Burned by Rejection (Book 4 of Wolves of Milano )

13.Heartache

Elio feels like there is a dark cloud hanging over his head. He goes through his morning routine on autopilot. He is gruff and silent, which is nothing new, but the other enforcers stay out of his way today. The look on his face is stone cold, a sure warning to anyone that he doesn’t want to talk. They must have heard what happened at the party. Some of them are sons of the officials and elder council members. He knows that parents talk to their children. And this fiasco was newsworthy. By midday, all of the pack will know about it. About his humiliation by the Alpha and her parents.

They fear him because he showed them that he's not to be messed with. He can be brutal when he needs to make a point. He earned their respect through his actions. Standing up to the Alpha also earned him their admiration. But right now, all he feels from them is fear. They all thought this thing with Allegra was real. He pretended it was real, he wanted it to be real. He still does. He can’t let her go. He can’t accept her rejection, so he won’t tell anyone that he found her in the forest yesterday afternoon and they talked. She rejected him, looked him in the eyes and said it! He will convince her to take it back. He refuses to die just because she is afraid.

“Em? Elio?” Theodore sounds nervous. “Alpha Vito called. He wants us to find Allegra and bring her back.”

“Great! Now he’s not talking to me?” Elio growls. His bad mood just took another plunge into darkness. His boss is playing one more side game here. “Did he inform you of a promotion? Was I replaced without a word from him?”

“No.” Theodore’s voice shakes. “You are still in charge. You know he does what he wants. He doesn’t give a damn about the chain of command. I didn’t know he had my number.”

“Hm…” Elio murmures. “Well, let’s try to find her. She knows the city well, it’s her playground. Don’t forget the other assignments, he’ll have our hides if we lose track of anyone else.”

“She’s not just your girlfriend, is she? This wasn’t a casual fun thing while you wait for the one to come by. She’s it.” Theodore says. Where did the guy find his observation skills? And why right now when the timing sucks big time?

“Don’t bring it up anymore. You won’t like it if I lose it. I’m ready to burn down this whole city.” Elio glares at the other guy. He is almost certain that Theodore is the one that is reporting to Vito behind his back. He has to be at his best if he wants to find Allegra before any of the other enforcers do. And he has to trail Kara today. That one should be fairly easy, as Kara is a creature of habits. He can predict where she is just by knowing what day it is. And he didn’t see Marra at the party yesterday. Is the Beta still in hiding? That gives him some more time. Maybe he can pay her a visit and see if she has any ideas about his situation with Allegra? Her Aunt must surely know something. 

He zips up his sweatshirt and jogs slowly to his bike. His knee is still not completely healed, so no running this morning. He is starting to miss his daily routine. Running is a good way to keep fit and it allows him to think about everything that is going on. Morning traffic is easy on a bike, so he parks his Honda a bit down the parking lot in front of Rialto. The restaurant opens at ten, but he knows Kara is here early to check on orders and do the office work.

“Where are you?” Vito growls as he answers the phone.

“Outside Rialto. Kara is doing paperwork again.” Elio answers.

“Any update on Allegra?” His boss demands gruffly.

“That is Theo’s assignment. I know he’s got about twenty people looking for her.” Elio shrugs. He is lucky Vito can’t see him now. He wants to find Allegra, just not for Vito.

“Find her. I have Gio coming in on Friday. Someone has to pick him up from the airport. Get it done.” Vito hangs up on him after that. 

Right! He thinks. He’s not picking up the competition. Not that this Gio person is his competition. Elio knows they are mates. He will win her over, not hand her to someone else.  He is thinking who is the most useless in the ranks of the enforcers he commands? Who can he send and expect to mess up? Dorian would be perfect. If he can even find the airport. The kid is dumb as a doorknob. How the hell he passed his drivers licence test is a mystery that Elio doesn’t have time for. Dorian is also the son of one of Vito’s closest supporters. The guy won’t come to any harm, but he can be relied on to mess up.

Elio rings him up to let him know. The kid will be hyper for a few days because he's got a real assignment: “Hey, Dorian. I have a job for you. You have to go to the airport on Friday and pick Gio up. Ask your father for the exact time and contact information.” 

“Oh my God! I get to do something? I’m so happy. Thank you boss.” Dorian practically yells into the phone.

“Sure thing.” Elio shakes his head. He hopes the kid gets lost there and back and whoever this Gio person is never makes it to Vito.

