Leila woke up in the hotel room, feeling like hell.
The memories of the previous night flowed into her brain like a dream. However, she knew she did not dream it. She could still remember the vampires, the hunter, and that dangerous man…
And the taste of his blood…
Leila was startled by the strange thought. Why was she thinking about his blood?
She shook her head to clear out the muddled thoughts. She must be a little confused after meeting the vampires. She forced herself to leave the bed, showered and had fresh clothes delivered from the front desk.
When she was ready, she left the hotel without having breakfast.
Her mood was horrible as she walked through the busy streets of Lake City. Though it was a Saturday morning, people were already out and about, making her even more irritable. For some reason, it felt like her senses were a little more heightened.
After walking for a while, she stopped at a mall and found an electronics store. She needed a replacement phone since hers did not survive the ordeals of the previous night. She would have had a hard time if she did not have the habit of always carrying a bank card.
When Leila entered the shop, nobody paid attention to her. She did not look like a big client as a young lady in casual jeans and a white t-shirt. She did not mind as she walked around checking out the options displayed.
Naturally, nothing impressed her.
Her old phone was a custom model with features that were not available on the general market. She had a friend who worked in the advanced technology sector, so she would always get exclusive electronics as soon as they were available.
After mulling for a bit, she decided to get a cheap smartphone and call her friend later to ask about getting a good replacement phone. Of course, she knew her friend would make some demands in exchange, but she did not mind.
After all, every friendship had to have some give-and-take.
Without wasting more time, Leila walked to the counter and asked for the phone model she picked. The salesperson behind the counter dismissed her casually and told her to wait for a while at the side.
Leila was a little irritated by the blasé attitude, but she was never one to be dramatic if things did not go her way. Maybe, the man had his problems and struggles. With that in mind, she started looking at some of the other electronics on display while waiting.
"Good morning, Ms. Powell," An enthusiastic voice spoke up from behind as Leila looked at the shelf of VR and AR devices. "What can I do for you?"
"I heard that the store finally received the new products from Phoenix Technologies." A female voice responded. "Zain insisted that we come early in the morning before people flooded into the store."
Hearing the familiar name, Leila's brow lifted with some interest. However, she did not think too much of it. It was not uncommon to find people with similar names, even when the names were unique.
"So, you came with Mr. Marshall." The salesman became even more enthusiastic towards the customer.
Leila turned to look at the two people and saw the new customer. It was a young woman who was smiling with feigned shyness. As for why Leila thought the shyness was feigned, it was because she could see the glint of smugness in her eyes.
But it was none of her business.
"Excuse me, can I get the phone I asked for?" Leila looked to the sales guy.
The man lost the warmth in his eyes as he remembered the presence of the unwelcome customer. His feelings were not personal; he had never met Leila before. What he hated were small sales because they were not worth the commission.
As the assistant manager, he took it upon himself to wake up early on a Saturday to open the shop because he wanted to maximise his commission with the new line of products from Phoenix Technologies.
Unfortunately, his first customer ordered an old and cheap phone model. To him, that was a bad omen. He wanted his day to be a little more auspicious by making a big first sale.
"I am busy right now. You can wait for our junior salesperson to come in a few minutes. The shop is not officially open yet." The assistant manager said.
Leila's eyes flashed with a thin amber glow which disappeared before anyone could perceive it. She controlled her anger as she felt the wolf in her wanting to rise and tear apart the obnoxious man.
In the past, her wolf was always calm and one with her human mind. However, in recent months, the wolf would threaten to take over when she had any strong emotions. This was the reason she needed to find her origin as soon as possible.
She took a deep breath.
"I was here first, and my issue will only take a few minutes to sort out." She said calmly, reminding herself to keep the bloodthirst in check.
Before the man could answer, the other woman laughed derisively.
"How can you compare yourself to me?" The so-called Ms Powell asked. "You do not look like you can afford anything worth more than a few bucks. I am sure even the little money you have must come from a dirty place."
Leila was speechless for a moment. She had heard stories about people like these who would insult strangers, but she never thought that she would experience it. Still, she recovered quickly.
"Even if my money is filthy, it has nothing to do with you." Leila retorted before looking her up and down, taking in her designer clothes. "Someone who judges and insults others without reason is probably the one who has done shameful things."
Ms Powell immediately turned red in the face as she heard Leila's words. She never expected that Leila would have the guts to talk against her. After all, she was a member of the Powell family which was famous in Lake City.
"How dare you?" The woman shouted, rushed Leila quickly and lifted her hand to slap her.
Leila was petite in comparison to Ms Powell, and on her high heels, it was obvious who was going to beat who. Therefore, the assistant manager chose not to intervene. If intervention was necessary, he would naturally support the young miss of the Powell family, who also happened to be Zain Marshall's girlfriend.
However, something unexpected happened before the harsh slap could land. Leila caught the wrist of the taller woman and twisted it behind her back. With a rough move, she forced the woman's head onto the counter.
Leila did not intend to hurt her too much, but she underestimated her strength, causing the glass counter to shatter into pieces. The sound was loud and piercing in the quiet store.
"What is happening here?" A new deep voice spoke up from the door.