Jackson was numb.
None of this felt real.
There was a part of him that had hoped there was some possibility of Taya living, of something happening at the last minute to keep her with him after they mated.
But that wasn't to be.
When Eric heard the news of Taya's death, he immediately rushed over. However, he did not expect to see such a scene.
Jackson had always been a composed Alpha, and the wolf Eric was seeing right now was anything but Eric watched as Jackson paced around his condo in Arcadia in his massive wolf form. He couldn't describe him with words. He only felt that Jackson had gone mad.
He looked at Jackson's bloodshot eyes and couldn't help but feel emotional for his friend. Even in his wolf form, the grief Jackson was experiencing was coming off him in waves.
"Jackson, pull yourself together… Your pack needs you."
Jackson's body went limp, and he laid on the floor. His desperate amber eyes were empty as he stared off into nothing.
Night fell, and there was a knock on the door. Eric answered it to see one of Jackson's pack guards standing there with an urn.
"I've brought the remains of the Alpha's mate," he said, trying to look inside to see Jackson.
Eric shifted his body to keep the man from seeing Jackson in such a state. It wouldn't do for anyone to think there might be a weakness to be exploited, that there might be an opening to challenge the Sterling Alpha.
After taking the ashes, Eric sent the pack guard on his way and closed the door.
Jackson's blood-red gaze slowly moved to the urn when Eric turned around.
The second he saw it, he lifted his snout and let out a bloodcurdling, mournful howl.
When Jackson asked Eric if he could cure Taya's heart failure, Eric suspected that Jackson ha regained his memory, so he asked Camille about what had happened back then.
Only then did he find out about Jackson and Taya's past. How Jackson's brother Stephen Sterling had behaved to keep them apart to protect the Sterling pack.
Jackson had jumped out of the car for Taya's sake and lost his memory. The depth of that kind of love was not something others could easily measure…
Eric suddenly thought of Stella lying on the ground covered in blood and reaching out to him for help. His heart couldn't help but tighten.
If Stella hadn't held on to it back then, would he have been like Jackson, holding on to her urn and utterly ruined?
He shook the thoughts away.
Jackson shifted back into his human form and took the urn from Eric. His housekeeper, Cora, was shocked when came in and saw Jackson holding an urn, his face pale and eyes blank.
Although Cora didn't know who was in the urn, she thought it must be one of the Alpha's relatives.
"Alpha, I'm going to prepare the mourning hall…"
Jackson did not respond, but when Cora turned around, he stopped her.
"I want you to have a tombstone made for her."
"What is her name, Alpha?" Cora asked softly.
Jackson looked down at the urn and replied affectionately, "My mate, Taya Palmer."
Harper cried for days.
She stayed at Taya's house-her old house before mating with Damian-just to try to be near Taya's spirit in some way.
It was so difficult to think about Taya not being here anymore, and she had to sort through all of Taya's things.
Harper walked to Taya's room with heavy steps.
Tears fell again when she saw all of Taya's things and no Taya.
She shook herself off, wiped away the fresh tears, and began to sort through everything.
After packing her belongings, she turned around and was about to leave the bedroom when Harper suddenly stopped and looked back at the desk.
As if sensing something, she walked to the desk and then pulled open the drawer.
There was a notebook and an envelope with the words "Posthumous Note."
Seeing the note, Harper's eyes turned red again.
It turned out that Taya had been ready to leave this world.
She could have spent more time with Taya if she had found out earlier. Instead, Harper was standing here full of regret she took out the note with trembling hands, opened the envelope, and slowly unfolded the letter inside.
[Harper, my dearest sister, when you read this letter, it means that I'm no longer in this world. But it's okay. Please don't be sad for me.
Some things cannot be changed, and this was my destiny.
I'm so grateful to have had you by my side during this life. You have always been my family, my protector, my best friend. I wouldn't be where I am and who I am without you.
My only wish is that I had my wolf, so I could still be with you, and so that you wouldn't have been burdened with having to take care of me so much.
The only thing I have to give you to thank you for being you is my savings account.
Even though it's just a drop in the bucket compared to everything you did for me, I hope that when you need money, this can help.
This money, you can use as you will; it is not the money I received for selling myself. It is the money I worked to earn.
The pa*sword is your six-digit birthday, and the account should have $250, 000 in it.
I love you to the moon and back, forever and ever.]
After reading the letter, Harper choked with sobs.
"Taya, I don't need your money. I just want you to come back…"
Harper held the envelope in her hand. A longing that she had never felt before overcame her, making her wolf cry out.
Harper stared blankly at the ceiling with swollen eyes. The whole world was quiet as if she were the only one left.
A cell phone ringing pulled her out of her stupor.
The ringtone came from the hospital bag of Taya's belongings.
Harper was stunned for a few seconds and struggled to pick up the phone.
When she saw Griffon's name on the screen, her fingers paused.
Taya had wanted to see him before she died. Even if she could have just heard his voice, it would have been enough.
Instead, he had Tara answer his phone.
Such a man wasn't worthy to know the news of Taya's death.
Harper didn't answer the phone. He called several more times, but she refused to answer.
She was about to put the phone down to gather the bags of Taya's things when she saw countless messages from a man called "Greyson."
Whoever this was, he clearly knew Taya and was desperate to get hold of her.
She picked up Taya's phone and sent a message to Greyson.