Indebted - The Vampire Diaries (The Hunter Book 1)

Chapter 8 - 'Give Elena My Regards.'

Jayde Taylor slowly opened her eyes as the sunlight fell upon her face from the open drapes. The werewolf groaned, turning over in her bed to meet the sight of a bare-chested Wolfgang Nachtstern. The vampire was watching her, his hazel eyes inexpressive as she met their gaze.

His hazelnut brown irises were striking, flecked with a forest green and harsh shards of grey. Earth's colour scheme was condensed into his eyes. But they didn't seem to give any intentions away. She had to fight the urge to lie there and stare at him, waiting for at least some kind of emotion to highlight the heterochromia. It intrigued Jayde, how Wolfgang could be so cold, so emotionless and unfeeling.

"Didn't you sleep?" She asked, her voice quiet. Wolfgang's lips parted, his tongue darting out to wet them slightly before he spoke, shaking his head as he leaned it upon his hand, "I rarely sleep."

"Tell me something about you," Jayde asked and Wolfgang fell silent. For a moment, she thought that she had overstepped a boundary, violated the unspoken terms of their relationship but then his voice issued out, smooth as dark velvet, "Why?"

"Because I've known you for nearly four months and I barely know anything about you. Most of what I know I learned from other people," Jayde replied. Wolfgang let out a sigh, watching her curiously before he sat up, "What do you want to know?"

"How'd you get these scars?" The werewolf asked, her finger trailing over one of the larger scars on his back. Wolfgang inhaled sharply, bad memories coming back to him. The sting of the whip seemed fresh in his mind as the question left Jayde's lips, the screams for relief returning to his tongue at the idea of being at his mother's mercy once more. Wolfgang's mother was not merciful, and the heartless monster she called a son had learnt from the best.

"My mother, Antoinette, gave them to me." The Nachtstern confessed, his eyes holding a faraway look as he spoke, the confident tone faltering, "Every time I failed, every time I did something she didn't like, the whip would come out. To her, I was an abomination."

"She sounds like a bitch." Jayde mused and Wolfgang laughed coldly, "Is she dead?"

"Yes," Wolfgang replied, closing his eyes as though he was remembering what the day his mother had died was like. His lips curved into a slight smile at the memory, "I ripped her heart out."

Jayde nodded, she wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting when she asked him that. Wolfgang looked down at her before he spoke, "Who did you kill to activate your curse?"

"Some dick at a party," Jayde replied as she remembered her first kill. The man had followed her afterwards with some of his friends and had tried to take advantage of her. Jayde had pushed him backwards, and he had fallen into the Thames and drowned. She didn't regret it. And, working for Wolfgang had taught her not to.

"Let's not discuss my past any further." Wolfgang said as he rose from the bed in all of his naked glory, turning around to face Jayde as he rolled his shoulders, "Get ready, love, we have an exciting day ahead of us."

**********

Isobel and her minion walked into the house that she had compelled herself, unaware of the visitor waiting for her. The vampire reached into her bag, taking out a wine bottle, although the liquid within was not alcohol.

"Merci, mon Cherie," Isobel said, inclining her head towards the minion as she entered a room, pausing as her eyes fell upon the man sitting behind the desk. The Nachtstern smirked, his hazel eyes filled with cold amusement as he regarded her, "Your French needs work, darling." Wolfgang rose from behind the desk, walking towards Isobel confidently as he could almost sense her fear. The smile on his face grew as she actually flinched while he took the bottle from her hands, smelling it through the glass.