I am not a pet

Derek's emotionless eyes pierced through the face of the woman struggling to breathe. He had reduced his strength so the woman would not pass out. At first, he wasn't suspicious, but then he remembered how healthy she looked. A normal human should still look pale, as that screech would shake their soul. Most normal humans would have bleeding ears, but somehow this lady didn't look like someone who had experienced pain moments ago.

But that wasn't enough to make claims, so he let her in, but then her steps shook him, almost as silent as his and even more calculated.

This was one adverse effect on skills. Once learned, it becomes a muscle memory as Viola didn't even know or she didn't expect Derek to figure it out, but Derek's increased sensitivity made him much more reactive to things in his surroundings.

She kept such a precise gap that she followed, even when he purposely slowed. It was so silent and swift that he wouldn't have noticed had he not concentrated.