Kissed by Fire (Book 5 of Wolves of Milano)

15.Distracting Lyana

Mateo pulls out a surprise for her after dinner. He managed to hide the small box of sweets he got from his Aunt Marra. She even accepted the idea of home delivery. It’s a new concept for them, but everyone can benefit from it. Rialto does not exist anymore, but that doesn’t mean the people of Milano would have to miss out on the fabulous creations. A little modification was needed, but Fernado got it done. Now everyone can order their favourite food or sweets delivered to the front door. He can’t be mad at Elio for suggesting it first. He beat him to it by a day.

“Oh my God! Is that what I think it is?” Lyana exclaims.

“Yeah. Rialto is back, just a bit different.” He smiles. He knows just how much she loves the little treats.

“That’s great. I’m happy for Marra.” She smiles. “It was a low blow to take away her restaurant.”

“I know. Vito needs to suffer for that. Wherever he might be.” Mateo scoffs. He knows exactly where his father is, but he hasn’t decided to let anyone else know. Not yet. It’s safe to talk vaguely about him. If he doesn’t say anything specific, it’s not a lie.

“Has your mother really broken the mate bond? Is that even possible?” Lyana asks him.

“Yeah. Veles did it for her.” He nods. He’s heard about it directly from his mother. “It’s not advisable. She’s hurting even though they weren’t true mates. Veles told her that was the only reason it worked. Even he can’t break a bond between fated mates.”

“A political marriage? Your mother doesn’t strike me as an opportunist.” She wonders out loud. “Do you know why she did it? The breaking, I mean?”

“He wasn’t always bad. There were times when we were kids that he was nice. But his bad temper outweighs the good memories. I have no idea what my mother saw in him.” Mateo sighs. He doesn’t know and it irks him. “She said she wanted him to suffer. She never agreed to his plans, she thought that going back to the middle ages was wrong. She got a sedative from Veles to help her with the pain of separation.”

He can see Lyana shudder. That is a pain he wants to spare her. If he allows the bond to form and she leaves him anyway, that is the pain they will both feel. Or maybe not? Would the bond force her to stay? But that would make her miserable and he can’t allow it. He loves her too much. He wants it to be her choice, not something Fate has decided for them. If the future was set in stone, he wouldn’t have the ability to hold it at bay.

He watches her open the box of sweets slowly. He knows she will share them with him. There is just something about Lyana that is always true. She doesn’t have it in her to be selfish. She could have been a doctor, but she chose nursing school to be there for her grandmother when the old lady was sick. It made all the difference in the end. For her grandmother at least. The lady wasn’t constantly alone. He used to sneak over here to help her out sometimes, too.

He smiles at her as she chooses the perfect praline to try first. Then she pushes the box over at him with a wink. He takes one and pushes the box back at her. He is just as much a fan of the sweet treats as she is. They even like the same flavours. He is savouring his one treat, because he won’t take any more. The box is for her. She deserves it for putting up with him. So he better come up with something to tell her, and fast!

“I was wondering about the graphics on your i********:? Is that fan art?” Lyana breaks the silence between them.

“No.” He smiles. “I make those. It’s one of the things I do when I can’t sleep.”

“Oh. They’re really good. I’m impressed.” She chuckles. “Where do you get the idea? It’s so close to the books, but at the same time it gives nothing away.”

“It’s just a picture I see in my mind when I write. I try to get it out the best I can.” He answers her. Should he explain about the art? It’s an easy thing. He likes debating about it.

“When did you learn graphics design? I thought you were into engineering?” She wonders with big eyes.

“I was. I tried a few things on the side. Design and programing are easy when you grasp the concept.” He starts explaining to her. “I started that in college just for fun and it eventually got good enough to publish. It’s an added bonus that I design scenes from my books.”

“You could make some real money with that. I know graphics design is a well paid job. Or don’t you want to do that every day?” Lyana inquires. Can he tell her? Will he get the words out of his mouth? She rendered him speechless just about now. She is so intuitive it’s a wonder he managed to hide anything from her. Maybe he should take the advice from Elio and give her little crumbs at the time. He can’t risk telling her everything, she might explode with anger.

“I…” He stammers. How to say this without sounding like a know-it-all? How to say anything really? Why is he like a five-year old when it comes to talking with her?

“It’s fine. I can see a difference between a hobby and a job. I’m just saying you could be good at it.” She tries to calm him down. She is so sweet like this, he thinks.

