Kissed by Fire (Book 5 of Wolves of Milano)

13.Getting help

Mateo walks back to the station. He really should take a break, but he promised to come back. The few humans on the call had it much worse. He can tough it through, they can’t. If he has to take the last of his magic reserve and knock the wolf out, he’ll do it. He’s a werewolf with powers. He’s got resources the humans don’t. And they don’t need to know about magic. His fellow firefighters all know about the wolf part. They never saw him turn, but they don’t need to. They know, they believe. It’s been like this for as long as the pact between bears and wolves is in existence. The humans that need to know were all given a chance to walk away before they signed the agreement.

But none did. The firefighters are a special breed of humankind. Some might say they are crazy, but he thinks they are brave beyond reason. It takes guts to run towards a fire and not away from it. He’s a wolf, he’s not particularly fond of fire, but he’s not afraid of it. Shifters were always good in the more demanding jobs. He came to admire the few humans who can keep up with them.

“There you are!” Thomas yells at him. “I thought it was weird to see your bike here, but not you. Something happened?”

“Nah,” Mateo waves his hand, “I was too tired to ride. I walked home to get a nap and some fresh clothes.”

“Safety first. I get it.” Thomas chuckles. The guy is human, but built like a bear. His deep bass voice echoes around the garage.

“Has Vittorio sent the schedule for the warehouse watch?” He inquires. Thomas is as good as anyone for the information. There is a bit of a void at the station with Vito gone. But nobody is too distressed. Nobody misses him, to be frank.

“Yeah. It’s on the door.” The guy answers. “The commissioner is coming tomorrow. We need a new fire chief. Why don’t you apply?”

“No, no, no. I don’t need that.” Mateo shakes his head. He’s got more on his plate than he can handle. And there is the problem of the void on the Alpha position. He’s thinking of that, but it’s a commitment he can’t take on alone.

“But you could.” Mateo winks at Thomas. “You have been here as long as any of us. You know the ropes. You know the protocol.”

“But, I’m human.” Thomas looks at him pointedly.

“So? I don’t see any reason why that would matter.” Mateo shrugs.

“You don’t?” Thomas asks surprised. “It’s always been that way. The fire chief is either a wolf or a bear.”

“Everything needs to change. You are just as capable as any of us. You prove it every time we go out on a call.” He tells the guy. He’s looking at the list with a frown. He’s not on it. Why?

“You’re not there. You were out all night.” Thomas says behind his back. “Even wolves need sleep. Or rest, or whatever you do.”

“Sleep.” Mateo chuckles. “Just like everyone else.”

“Hm? I never asked. I thought it was not something we talk about around here.” Thomas looks at him when Mateo turns around.

“We are the same as you, just with an animal that is always there. But never mistake it for a pet. It’s wild and feral. We might be friendly in human form, but the animal has a mind of its own and it doesn't get domesticated.” Mateo explains.

“So, you sleep in a bed like everyone else?” Thomas smiles.

“Yes.” Mateo nods. “But, enough about that. If I’m not needed, I’ll go see Elio.”

“Good luck. There was no news this morning.” Thomas tells him exactly what he wanted to hear. Is he disappointed? No. Relieved? How? He knows where Vito is, but he has no idea how and who to tell.

Mateo drives over to the martial arts school. He hasn’t been there since his training. And he missed most of it. He always had an excuse ready why he couldn't go, or why he couldn't train. Weirdly enough, he picked up a lot of fighting skills just sitting on the sidelines. Maybe he could take Elio up on the offer and try how much of it is left? He’s got nothing better to do. But maybe Elio does? He’s still searching for Vito. Should he tell him where to find him? How? He’s stuck in the spiral of questions with no answers.

He walks in and leans on the wall by the door. The large classroom is filled with cadets in their blue training suits. They are going through the motions of jiu-jitsu. Elio is training them in restraint. Might not be a bad thing for shifters. It’s not easy to be in the public eye and stay under the radar. It’s not advisable to show too much strength in the police force. He understands what Elio is trying to impart on them, but do they? The young wolves and bears are eager to prove themselves. In the pack and clan structure it’s all about strength, but not out there in the human world. Anything different is suspicious, dangerous, and investigated. They might live hand in hand with humans, but not everyone can be trusted.

“You’re deep in thought.” Elio smirks as he leans on the wall next to Mateo. “What’s up? What are you contemplating?”

“Thinking about those idiots that joined the police. Commendable, but so very dangerous.” Mateo answers. “They are lucky to have you as a teacher.”

“Thanks. That’s good to hear, because all they do is complain.” Elio chuckles.

“They don’t see it yet. Give them time.” He tells the guy.

“Do you need time? I bet you have something more important to do than hang around here.” Elio inquires.

