Chapter 5

There is such a racket and shouting that emerged from guests outside in the hotel’s hallway that it was simply deafening; their noise modulates to a concerted menacing growl punctuated by sharp yaps, then the din gradually dies down.

In the earliest version, the gods destroy the human race because its clamor had been so disturbing to them. On hearing the tremendous noise, Christa knows something terrible has happened, but it pissed her off that the noise disturbed and awakened her.

Christa didn’t have an anger management issue since she grew up in a functional family. For the last two days, Christa had lost control of her temper. She thought it was because she had been dead.

Death changes a girl, indeed. She feels energetic when she gets up, and Lewis is still asleep on the sofa. The smell of freshly baked goods and brewed coffee make her hungry.

Christa sneaks out of the room to feed herself, she is also busily scheming to get rid of her husband. The hotel has a restaurant that is noted for its excellent cuisine open to non-residents; it is considered one of the most romantic restaurants in the city.

Few people are eating in the cafe; Christa sits near the window and starts to enjoy her meal. Suddenly the chair on the opposite has been pulled out, and the guy she doesn’t bother to remember the name from last night - Evan Moffy sits down.

"Good morning, Christa. Do you mind?"

Christa doesn’t say a word; she is in a state of confusion and tumult. He is like a specter haunts her, only that she does not know why. She wonders idly what he will say.

"An enormous appetite. Ha, any anger issue?"

She grimaces and looks narrowly at the man; he is such a tall, dark, strong, handsome brute about his middle twenties. Women will go wild if his rippling muscles emerge from the tub dripping with water.

How could he know about that? She’d certainly never let drop any hint. The three dishes in front of her are now piled with delicious food; Christa takes a glance at them and then stares at the handsome face.

"Hey, stranger. What do you want? I believe you know that I am a married woman." She looks at him with intense hatred. She tries to show her wedding ring. However, taking it off last night and left it in the room. 

"Take it easy. Can you feel it? I’m trying to help you here. Did you shift into a wolf the other night? Your sense sharpened; a little thing always made you peevish?" He smirks; despite her hostility, she attracts him.

"I don’t know what you are talking about. How can I shift into a wolf? We are not living in a fairyland. " Says Christa with a sort of guilty haste.

"You are a she-wolf or werewolf. Now you have shifted, you need to find a teacher or a pack. You seriously can’t feel it. What did your wolf say?"

It is obvious he has told the truth, and she believes it. Christa remembered what had happened the night before, so it was not a dream that she had shifted into a wild animal. 

If she could be reborn, being a werewolf is quite possible. 

It is so gross that she thinks she is about to faint; she is aware of the physical changes in her body after being back. What Evan said was a real knock at her cognition of the world. Christa frowns, making an effort to compose herself.

"Why? How do you know about these things?" Suddenly she finds herself sober and fully alert.

"Because you are my mate, your wolf should feel it too." His face is unmoved, but there is a trace of displeasure on his lips.

"I beg your pardon? It is the worst flirting line I have ever heard." Christa is annoying and amusing at the same time.

At that very moment, the phone rings.

Evan takes a look at his ringing phone and says goodbye as he points at the surveillance camera in the cafe. Christa is soon to learn; she gobbles all the food down and then strides maniacally to the hotel reception. 

To establish and maintain a control mechanism to monitor the movement of all guests leaving or entering the property through entrances and exits.

The hotel receptionist Gary who smells like Evan recognizes her the instant he sees her; he asks in his oily voice what he can do for her today. They welcome warmly her in the central control room of the hotel; Mrs. Morrie is not just a title but power.

Christa is watching the video from the night before that shows Lewis entering a room, and a few seconds later, Louisa goes to the same room; they stay in the same room for about five minutes. 

It is the longest five minutes Christa has ever been; she feels as though her heart is breaking through her chest while the rest of her body is paralyzed.

She breathes a sigh of relief when they come out of the room and walk off in different directions.; at least they are not having intercourse sex. They carried their talk out behind a veil of secrecy; she is sure they are keeping something back from her. 

"Mrs. Morrie, are you alright?" Gary asks with a concerned face.

"I am ok. Could you please do me a favor? Please tell no one I have been here to check up on my husband on the video. Thank you." She gives him a big fat tip.

"Thank you. We have reserved the room for Mr. Morrie for almost a year." Gary is crawling towards her.

"How long have they employed you at this job? What else do you know? I will be fair to you. I’ve got more than that in my purse." Christa takes out all the cash in her purse.

"I keep the records and I think I can show you -details of the guest’s previous visits to the room, for instance, length of stay, the pictures of the guests, and likes or dislikes." Gary smiles and bows obsequiously to Christa.

"How much? Why are you doing these? What’s the purpose of all of this?" Fearful of being deceived or used, she forces herself to stay calm before acting.

"I desperately need the money, so I don’t have time to wait for a better offer. Besides, you are very nice to us all. I don’t want you to be cruelly cheated on by the unworthy guy." He sounds sincere. 

"You can ask for help whenever you need it. But I can’t give you any money for this matter; my husband is trustworthy. Thank you for telling me about the room. By the way, there was a noise in the hallway this morning. Did anything happen?" She is not above lying when it suits her.

"One of the customers had missed an item. She accused one of our housekeepers of stealing it. That doesn’t make any sense. She lost was just a lady’s dress, but the server was a man." He sneers.

"Thank you. I should go." Christa walks out of the control room and heads to the elevator, but she returns to the reception desk in a hurry; she forgets to take the key. 

Gary is behind the desk and on the phone with someone. Thanks to her wolf-hearing, she can hear every word of the conversation.

"As you taught me, I told Mrs. Morrie about the room. But she refused to take the records. Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Moffy?" Gary says in a low whisper.

"Send it to her, anyway." He says it with a commanding voice.

"Sure thing, until next time." Gary hangs up the phone.

Evan Moffy? Her intuition was telling her that something was wrong; what he had done attracted her attention. She pretends she doesn’t hear the talk and walks close to get the key.

"Mrs. Morrie, how may I help you?" Gary turns back in alarm.

"I am so sorry. How forgetful of me. I didn’t bring the key with me, and I didn’t want to wake my husband, who went to bed too late last night. Could you please give me another one? Thank you." Christa admits with regret.

"Of course, please wait a minute, and here is your key. Have a nice day." Garys gives her a key and shows his service.

When Christa returns to the hotel room, it surprised her that Lewis was not in the room. She collapses on the bed to thaw herself, and it takes half an hour for her body to feel normal again. Lewis is back in a trice.

"Honey, we really ought to be getting back now. The hospital calls that one of my patients is in urgent need of surgery, and I’m her attending. Therefore, I could not be so natural about her surgery." His voice betrays the lie he is trying to hide.

The exact words, the same excuse Christa had heard in her previous life. There is a distant look in her eyes; her mind is obviously on something else. She is determined too long for Lewis to stand by his side so she can figure out what he is doing.

"Don’t worry, Honey. You can go; the driver can pick me up, and I will see you later at home," she says soothingly.

Once again, she is unable to say what she means. The invisible thing forbids her to change the cause it should be. What Lewis is going to do later must relate to her resulting death.

She can stalk him like a hunter after a deer.