Burned by Rejection (Book 4 of Wolves of Milano )

10. Solstice party

She calls Elio in the morning to find out where he lives. Why didn’t she ask him that last night? They talked in the park about so many things. She doesn’t mind that he can’t shift anymore. She feels sorry for him. It’s amazing what a good person he is. She likes him more and more. It will be hard to resist him, but she must. She could get lost in his eyes alone. Giving in to her basic instinct and sleeping with him, would be a mistake. That would be the end of her freedom. She is aware of the attraction between them and it scares her to death. She can’t give in to him. She refuses to have a mate.

“Morning.” Elio answers at last. She thought he would leave her hanging.

“Morning. Can I come over? I have to get out of the house. It’s crawling with people I don't like.” Allegra asks him.

“Sure. I think you know where the enforcer’s house is?” He answers. “Do you want breakfast?”

“Won’t that be too much?” She wonders.

“Don’t worry about it. Get your guard to drive you. He can be useful for something.” Elio chuckles.

Is her guard outside? She glances through her window to see a car parked just off of their driveway. He is. Well, she can use him. She is wearing her jogging suit and a light jacket. Her hair is all done and her light make-up will do too. She doesn’t need anything else, so she stuffs her phone in one pocket and runs down the stairs. Everyone in the house is too busy to notice her going out. She taps on the driver's side window and demands that he drive her to Elio. With a lot of grumbling, the guard does so. He must be scared of Elio, so she plays on that card. 

The house is busy with activity, but all the other enforcers get out of her way when she marches straight to the kitchen. The scent of coffee and bacon hits her nose at the same time as that divine smell of rain on the grass. Elio is making breakfast as he said. Damn him! What is he trying to do? She told him it’s just pretend.

“Hey. Take a seat. I’m all done.” He tells her. He’s in a sweatsuit and she can see the defined abs through that tight shirt he’s wearing under the top that is opened, and she shamelessly checks him out. He should be proud of his defined body.

“Thank you. You don’t have to feed me, but I appreciate it.” She tells him.

“When are we supposed to be there? I need some time to dress up.” Elio inquires. 

She gulps down her coffee and sighs: “Around two, but I have to change first. I’m glad I get to see you in your uniform before anyone else.”

“Haven’t worn it much. There really wasn’t a good occasion.” He smiles at her. Is he flirting with her? At least he didn’t try to touch or kiss her. He plays by the rules, but he is twisting them to his liking.

She sits with her second coffee in the kitchen and everyone is just tiptoeing around her. She knows she’s not scary, but she thinks that saying ‘boo’ would scare them to death. Are they all so afraid of Elio? He doesn’t strike her as scary, but maybe he is showing a different face to the enforcers than he does to her? In any case, she is glad that nobody talks to her at all. She needs to think about her own mess. 

“Ready to go?” Elio asks from the door. She turns around to look at him and stops with her mouth hanging open. He is gorgeous to die for! The uniform brings out the blue of his eyes and his dark hair glistens under the light. The cap is under his arm, his fingers are encased in white gloves, and the vest only emphasises his built body. 

“Yes.” She answers. Could he hear that? She swears she is out of breath.

“Come on, then. We have to turn some heads.” He chuckles.

“You definitely will.” Allegra purrs. She takes the arm he offered her: “What do the three stars and crown mean?”

“Those are rank marks. It means I’m a Colonel.” Elio answers. “I’m retired, but the title is still mine.”

Allegra lets Elio into her room, because she can’t just leave him standing outside in the hallway. They will present a picture of a perfect couple to her parents and the elders. And he is a gentleman. He showed her that on more than one occasion. It’s not a big deal for her if he sits on the chair by her make-up table when she changes in her wardrobe. He can’t see her from that angle. She slips out of her clothes and into that blue dress she bought for this party. Her black heels will go well with it. And she can pair it with a dark blue scarf to keep her warm. Not that she cares for winter at all, she’s a wolf. But that wide scarf will hide her hands and she can fidget with the edges in hiding. Nobody needs to know how nervous she really is. 

“We match.” Elio smiles at her when she steps out. 

“It was intended.” She smiles back. She wishes that she could borrow his confidence for today. If nothing else, he will be there for her to comfort her, so she doesn’t fall apart. His presence alone is a huge boost for her. Maybe even better than Alessio? She will see about today, but her wolf’s happy humming is a sign that he’s doing something right. She had better take advantage of it while he still wants to do it. He can back out of their agreement at any time.

