Wolfgang walked into the bar, Adrian, Penny and David with him. The hunter ignored their questions and walked straight to the bar, ordering a shot of vodka.
"You see my glass empty, you fill it, okay?" Wolfgang commanded, putting down several hundred dollar bills.
The bartender obliged and poured him a shot. Wolfgang downed it, and then downed the next and the next.
"Why did you practically kidnap us, Wolfgang?" David questioned and the vampire shrugged, "I needed a change of scene."
"We're in New York." David pointed out and Wolfgang sighed. Charlotte's fiancé turned to him and tapped the table, "I'm getting married tomorrow, Wolfgang, why did you drag us to New York?"
When the hunter still didn't answer, David sighed and walked off to the rest of the group, who had slid into a booth.
"I was hoping you'd return." A voice called out and Wolfgang glanced up to see Ashley taking over from the other bartender. Wolfgang smiled slightly and straightened out.
"You're still tending the bar?" Wolfgang questioned and Ashley nodded with a sad smile, "No one's taking on a therapist with no experience."
"I can fix that." Wolfgang replied, pulling a pen out of his pocket alongside a notepad. He quickly jotted down a letter and handed it to Ashley.
"That's a letter of recommendation for 'The Cami O'Connell Hospital For The Mentally Ill'. It's in New Orleans but I have some pull over the board of governers." Wolfgang explained and Ashley nodded gratefully. The hunter sighed before getting down to business.
"I'm in need of counsel." Wolfgang said, pouring himself another drink. Ashley nodded and noticed that the sign for the bar was on 'closed' instead of 'open'.
"Oh, I hired the bar for the day." Wolfgang explained and Ashley sighed. She took off her apron and sat down.
"What can I do for you?" Ashley asked and Wolfgang took a sip of his drink, "I need someone's opinion on something."
"Talk away."
"I'm scared. More scared than I've ever been." Wolfgang said, "Monsters that I buried a long time ago are rising out of the ground to haunt me and I don't know what to do."
"Do you know who they are or what they want?" Ashley asked and Wolfgang shook his head, "They want me dead."
"That's deep." Ashley commented and Wolfgang sighed, "You know what, forget it."
"Go home and take the day off, tell management that I dismissed you." Wolfgang compelled. Ashley tidied up and left the bar. Wolfgang sat back and Penny approached him.
"How do you do it?" Penny asked and Wolfgang looked at her curiously.
"Do what?"
"Pretend that everything's fine."
"Everything is fine." Wolfgang replied and Penny shook her head, sitting down besides him.
"No it's not." Penny argued, "I see how miserable you are. Sure, you smile, but it never reaches your eyes. You act unbothered but you feel too much. You wear a mask but I can see all that pain hidden behind it, Wolfgang. It's okay to not be fine, you're allowed to be human."
"I can't." Wolfgang countered, his voice low, "I have to be fine. I have to be cold and unbothered, I have to hide my pain. For Charlotte, because it protects those I care about."
"And who protects you? Who looks after the great Wolfgang Nachtstern? Because you don't have to carry the weight of the world, nobody is asking you to."
YOU ARE READING
Sardonic - The Originals (The Hunter Book 2)
Fanfiction**Sequel to 'Indebted' And Prequel To 'Lovesick'** It's been a year since Wolfgang Nachtstern walked away from Katherine Pierce and the mess of Mikaelson family drama. The 707 year old managed to pay off all his debts and is finally enjoying his imm...
