Now Or Never

27

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27

JACKSON HALE

FOUR DAYS LATER...

I came up with a plan during the time it took for me to heal. It's simple and easy. Get the information from Derek about the mysterious man. Draw him out and use that information against him. The plan depends on Derek's corporation. Because once I get my hands on that disgusting man... I won't stop. I want to feel him in my hands as he takes his last breath. I want to watch his eyes dull out the remaining damaged life that he has.

And only then will I feel the completion of successful revenge.

"Are you ready?" Spencer asks by my side. I smooth out my suit in preparation to leave for my father's funeral.

Spencer looks beautiful. The perfect woman of life and light attending a dark gloomy ceremony of death. Or, in Spencer's words, the celebration of life.

My mate pulls a strain of her long dark blond hair from her two braids letting it rest on the side of her face. Finishing her look with a grey floppy hat. I watched the beauty of my girlfriend.

"Let's go." She says trying to walk past me but I grabbed her wrist instead and pulled her close to me.

"I love you, Spencer Murdock," I whisper.

She takes a minute, taking all of me in before responding with, "I love you too, Jackson Hale."

With a smile, I gently kissed her soft lips with mine savoring the sweet innocent moment before it came to a content end.

"Thank you for being there for me," I mumble under my breath.

"Always." Her arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me close. She kisses me once again and I kiss her back. 

I look at the time. "Fuck! We're going to be late!" I exclaim rushing to get off the bed along with Spencer.

"We have to leave right now!" I tell her but she pulls out of my grasp and grabs her makeup and hairbrush.

"Let's fucking go!" She says running ahead of me.

"Wait for me!" I yell but she laughs.

"You're too slow, wolfie!" And that made me growl in amusement. I'll show her, I run down the stairs with my speed and beat her to the car.

Standing by the car, I wait for my mate to finally arrive a few seconds later. Once she does she has this annoyed look on her face making me laugh. I haven't done that in a while.

"I could have beaten you if you didn't cheat." She mumbles as she gets in the car, throwing her purse on the floorboard.

With a large grin, I go around the car and sit in the driver's seat. "How did I cheat?" I ask curiously but I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"How did I cheat?" She mocks me as she pulls down the mirror flap on the roof of the car. "You're a werewolf with werewolf super speed which you used to werewolf cheat."

I chuckle and start to drive. "Okay, fine. I cheated." Finally giving the win to my girlfriend.

"Thank you for admitting it. I'm never playing a board game with you ever." She says as she fixes her makeup.

I hear the faint sound of a buzz coming from Spencer's pocket. She reaches for it and looks at the caller ID. Rolling her eyes she lets it ring until it stops. Spencer then continues to fix herself up. Putting on some more lipstick and brushing through her hair.

"Who was that?" I ask curiously.

"Diego. He's been calling me all morning asking questions and speaking about his concerns about his sister talking to Derek. They're doing it right now." She says paying attention to the mirror.

"I really appreciate him doing this for me. Even after everything we've said to each other." I say truthfully. Diego and I had always had a rivalry but it might be different now that he's risking his sister's life to avenge my father's. I could never tell him enough how grateful I am.

"Yeah, he's a good guy for a vampire. Still kind of rude and sarcastic." Spencer closes the mirror and looks at me. She looks even more beautiful than before. "He really admires you, Jackson."

We arrive at the cemetery and my good mood seemed to fall downhill. I just remembered how my father died. The reason why we are here. What I've gone through the past week. I didn't let the tears fall but they prickled my eyes.

Spencer grabs my hand. "Are you ready?" She asks and looks at her for a second.

With my mate by my side, I felt like I could do anything. I could go through the worst and make it out sane.

"Yeah," I tell her. We got out of the car and both looked at each other hesitantly before walking to the crowd of people filled with my pack. Here for their alpha. Past and present. My mother stands still by my pissed sister.

Spencer's phone buzzed again and she looked at it doing the same as last time. I didn't want to ask her who it was, I wasn't in the mindset to have the normal conversation we had in the car. I just wanted to mourn my father and catch the son of a bitch that killed him.

She let out a ding and she immediately put her phone on silent before looking at the message. She stopped suddenly and I looked at her.

"What is it?" I asked worriedly. She looked up at me trying to mask her true emotions.

"Um... nothing. I'll tell you after the service." She says and I hesitantly nodded my head in agreement. Whatever it is can wait. I am going to bury my father today.

​

Claire and her outfit to the funeral. The Hale family's mother is in the second photo.