“I sell some of my designs. I do it for a few companies, too. Graphics for commercials or billboards. It just takes so damn long to come up with something good and new.” Mateo says. He is looking at the table. Self conscious? Scared? All kinds of feelings are coming through him, he is afraid of her reaction.

“Wow!” Lyana exclaims and he cringes back. “You actually told me something.”

“I..” Mateo looks up at her. The grin he’s met with is shattering. She is so damn beautiful. And he is out of words again.

“I won’t torture you with more questions.” She smiles at him. “Let’s watch a movie. How about Dr. Strange? You deserve some action.”

“Thank you. I know you read the comics. I heard it's a great movie.” He responds. He is relieved that she hasn’t dragged this into an interrogation. Maybe he can tell her about the games later. It’s tied into graphics and he did hint about it when he mentioned programing.

It’s a great movie. The snuggling on the sofa is the best part. And cheering on the vilain just to antagonise her. He always chooses the underdog or the bad guy. He’s familiar with the story, he knows who wins in the end. But the banter is so much sweeter this way. It’s a safe topic. He doesn’t have to talk about himself. Or them. It’s a happy, uncomplicated glimpse in time. Too bad it’s over so soon. The harsh reality is something he would like to obliterate from their lives, but for that she needs to know everything.

He is about to open his mouth when she yawns loudly. One day off from her job is just not enough. She needs a vacation.

“I’m so sleepy. Can we just snuggle up and sleep? Please?” Lyana asks.

“Sure, love.” He whispers at her. “Shall I carry you?”

“I can walk.” She smacks his hand away.

“Come on, let me. You weigh less than my firefighter's equipment.” He chuckles and picks her up effortlessly. It’s no trouble at all to carry her to the bedroom upstairs. He likes it how she snuggles up to him. He likes having her so close. He loves her subtle smell of violets.

He tucks her into bed and hugs her close. He’s not sleepy at all, but she is half asleep already. A smile graces her face and he is happy that she is happy. Making her happy should be his top priority. She deserves it. And so much more. She is an amazing person. He would hate to lose her. He would be lost without her. He can’t live without her at all.

“I love you.” He whispers into her ear.

“I know.” She whispers back. There is a hint of a mischievous smile in her voice. She is playing him. The sleepiness is pretend. He thinks. She is not a good actress.

“I created a few kids games for Nintendo. The graphics are a challenge there.” He says quietly to test her.

“Mhm.” She murmurs before she turns in his arms. Her big eyes are hooded, she is fighting sleep for him. It’s not an act. “Will you show me?”

“Tomorrow, when you wake up.” He smiles. “Sleep, my love. You need it more than I do.”

He can watch her sleep for a few hours. It calms him. It calms the wolf to be so close to her. When the wolf is firmly asleep and snoring, he can let his guard down and sleep. For a few hours. He learned to wake up after two to three hours. He has to keep watch over his wolf. Although the animal is on a peaceful path right now, it can change without notice really fast. The wolf is not stable. And his bloodlust can’t be quenched by writing novels. The wolf is itching for a kill.

Is that his fault? But he was sixteen back then. He didn’t know that letting his wolf kill the man would change the wolf so much. How could he? There was no explanation whatsoever about keeping the animal parts under control. He learned that much later. When he was researching old books and looking into his ancestors. When he was looking for an explanation of his powers. He understood the secrecy about witches. They are not loved by shifters. They are too different, too scary. And they use shifters for their personal gain. As guards, as pets, as ingredients for potions.

It doesn’t help to know that there are some who chose a different path. Like his grandmother. She was a healer. She made potions to help and cure, not to gain something for herself. He didn’t inherit any of her traits. Nobody has. Kara has telepathy and she can influence people’s minds. Teo can read minds without much effort and he developed a kind of mind control power. Much more formidable than his sister. Mateo? He knows so little about what he’s truly capable of. He can influence minds. He can erase memories. He can play with fire. He can even control it to an extent. But he stopped experimenting with his powers at an early age. He was too afraid to cause harm or to get discovered.

Could he get a tutor? Elio said something that stuck with him. There are options that don’t involve the gods? Who did he have in mind? The dragon shifter? Ty is old and powerful. But getting indebt to a dragon is close to a suicide. It never ends well. Unless you’re the dragon. Could the guy know a witch? Is that the possibility he mentioned? But how? Why? Elio is still a mystery. He just can’t figure him out. Getting anything tangible on him is impossible. He can’t hack into government files. That would bring attention nobody wants. He clears his mind of the distractions and tries to get some sleep. Lyana is right about that. He needs it.