Time for a side quest, he thinks. Running is still out of option, so he walks throughout the park. Leaving his bike at Rialto is his free pass ticket. Any other enforcer that sees the bike there will assume that Elio is close by as well. He will be someplace else instead. If he’s right, he will find Marra at home. He has no plan on how to make her talk to him, but he might interest her with some information. Gio is not the only wolf coming in on Friday. There is that guy that is supposed to marry Kara. That would be a disaster worthy of a film. Marra is not ready to give up her daughter. She has told Vito that on several occasions. Besides, the girl is a brilliant artist and currently very much in love. Is that Swiss guy her mate? Maybe. Elio never came close enough to them to be able to tell. He decided to give her a chance. If she needs to run away, she has a pack to run to. He knows that the art dealer is not a lone wolf or a rogue. The guy belongs to one of the most prominent packs in Europe. He doesn’t need to worry about Kara much. He can help her if need be, but he is confident that she and her mother can do it themselves. 

He knocks on the back door of Marra’s townhouse. She is home, he can feel her presence. That woman is a born Alpha, she just has to grasp it and take it. Can he open her eyes? Would she even want to lead the pack? He knows that the elders council is mostly old wolves with archaic ideas, but the Alpha can overrule them. She could make them do her bidding and even convince them it’s all their idea.

“What do you want?” Marra asks him through the mesh screen.

“I want to talk. Kara is safe. So are you. I have my guys on a wild goose chase all over Milano. I checked and you’re not home. What more should I do? Break in?” Elio winks at her.

“Come in.” Marra laughs. “You have to tell me more. What’s my crazy brother up to now? I need fresh information.”

“Ruining more lives. He needs to be stopped.” Elio sighs. She let him in. That is step one. What more can he accomplish today?

“Who else is he targeting? I can’t be there, because I have to sabotage the plans. He can’t do anything for real, if I don’t agree. I have been getting the other elders on my side. A few more are willing to go into hiding. He needs a full council for big decisions.” Marra tells him.

“The latest target is sitting right here.” Elio scoffs. He shakes his head, but he knows he can trust her. He can read the woman just fine. She is a formidable opponent if she has all the information. “He managed to drive Allegra into hiding. He told her directly, yesterday at that garden party, that she will marry this Gio guy he’s imported. She ran away. Not just from him and her stupid mother, but from me as well.”

“She’s your mate!” Marra exclaims. “That is what's wrong with you. You smell different and there is this deep sadness surrounding you. I can’t think of another reason for it.”

“Yeah.” He sighs. 

“Well, you can use the mate bond to find her. She can’t hide from that.” Marra says.

“Too late. I found her yesterday. She rejected me. I have no idea what she was thinking. She said it’s for the best. I know she’s all messed up, but I don’t know why?” Elio explains.

“Oh dear!” Marra shakes her head. “I will tell you what I know.”

“Please. I need to make some sense out of this. I plan to find her and convince her to take her words back. I refuse to let her go.” Elio says. He is convinced that he can do it. He must.

“Allegra had an accident as a child. I think she was about five years old. There was a well in the backyard of their house. Not where they live now, it was further out in the suburbs back then. She was exploring and fell in the well. It took them four hours to get her out. She’s been on anxiety medication since then.” Marra explains to him.

“So that is the reason for her panic attacks?” He inquires.

“That comes from not taking the meds. I think it dulls her connection to the wolf's side, so she skips those pills to feel the wolf.” Marra tells him. “She is liable to do something bad. I wouldn’t call it stupid. That girl is very intelligent. Whatever she will do, will be planned down to perfection.”

“Damn.” He shakes his head. “I have to find her and keep her safe. I have to keep my head, because I know I have a huge black spot with Vito. And I have to sabotage his plans. I don’t like what he’s doing.”

“I can help you in the sabotage part. I will get a few more elders to go into hiding.” She smiles. “Can you keep the others from finding me?”

“Sure. Give me a few addresses around town. Places you like, but don’t go to anymore. I don’t know. Your favourite spa, hairdresser, nail girl…” Elio suggests.

“Good thinking. I’ll write a few down. Can you keep Kara safe? I can send her away with that art dealer. I just hate not knowing where he would take her.” Marra nods.

“About that…” Elio trails off. What can he tell her? It’s not his secret to tell, but he can give her clues: “He might be under orders about revealing who he is. He is trespassing in another pack’s territory. You know the twenty question game? If Kara asks just right, he can answer with yes or no. Research Swiss packs. There might not be a lot of information to get, but you must know people that know things.”

“You help me, I help you. We have an alliance.” Marra smiles brightly. 

“Deal.” Elio reaches out his hand and she accepts. “I have to go back to my surveillance job. I will check in with you later.”