Clarisa was sitting behind her desk waiting in silence for Vincenzo to finish explaining. She was totally in awe of how much he knew. Vincenzo was way too advanced. He was in lecture mode. He was towering over the other side of the desk connecting wires on a circuit board as he was working with the wires and telling Clarisa how the gadget that he had designed in the last fifteen minutes worked.

Vincenzo looked up as he was working "Whats the matter Terza? You look like you would rather be anywhere but here..."

Clarisa shook her head "Thats not true... I need you for this impossible project so I can get a day pass in Princeton. If I dont, my mother will be angry..."

Vincenzo frowned and stopped working "No she won't be angry because you will win with or without my help... What you have made yourself is brilliant but its best to have some back up too... I just gave you a boost to stand out... Why not enter more gadgets when you can? You never know.. The Blake kid may decide to enter this contest too so you have to have some back up..."

Clarisa replied " Princeton doesnt offer what Edward wants to study so he wont enter this contest... He has a college place anyways... I wish I was a genius too like him. He is so clever..."

Vincenzo laughed "Terza... Dont let your big brother hear what you just said... The kid won't see his next birthday at this rate... " He then laughed harder shaking his head as he got on with testing parts of the circuit "Terza, tell me this honestly... You dont fancy the Blake kid.. Do you?" His tone was serious now as he looked up.

Clarisa gasped "No... Why would I? I hate all boys at our school... Teenage boys are disgusting and immature creatures... I cant wait to go to college to find some descent normal humans."

Vincenzo raised an eyebrow "Do you find me disgusting?"

Clarisa sighed "You are cringeworthy.... But dont sabotage my work for saying this.. I know how you made people's circuits explode in the other contest and made them disqualified just because they looked at you funny..."

Vincenzo gave her a mischoivous smile "Dont give me ideas ... Dont tempt me to explode your stuff... I am capable but ... Do you think I would do that to you? Dont you trust me? This wolf is not hungry at the moment to eat you up. So relax little red..." He then laughed at his own joke.

Clarisa objected "Stop making fun of me and dont call me that...It freaks me out..."

Vincenzo spoke "I dont make fun of you...You dont like my new nickname for you?.. Little red..."

Clarisa gasped "You are unbelievable and outrageous...  I wish I didnt desperately need your help..."

Vincenzo looked at Clarisa and retorted " We all wish for different things.. But wishes dont always come true... You are lucky I think of you as a friend and not a foe. Otherwise I wouldn't have helped you at all..."

Clarissa spoke "I wish you werent so smart and you werent such a genius in engineering. It's ridiculous how gifted and talented you are ..."

Vicnenzo rasied an eyebrow and stopped working "Woah. Did you just pay me a compliment Terza? You think I am smart? For that.. I will add a bonus feature to this circuit now to help your case... I think you are smart too... I like that about you... Other girls hate engineering... But you like it.. Like me..."

Clarisa hesitated to answer and then after second past when she spent in silence, she asked "Can you answer me honestly Vincenzo? Why do you help me? For my brother?"

Vincenzo replied "No. I help you because I like you little red... You were the only girl  who came to my Physics lecture and my engineering workshops last month.... We have some comon grounds.. We are both engineers ... You and I are not very different." He then winked and got on with his work.

Clarisa was left speechless. She wasnt thrilled to have anything in common with this head case. She wasnt like other girls that vicnenzo called whiney and more trouble than they were worth in Vincenzo's view... But she didnt like the compasrison... That was not so ideal. She watched Vincenzo taking some new wires and circuit components out of her electronics kit box and started a new additional circuit on the complicated gadget that she didnt understand. So she decided to just remain silent and watch him do whatever he wanted. He was a pure genius in engineering and she didnt know how he was so smart when he was just fifteen. Her own brother was also gifted but he wasnt as creative in projects. Vincezo came up with designs which had some dark applications that her brother stayed away from. She cringed recalling how one of Vincenzo's designs was a torture device in disguise that even the school didnt pick up on last month. He had one of the darkest minds for a teenager and everyone knew that.

Clarisa put her hands under her chin and watched Vincenzo's work.

Vincenzo noticed she was staring at him. He glanced up " Does something bother you here? Feel free to talk... I won't bite you for talking you know..."

Clarisa commented " That's reassuring to hear... Thank you... You are noble to ladies..."

Vincenzo rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. She was quite cheeky. She was the only girl who joked with him and understood his jokes that other girls found offensive. Even when Clarissa was hostile, he knew she didn't mind him.

Vincenzo retorted " I know I am noble. My mother raised a well  brought up young man as she calls me..."

Clarisa retorted "You are well brought up but you are still a wild wolf in my eyes... You are after hunting people...."

Vincenzo replied " I would rather be the one hunting and not be the hunted one ... You and I are from the same world... We are very alike Terza.... So don't even go there..."

Clarisa leaned back in her chair and sighed " Here we go again... Why do you compare yourself to me? You have to stop saying that .... I am nothing like you... I am not feral and dont get a kick out of people's misery... You are a wild wolf... You just eat people.... I dont..."

Vincenzo laughed "I find it funny and entertaining how you see me as a wild wolf... It's spot on... That's what I am .... But there is plenty more wild wolves out there and you know it well... We, criminals are all wolves... We eat others or we will be eaten.... I wont eat you no matter how many insults you throw my way but be careful about how you speak to other wolves ... They may come retaliating with their packs..... But again, you don't need to be concerned with that.... You should have other worries ... You do know that soon you will get yourself a wild wolf . Right? You would have a wild wolf who will eat up anyone who comes near you...."

