had been smirking, saw Jacob and froze.
Jacob walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a dangerously calm voice. "Explain yourself. And you'd better tell only the truth, or you won't live past tonight."
Peter shivered. "I swear, I wasn't planning on harming her or anything! I admit I wanted to scare Scott a little bit, but I swear I wasn't going to hurt her."
Jacob inserted his claws into Peter's shoulder. "What about giving her the bite?"
Peter winced in pain. "I wasn't going to bite her! I was just trying to have dinner with her, I swear!"
After listening to Peter's heartbeat and confirming he wasn't lying, Jacob said. "Get lost. And don't come near her again."
Peter didn't need to be told twice. He got into his car and sped away.
Melissa watched him leave and yelled at Stiles. "Oh, great! Are you happy now, Stiles? Did Scott ask you to do this?"
Stiles didn't know what to say.
"I love him more than anything." Melissa continued, her voice breaking. "I've done everything for him and never complained. Can't he at least let me have one date?"
Tears began streaming down her face. Stiles felt a pang of guilt and stood helplessly.
Jacob walked over, gently wiped the tears from Melissa's cheek, and said with a charming smile. "There's no need to cry over that idiot who left. How about I take you on a date, beautiful?"
Stiles cursed inwardly. 'Damn it, Scott is going to be so pissed.'
Melissa looked at the handsome teenager in front of her, her anger and frustration momentarily forgotten. "Who are you, kid?"
"I'm Jacob. Scott's friend."
Melissa's eyes narrowed. "So you're Jacob. Did you help Stiles ruin my date, too?"
"We had a good reason." Jacob said.
"What reason?" she demanded.
"I'll tell you later when I take you back home." Jacob promised. "But for now, let me take you out for dinner as an apology."
Melissa smiled despite herself. "I'm old enough to be your mother, kid. And I don't want to go to jail."
Jacob gently took her arm and guided her toward his car. "We're just going to have dinner and maybe watch a movie as friends. Nothing else."
"But..." Melissa started to protest.
"No buts." Jacob said firmly. "Let's go."
"Wait..." Stiles interjected.
Jacob glared at him. "What do you want? Should I leave her here crying?"
Stiles raised his hands in surrender. "Go ahead, man. You don't need to glare at me."
Jacob opened the car door for Melissa, and she got in. He then slid into the driver's seat and drove away.
Just as they left, Scott arrived and rushed to Stiles's side. "Where's my mom?"
Stiles scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I ruined her date with Peter, and he left. But... she's in much worse danger now."
Scott panicked. "What do you mean?"
"Ugh, how do I say this?" Stiles hesitated.
"Come on, speak already!" Scott urged.
Stiles sighed. "Jacob was with me when you called. He followed in his car, he's the one who made Peter leave. Then Melissa started crying, and..."
"And what?!" Scott pressed.
"Jacob wiped her tears, called her beautiful, and... I could see it in her eyes. She was charmed by his stupid face."
Scott's face fell. "No, no, no! This can't be happening! Where are they?"
"He took her on a date."
Scott let out a strangled cry. "Nooo... this is a nightmare!"
He frantically pulled out his phone and called Jacob.
Soon, he heard Jacob's voice. "Oh, hey Scott. Don't worry about Melissa; she's safe with me. I'll bring her home before midnight. Bye."
The call ended before Scott could say a word. No matter how many times he tried calling back, Jacob didn't answer.
Scott screamed, his frustration morphing into a mournful wolf howl.
Seeing people starting to stare, Stiles quickly dragged Scott to the Jeep. "Okay, buddy, let's get you home."
He had to half-carry, half-push Scott into the passenger seat. Once inside, he drove toward Scott's house, glancing at his friend, who looked like he'd lost his soul.
"Don't worry too much." Stiles tried to reassure him. "Jacob just took her to dinner to make her feel better because she was crying. She was really disappointed in you, man. You should have heard what she said."
Scott looked over, his eyes hollow. "What did she say?"
"She said she loves you more than anything, never complained while raising you, and all she wanted was one date tonight, but you wouldn't let her."
"It's not like that! I was trying to protect her!" Scott argued.
"But she doesn't know that." Stiles countered. "And I hate to bring Jacob into this, but maybe you should have listened when he told you to tell her the truth. If you had, she wouldn't have gone on a date with Peter, and she wouldn't be on a date with Jacob right now."
Scott sighed and leaned back in his seat, defeated.
"By the way." Stiles added. "You should prepare yourself to tell her the truth. Because Jacob told her he'd explain why we ruined her date when he takes her back to your house."
"He can't decide that on his own! I'm not ready yet!" Scott protested.
"I think he's right." Stiles said gently. "It's time to tell her the truth."
Scott sighed again. "I just hope she won't hate me."
"Don't worry, she won't."
To be continued... 😊