A Day of Wolves and Rabbits.

"L-little torment!? You're being mean to me again!"

The twelve-year-old humphed. She was Claudia's little sister, Rebecca.

Leonardo's eyes softened, his smile became sincere.

[Don't lower your guard. She might be just a naive child, but the ones surrounding us are not. Showing emotions is like giving a free bite at your own throat.] Azumi spoke on his mind. 'But it can also be a show of strength, to have Claudia, I can't be half-assed.' He answered.

A good-natured smile re-emerged on Leonardo's face, "I heard you're allowed to eat anything you want? Hailey is anemic now and has to eat well, how about you come and help her?"

"Really? Uh, but…" Rebecca's eyes shined, Claudia then rested her hand on the little girl's shoulder, making her hesitate.

Claudia's clear green eyes examined Leonardo as she spoke slowly.

"Hailey made an effort to push you away and isolate herself, do not approach people that won't appreciate your company." Her stone-cold expression allowed no debate from the little girl.

"...Do you still hate me?" Leonardo asked, the smile gone from his face.

Claudia chuckled in an easy-going manner, "How can I hate someone for a childish spat of three years ago? We could've stayed friends just like I did with Cassie, but you were holed up in your room." She was acting as she always did.

That's what Claudia thought her behavior was portraying, that's what everyone surrounding also thought.

But Leonardo had been examining Claudia since her arrival, just like she observed him. From top to bottom. The difference was that Leonardo could see through the surface. He caught her desire to laugh as she saw Cassie staring daggers at the trembling Jeff. Then saw a myriad of emotions pass by her eyes as she noticed his sudden changes, and also how the fake smile she gave everybody feltered when he asked if she still hated him.

Then he looked further and confirmed his hopes. Beneath her calm eyes were a sight that sent chills down his spine, the hate and resentment within it stared down at him venomously. Like a calm ocean with storm clouds above, it only lacked a strong wind to unleash itself.

A sincere, relieved smile appeared on Leonardo's face. He walked up to her and stood on a distance he could gaze right at that image underneath her scintillating green eyes.

"Fine by me, Claudia, if hate is the only thing still tying you to me, then I'll make sure you'll keep on cultivating it. I'll make sure you'll want to cut my head in the morning and tear my heart out in the evening, I'll make it so that you hate me to a point where nobody else can occupy your mind."

He took one step closer, snakes of electricity started to unconsciously crackle above Claudia,

Her green eyes were translucent with energy as she tilted her head with a smile, "Are you delusional?" She asked in the usual tone.

Leonardo grinned.

"I sent something to your phone, come to my barbecue tomorrow so you can tell me what you think, and bring little torment along." He said and walked back to Cecilia

The crackling of electricity intensified, "I don't have time for delusional cuckolds" Claudia laughed aloud.

He looked at her with a crooked smile and red eyes, "Careful now, people might think I invited some shrew and not Claudia, the queen bee."

Only now did Claudia feel the amazed gazes on her. 'She lost composure' was written on their wide-open eyes. She noticed the tongues of electricity above her and the vulgarities she just spilled. Even Little Rebecca was staring at her with excited astonishment.

Claudia either laughed or was silently cold, whatever offense she received would be dealt without a single strand of her hair moving. Nobody ever saw her really angry. And the one showed that to them was the same one who kissed Jeff's girlfriend in front of him, in a crowd..

And to top it off, he left unharmed...

They suddenly recovered and took that chance to talk to Claudia.

-- Anyone would've been angry by that, don't worry Clau.

--Yes, yes, Leonardo went mad after the incident!

Countless commentary followed those, Cassie, still disconcerted from earlier spoke in broken phrases, While Jeff took this chance to shift the attention of what happened before to Claudia's light outburst... But murderous rage filled his chest.

Claudia ignored them and nodded at Cecilia who was waving at her while mouthing 'Bye-bye little Clau'

She then turned around and spotted one young man in the crowd and asked, "Rodrigo, you said there was complete footage of what happened to Leonardo?"

Being singled out he went red but was also flattered.

"Y-yes, my father was tasked with grabbing evidence and such, though it's not allowed for the public I can still show it from my phone."

"Send it to me." She said smiling.

" I-I-" he was about to deny it, but notice that while her mouth was smiling, her eyes were ice-cold.

"A-alright."

"Thank you."

A wet palm patted her own, Claudia looked down.

Rebecca was gazing up with worry.

Claudia pinched the tip of the little girl's nose, "I'm alright, let's get more ice-cream" she said and took out her cellphone to see what Leonard sent.

****

Outside the gates Leonardo squinted while looking at the sun beyond the clear clouds.

'The way mana is pulsating through my body, this warmth feeling...It's nearly fiction how good it feels.'

[You're pumping with high-quality mana, you can try to use it now, meditating or training your body you'll gain the result of training a year in a single day. It's better to start immediately, as time passes its effects degrade.]

Azumi stopped hurrying him as the corner of his mouth slowly turned up.

'No, this isn't enough… I need a more than a 'good' start, I can't afford to start slow… if I got that ratio for attaining this small vengeance, then if I lay with the women I dreamed the most with….'

Leonardo stared at Cecilia who was coming from the parking lot, but the sunrays hid the glow of his eyes.

She stopped and offered him the other helmet, there was a grin in her mouth. and a gaze full of curiosity above her nose

The second he saw her pearly white teeth adorning her grin, Leonardo felt his heart quicken.

[So, it's not just about the pleasure…] Azumi commented with a teasing tone.

But Leonardo only smiled back, took the helmet and hopped on the bike. "Go to Crackatoa bar, I always wanted to go there." Cecilia nodded and waited for him to take advantage of her by holding her hips, but he held the back of the bike instead.

"You.. won't you hold m-" She realized what she was about to ask and swallowed her words, she wanted to slap his hands away and deny him playfully this time, but he didn't even grab her, that was for the best… Cecilia thought and accelerated forward.

Leonardo looked at the mirror showing her face and saw frowning confusion there, his smile thickened.

Wetting his lips he answered Azumi's earlier teasing.

'No, it's not just about the pleasure, it's about the naughty smile, the savage beauty, the times we played, the laughs we had, and, the most important...her frail self. I can't let another, besides myself, take advantage of her.'

[She's engaged…] Azumi said.

Leonardo grinned visibly. The red glow on eyes shone like the same one he had when embracing his sister and mother.

'The law of the jungle is simple; you get what you can…." His grin widened as he spoke

"And stealing is more than fair game."