“Oh, I need it. Just not from you.” He sighs. The noose is closing around his neck. The threat Lyana is waving is real. He feels it with all his being. “I decided to trust you. You give good advice, if nothing else.”

“You told her? How did she react?” Elio muses.

“I told her one thing. One of my “jobs” is writing. I told her about the mystery books. She’s actually reading one.” Mateo tells Elio. “But I need your help with the rest. I can write a damn book in one week, but when it comes to her, I’m speechless. I don’t find the right words.”

“That is an introvert’s trait. It takes a lot of work on your part to open up.” Elio shakes his head. “You trust her? How about not looking directly at her when you talk? Find a point just over her shoulder to focus on. She will have the impression that you’re looking at her, so she doesn’t get offended.”

“I’m not an introvert. I only have difficulties with her. I can talk to you just fine.” Mateo scoffs. “I chose not to trust people with anything I do. It’s easier. They leave me alone for most of the time. I started doing this in high school. It worked fine. No one expects anything from me if they all think I’m just surfing through life, doing nothing.”

“I see.” Elio drawls. “Do you want me to be your guinea pig? You can try telling me first, and then change out words, or just formulate new sentences for when you tell her.”

“Not a bad idea. What are you doing after work?” He smiles. Elio is a diplomat, he’s got a good way with words. He probably had Alpha training at some point in his life. He would be a good ally to have.

“It is after work. I only teach one class.” Elio responds. “Wanna try out the mats?”

“What are you thinking about?” Mateo looks over with a bad feeling in his gut.

“I need some proper exercise. Can you do better than our cadets?” The guy raises an eyebrow at him. A challenge has been issued.

“Oh, well. There is no one here to see my embarrassment.” Mateo chuckles. He’s got nothing better to do. And the wolf is itching for a fight. The animal wants to know how good Elio really is. Is his reputation real or is it just fear keeping the other enforcers down?

“I’ll try to avoid hurting you physically, your ego is not my problem.” Elio winks.

“So very kind of you.” Mateo responds. He kicks off his boots. The studs and buckles could cause some real damage to his opponent. This is just a practice fight after all. He stretches out his hands and loosens up his body. Tension is not good. It only causes muscle cramps and pain later.

He wonders what else Elio is good at. The guy has a martial arts background. He’s seen him teaching kids jiu-jitsu, but there is probably more to it that meets the eye. He tests the grounds with a few fast strokes that get blocked with ease. Elio is fast. Being younger is not an advantage here. Mateo has to work for it. He wasn’t practising at all and Elio keeps in shape. The swings are perfectly executed and they always land. He shakes his head and rethinks his strategy. He has to up his game in defence or get beaten to a blue pulp. He manages to duck a few swings and that gives him confidence. But effectively blocking one is still a long way away.

Mateo learns fast. He can pick up anything from seeing it once. But right now, all the martial arts movies are useless. Elio is switching fighting styles as he goes. He is light on his feet and makes a fight look like a dance. One successful block from Mateo and the guy switches to another approach. He is fluent and graceful. A perfect fighter. Now he knows for sure that the fight with Alessio was staged. There is no way in hell that his cousin could have beaten Elio in a fair fight. Hell, he can’t even get one blow in and they are just practising. He lost count of how many times he went down already.

Mateo grunts in pain as he lands on the mats with the grace of a dying hippo. Wolves are naturally elegant, but Elio makes him look like a two ton hippo on dry land. Could he ever achieve something like that? Maybe. If he trained every day for twenty years. He admits he’s too lazy for that. He taps his hand on the mats and surrenders. He can’t think of one trick that would allow him to get the better of Elio. He is not a coward, but that doesn’t mean he has to get beaten to near death.

“You are good.” Elio tells him as he helps him back on his feet. “But you need practice. It’s more about the right moves at the right time, than it is about skills. Everything can be learned. You can borrow speed and grace form the wolf, but you have to learn how to properly implement it.”

“I noticed.” He nods. “Why did you let Alessio win?”

“Because he’s a good friend to have…” Elio answers. “And what your father tried to do was just wrong on so many levels. I couldn’t stand by and watch. One easy way to sabotage his plans was to lose a fight.”

“Did you have anything to do with his disappearance?” Mateo asks. He knows the truth, he is just curious what Elio has to say.

“No. I had to find Allegra and make sure she didn’t do anything stupid. If she hasn’t run off…” Elio sighs. He shakes his head and looks Mateo straight in the eyes: “I think I might have challenged him right there in your aunt’s garden.

“That would have been a show.” Mateo laughs. Too bad Elio held back. He would have backed him up for the claim of the Alpha position. Probably all of his cousins too. But ruling without the backing of the elders council is impossible. And he is sure those old timers would try to make life difficult for Elio. To the point of an open mutiny.