Clarisa argued "I don't want no wild wolf..."

Vincenzo spoke " That's not an option. The wild wolf would be the one finding you if he wants to and you can't hide when he wants you..."

Clarisa found his words bringing chills down her spine. She responded " Stop talking in riddles... What are you trying to say?"

Vincenzo spoke " Do I have to spell it out? One day a wild wolf will catch you and won't let you go... You can't escape a wild wolf if they want you... Watch out... It could be anyone... striking any time..."

Clarisa was trying to make sense of what he was saying " I would never want a wild wolf in my life... Especially the alpha type like you..."

Vincenzo spoke " Never say never ... But let me give you some advice... When you tell a wild wolf he can't have his little red, he would want her even more... So don't tempt a wolf, Terza.... Be careful what you say in front of the wild wolves that come your way... There are plenty of them here today at this party ... You may call me an alpha wild wolf but there is more of us... So Watch out... When you tell a wild wolf they can't have you, they would want you more... So be careful... I am just telling you how wolves think..."

Clarisa breathed " You make no sense...."

Vincenzo spoke " You know exactly what I am talking about... I give you advice ... You choose to take it how you wish ... I care about you Terza... I always did and I always will... I don't want you to get a shock of your life one day when a wild wolf claims you as theirs ..."

Clarisa was feeling uncomfortable hoping to change the subject " You give me a headache with your riddles.... I dont know how Letizia puts up with you..."

Vincenzo gave Clarissa a serious look "She doesnt put up with me..."

Vincenzo then went into work mode again and got on with finishing wiring the new circuit like nothing had been said between them...

Clarisa put her head on the table and ran her hands on her head. Why did Vincenzo make her feel so cold suddenly. She felt scared. She was confident a minute ago but now Vincenzo had scared her... What if he was right? What if she was going to belong to a wild wolf like him... He wished he could end up with someone like Viggo.... Too bad he didn't ask her to the prom no matter how badly she wished for it. Everyone wanted Viggo or Stefano to ask them out... They were safe options and true gentlemen... Totally civilised wolves.

Clarisa was not one to give into intomidation and give into Vincenzo's mind games that he always played. She pulled herself together and sat up straight trying to put the dark conversation they just had to the back of her mind.

Once Vincenzo was finished he explained to Clarisa in a serious tone how everything worked and Clarisa was glad the awkward conversation was over. Once he finished explaining Vincenzo  asked "Any questions Terza?"

Clarisa looked up and sighed. "Thank you for your help..."

Vincenzo emphesised on his words " I didnt ask for a thank you... I asked if you have any questions..."

Clarisa suggested "I think we should go to the party... I will ask my questions from Tristan..." She then stood up and walked around the desk but Vincenzo blocked her path making her freeze. She raised an eyebrow "Yes, Vincenzo..."

Vincenzo narrowed his eyes "You didnt say a word while I was explaining... If you dont understand, tell me. You must be able to present this project when I am gone. I want you to get into the Princeton challenge and get that day pass..."

Clarisa was taken back "Since when does my success affect you? What does it matter to you. You are a conceited, arrogant, feral wolf....."

Vincenzo chuckled "Hold your temper little red. You never know, I might decide to eat you... If anyone else spoke to me like this after I helped them, I would have made the thing explode on timer right when they want to present it."

Clarisa looked confused "I bet you will make it explode anyways... Its not your first time..."

Vincenzo blurted out "No.. You are too pretty to kill..."

Clarisa gasped outraged "You are so rude..."

Vincenzo shrugged "You dont want me to call you pretty? Why? Does it bother you that you are pretty? Why deny it?" Vincenzo didnt care about being honest. He didnt need to hold back anything with Clarisa. Their families were equals. Everyone knew at their school how beautiful Clarisa was. Her mother, Sancia Giovnni was beautiful too... All Giovanni women had a charm that no man could resist. Heavens knew how many men Emanuelle O'Neil had to beat up and cripple to make an example of them so people left his woman alone.

Clarisa shook her head "Stop making fun of me...."

Vincenzo put his hand up "Hold it little red.. You dont know you are pretty? Well, your brother and I have beaten up too many boys to count for you. Did we get a thank you? of course not... "

Carisa huffed "I really want to slap you right now... I dont like it when you tease me..."

Vincenzo stared into her eyes "You will hurt your hand more than you will hurt me. Believe me, Terza... Kick me if you want... By the way, I got you a present and sent it for you this morning... Did it reach you.. I wanted you to be surprised."

Clarisa shook her head "You sent me a red cape of all the things you could... Not funny..."

Vicnezo put his hand on his heart "I am hurt now. I expected you to wear it today..."

Clarisa spoke " No thank you..."

Vincenzo spoke "I will make you wear it by the end of the night... Red suits you...Little red must have a cape."

Clarisa retorted "We should go back... I am not wearing that cape and you wont be able to make me." She then side stepped him and walked towards the door.

Vincenzo followed her "You want to bet?...."

Clarissa opened the door and turned to him "See you downstairs... I will come down shortly...."

Vincenzo stood at the door " You can hide but you cant run... A wild wolf finds you in the end if that's what they want....." He then walked away.

Clarissa closed the door soundly and leaned to the door as she closed her eyes. She couldn't stand Vincenzo's complex, dark mind. What he said always had a deep meaning and he was a nightmare to be around. Why did he have to be so complicated?