Blood(?) splatter at the beginning... possible nightmare(Koware jolts up panting)?
Looks over at Naohito and clicks her tongue... the splatter involved him

Distancing begins... to avoid making the dream come true...
Went back through volume 5, when Koware first bared her claws at Naohito... and this may be some lingering influence from the disaster fox. This is something else that separates her and Kuzure; young Naohito visited the latter often, and even gave her a name, all of which had an impact on Kuzure's development.