They walk down the stairs together and his limp is barely there. She knows he should still be using that crutch, but it doesn’t go well with the uniform. He is risking his health for her. He really is the nice person her cousin claimed him to be. She is grateful that he agreed to help her. She feels safe with him. But it cannot last. She knows that as well. Elio deserves a mate that will love him for who he is. She can never do that. She is too damaged for a relationship. There are things she can’t tell him. 

“Are those three stars?” Allegra hears someone whisper. The news of Elio’s rank spreads like wildfire among the guests. She can hear them murmuring about it. She is in the dark about it, now she regrets not asking more. It must be important if it gets so much attention. Is it a good thing for her? She knows her father doesn’t care about anything as long as it’s not from Uncle Vito’s mouth. How will this affect him? Can she hope for the best?

“Told you it will turn heads.” Elio whispers to her.

“Yeah. I am practically invisible.” She smiles at him. “I love it. You have to explain the ranking system to me later.”

“Allegra!” Her mother whisper-shouts in her ear. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“What? I’m here like you wanted. I have the right to bring a guest.” Allegra answers calmly. Is her calm the effect of her holding onto Elio for dear life? “May I introduce my boyfriend to you? Officially?”

“Em? What?” Her mother sputters.

“Oh! Father didn’t tell you?” Allegra fakes outrage, but she is laughing on the inside: “Mother? Meet Elio Romano, my boyfriend.”

“Oh, I know well who he is! He’s got no business messing things up! You are to marry Gio! And you will. I don’t care if I have to go over corpses to bring that home to you. Understand?” Her mother glares at her. 

Great! Mother made a scene. Nice going, mother! Allegra shakes her head in disappointment. She didn’t expect her parents to take this lightly, but she wasn’t ready for her mother’s outbreak. Does the woman care for anything but her image? She clearly doesn’t care for Allegra’s feelings. An arranged marriage is more important than her own daughter’s happiness. So much for a calm solution! How can Elio keep such a cool face? She is fuming with anger and mother just threatened her with murder. Who did she make into a target? Hopefully mother doesn’t think of going against Elio? 

Elio squeezes her hand tightly to bring her back down to reality. How did he know that she needed that? Can he read her that well? She needs to say something. She has to defend herself!

“You are mistaken, mother.” Allegra manages in a calm voice. “I will not marry that mutt. I do not care for that alliance or for any political game you might play. I am perfectly capable of making my own choices.”

“No, you are not!” Uncle Vito growls at her from a few metres away. She didn’t even see him there. “You will marry who I say! If I have to kill your lover myself, I will do it! Elio! You better let her go if you want to keep your head!” 

“You are threatening me?” Elio scoffs. “Think about it.”

“You dare to disrespect me?” Vito growls again. Allegra can see the veins pop out on the man’s forehead and neck. He is so close to a shift that nobody stands a chance of bringing him down.

“Respect has to be earned. You might command me, Alpha…” Elio speaks up for all to hear clearly: “... That can change.”

He pushed Allegra behind his back to protect her. But her panic arose in the midst of this confrontation. She has trouble breathing. Not even Elio’s hand on hers can bring her down. She needs to get away. She can’t afford an involuntary shift right now. She can’t fall apart. Not in front of everyone! Can she slip away while all eyes are on Elio and her Uncle? Can she leave him alone? She is of no help whatsoever to a decorated army veteran. She is sure he can stand on his own against anyone, she can’t. Right now her panic is blocking her airway, she can see dark spots dancing in front of her eyes. She only has minutes before the full-on panic attack hits her.

She makes a split-second decision and runs away. Straight back through the house and out the garage door. She runs as fast as she can in five inch heels. There is a safe haven for her just at the end of their street. The forest there is part of an old park that belongs to an abandoned mansion. She knows that running all the way through that property would bring her out on the other end where Uncle Vito lives. But she plans on stopping by the pond in the overgrown park. 

The shoes will be ruined, the dress will be shredded, but her wolf can hide in the park. She has done it before. Nobody ever goes into this property. The warning signs are all over, but she has never met anyone there. Truth be told, she has never ventured very far from the fence. She can see glimpses of the old mansion, but she stays well away from it. The pond is overgrown as well, since nobody cleans it. The shrubs are large enough for her to hide and wait for a few hours. 

She feels remorse. She shouldn’t have brought Elio into this. He’s in trouble because of her. But she had to try. She owes it to herself to do everything she possibly can to stay free. If she has to leave everything and run away, she will. Going rabid as a lone wolf can’t be that bad. She thinks a forced marriage and a man that will only use her is far worse a destiny. She shifts by the pond and drags the remnants of her dress deeper into the bushes. The shoes are black and don’t stand out so much. Nobody can see those from the fence. Lying down on the ruined dress, the wolf sighs and closes her eyes. At least Allegra didn’t hurt herself this time.