I've waited long for this moment. The moment the little wolf girl, who had me kill my very own creations because she'd turned them all against me, would come to trust me. Not that it had been very hard. The girl was starved of affection and someone to listen to her. She was easy prey. Almost too easy; which made the waiting game even harder to follow through. KeepingHayley Marshall alive until now had been a huge accomplishment on my part because I wanted nothing more than to wrap my fingers around her neck and crush the last breath from her body, the way she'd forced my hand against the few I'd believed would never leave me. My hybrids.

Looking up at her with a faint smile on my lips, I sweep my hand in a casual gesture towards the dinner I'd just offered up to her, which she'd more than eagerly downed together with almost a whole bottle of wine all on her own. My patience was wearing thin by now and I was hiding it well, but the crack in my veneer was slowly starting to show. "So… you're rested. You're fed. Tell me about Katerina."

In true form with her lack of upbringing, the girl scoffs at me in response to my hospitality. "Most men get their power kick from torture and intimidation. With you, it's… drinks and fine dining."

I have in good mind to leap across the table and rip her spine out for diminishing my pristine manners, but I had a goal and I was set to reach it. I knew very well how to get to the core of things before reaping the rewards of my patience. I was an immortal after all, and I sometimes played games to pass time. Hayley Marshall had been fortunate to stay alive for another few days after she'd knowingly stabbed me in the back. This disobedient little wolf would be handed a much reasonable punishment for her deceit.

At the mere thought my smile widens as I reply that right now I favor hospitality instead of any unpleasantness but that I'm known to change my mind on a whim. Making sure the veiled threat is obvious enough, I let my smile fade, and I bore my eyes into Hayley while lowering my voice warningly. "Where's Katerina?"

The little wench actually has the audacity to sass mouth me by asking me if I was serious. Of course I fucking am. I am left staring at her for a silent moment. This girl must be born a back water hussy. Not to mention that lispy drawl of hers which makes my teeth ache.

Trying to stay calm right now is quite literally teetering on the edge of my last nerve as I lean forward; slowly enunciating every single word so there's no mistaking in what I want of her since she ratted me out to Katerina and then told my longtime nemesis where to find the cure. "Tell me… what did Katerina promise you?"

Hayley's words turn into a blur of family drama as a lost little pup. Things I could care less about. Apparently Katerina had promised her to help finding out more about them, but I knew Katerina Petrova well by now, and sure enough, she'd sent one of her lackeys to finish Hayley off. I reminded the wolf girl as much as she still felt protective of Katerina for some odd reason or other, the thought as ridiculous as it sounded.

"I'm the only one who can protect you." I smile serenely at the young wolf girl; taking Hayley back to a few nights previous when I'd snuffed out the life of her would be assailant. And now she's sitting here, unwittingly falling into my trap as the vapid little prey that she is.

She doesn't know it yet, but Hayley Marshall has just confirmed that I have no use for her any longer. She's outstayed her welcome. She has nothing to offer me, she has no more leverage to keep herself alive. Her deal with Katerina is off, she knows no more of the cure or Katerina's whereabouts than I do and my once uttered words to Caroline about her beloved Tyler mirrored exactly how I feel about Hayley Marshall right now. Why should she get to live a happy life after she turned all my hybrids against me? And why should I show the person who put such treacherous thoughts in Tyler Lockwood's head any more lenience than I showed him? I wanted Hayley Marshall dead even more than I wanted Tyler's heart in my hand. At least he'd shown allegiance towards his pack. Where was hers? There was no sense of loyalty in the wolf sitting before me, no courage. Only duplicity and deception.

Standing up and walking over to Hayley's side of the table, I hold out my hand to her. "Please, let us step into the parlor for a nightcap."

The side of Hayley's head slams into the wooden panel of the nearest wall before she's managed to step over the threshold to the sitting room I've lead her to, my fingers securely clutching the back of her neck to keep her from falling to the floor. She's trying to find her footing but I've taken care to render her just on the right side of concussion, and she's blinking confusedly as she tries to focus her gaze on me. I shake her hands off me with ease while walking her across the room, practically lifting her off the floor. "There, much better." I smirk down at her, holding her up for an inspection. Her eyes are unfocused, but there's still defiance shining through the dullness and from the bash to her face there's an angry red blotch visible to her temple and cheekbone. "You see, when I spoke about a nightcap, I meant for me – not you."

As sudden as I rendered Hayley motionless, I've let my fangs extend and my features alter, the golden yellow of a wolf glaring down at her before descending on her, ignoring her feeble pleas to leave her be as my sharpened canines pierce her tender skin, ripping through her external jugular in one swift movement. That'll give me about five minutes of sheer pleasure before this little wolf heads on into the light. There's a spurt of warm succulent blood filling my mouth and I swallow greedily before unlatching and letting my features return to normal.

Five minutes can take all but a moment of your time depending on the situation you're in. For an immortal, five minutes is but a blip in our conscience, lost within seconds. But when you're human and dying … while you're fighting for your life; fighting to breathe, to continue /living/…. Five minutes feels like an eternity. More so when you know you're on your last leg and you think you still have a chance at surviving. That short moment of desperation is like soothing balm to my soul. And young Hayley Marshall believes she will stay alive. I can see it in her eyes as I move away from her, her hand shooting up to cover her neck to try and stem the bleeding. The urgency, the stubborn will to make it through.

"You told me you'd protect me." She manages to whisper, the wound and the blood slowly filling her throat starting to prevent her from speaking clearly.

Cocking my head to one side, I move in closer to the young girl, making her take a small, wobbly step backwards to try and steer clear of me, her free hand held out in front of her, as if such an insufficient measure could ever stop me. "Yes… I did." I reply smoothly, watching with interest as the dark sticky fluid starts staining the wooden floor beneath us. "But I never gave my word. See, that's where you went wrong, little wolf. I'm an Original… I make no promises unless I give my word." A wicked grin plays on my lips as I take another step towards her. "Katerina knows this. She should have warned you." Shrugging casually, I ignore the fact that I'm stepping straight into the growing pool of blood on the floor as I continue. "Then again… she probably relied on the fact that if her lackey couldn't do the job for her, I would. I have to hand it to her, though – she doesn't lack creativity."

Lifting my hand to Hayley's cheek, I let a finger slide down to her neck, ignoring the girl flinching away from my touch. "Are you starting to feel lightheaded, sweetheart?" I place my hand on her shoulder, preventing her from pressing her hand against the wound, letting a thick stream of her blood coat my hand and coloring her shirt an even darker shade of red. "Perhaps you need to sit down." My voice is firm as I push her down onto her knees on the floor. By now the blood will start to fill up her lungs preventing her from getting any oxygen to her brain, which in turn prevents her heart from beating properly; leaving her weakened and unable to fight the inevitable.

I get down on my haunches in front of her. "See, this is my favorite part, love. Watching someone suffer the consequences of their actions, watching them acknowledge that they themselves are the reason they're about to die." Teasing a strand of Hayley's bloodied hair through my fingers, I smile at her. "No amount of torture can teach you that if you're in such agony your brain shuts down on itself." I give another careless shrug." Which, of course, is why I chose this method of your demise, since you asked why I decided to 'wine and dine' you instead of torturing you."

My fingers glides along the length of her neck and closing around her jaw, forcing her to look up at me, the fear and dread emanating from her every pore. I can hear her heart pounding in her chest from fright and adrenalin, but it'll slow down soon enough. "I know my anatomy very well, Miss Marshall, and I made sure to only sever your external jugular, leaving you alive long enough to realize the errors of your ways."

I lean my elbow on my knee, giving Hayley a pitiful gaze. "You see, your actions left me no choice but to kill my creations, the last hybrids walking this earth. Your actions forced me to go after Tyler Lockwood, and you know how Caroline will react to such news. You created a precarious situation for me, and I don't take matters like this lightly. I have a reputation to uphold after all."

Hayley's eyes flutters shut for a moment while her breathing comes in stuttered gurgles, so I pinch her jaw harder, forcing her to open her eyes again – all of her defiance finally vanished and her want to live vanquished. "And you thought I'd let you go?" There's a low rumble of a laughter low in my chest. "Foolish little girl."

By now Hayley's full weight is held up by my hand around her throat, but I continue keeping her upright, preventing her from bleeding out too quickly, her heartbeat slow and irregular. There truly is something so beautiful about a death such as this one; so poignant, so obliterating. Demeaning. "Only a little longer now, love, and it'll soon be over." There's a soothing tone to my voice as I speak to her. Hayley's frail body jerks as she's fighting for her lasts breaths and I can see her lips move just as a tear runs down her blood stained cheek. Even if there's no actual physical pain in dying this way; the victim's conscious state up until the very end always leaves a certain elation slithering its way along my spine. I enjoy this part of the game, just as much as I love a good hunt and torture.

Lifting my free hand, I let a finger stop the tear in its tracks, raising the lone digit to my mouth. As I watch the last sign of life leave her dull hazel eyes, I slowly taste Hayley's salty essence of regret on my tongue. "There's nothing sweeter than the taste of remorse."