Fire and Sweets (Book 3 of Wolves of Milano)

14. Explanations, part 2

Kara glances at her mother over the breakfast table. Teo left already, so now is her chance to talk with her mother in private. She just doesn’t know how to start this conversation. They just tell each other everything. She is not used to secrets and this hesitation feels like she is keeping her mother in the dark, but the words just don’t want to form on her tongue. A weird sensation to have.

“How was last night? I’m so sorry I couldn’t come. You were right, I’m needed at Rialto.” Her mother breaks the silence.

“It was great. All my paintings got sold.” She smiles at her mother. “And nobody recognized me. I think it was all Allegra’s doing. I’m glad I took her with me. All eyes were on her.”

“How is she holding up? I know she is close with Alessio.” Marra asks.

“She hides it well, but she worries. She’s on the list too? Isn’t she?” Kara inquires.

“Yes. Getting the elders to see his flaws is tough. I can’t understand why they stick with him? Why do they all support him?” Her mother shakes her head. She is angry, Kara can see that.

“Did you have any luck with them?” She asks. Her mother did say she will try to get the elders to their side.

“I got two out of eight. They will boycott the meeting, but I can’t get them to openly say no. They are all too afraid of Vito.” Marra tells her.

“There is another complication.” Kara says quietly. She needs to get it out. What if Mattias is right? Can she even entertain that thought? Does she dare?

“What happened?” Her mother asks. She worries about so much already and Kara hates to add to the pile, but she must talk about this.

“Remember Mattias? From the Gallery?” Kara answers with a question.

“Yes. The cute guy that was at Rialto the other day? Did something happen to him?” Marra nods.

“He is a wolf. He claims that we are mates.” Kara looks over at her mother. Marra is watching her with undivided attention, but she can’t see any emotions on her mother’s face. “I don’t let myself feel anything, it overwhelms me most of the time. I can’t say if he’s right or making it up. I can objectively say he’s not bad looking, I wouldn’t push him out of my bed, if it came to it, but is it a forever kind of thing? I don’t know.”

“Hmm?” Marra responds. She gets up to get more coffee and automatically pours more for Kara as well. “That is something only you can answer. You have to make sure, because the alternative means being alone for the rest of your life. If you pass him up and he really is your mate, you don’t get a second chance for as long as he lives.”

“What if he is my mate? What if he wants me to go with him? He lives in Switzerland. At least that’s what I was told. He is a mystery. He’s not talking about himself at all. He wanted me to believe he’s a lone wolf, but I just don’t buy it. And I can’t get anything useful out of Devana. She knows him, she knows his parents, but for some stupid reason she’s not talking either.” Kara decides to tell her mother everything. Maybe she can give some insight?

“It can be as simple as a pack promise for her. She must honour her word, she is bound by it. As for him? If his Alpha commanded him to say nothing, he can’t say it outright, but you can ask the right questions to bypass the Alpha command.” Marra explains to her. 

“The guessing game? I think I can get him to talk with that, if he doesn’t turn me down and refuses to play.” Kara smiles. She has thought of it herself.

“Do you know what part of Switzerland he lives in? I know of a few packs up there, maybe we can determine which one he comes from?” Marra inquires.

“No. He never said where he lives. Nobody mentioned a city. I can’t tell from his manners or speech patterns, he doesn’t have an accent.” Kara shakes her head in frustration. “Tall, black hair and blue eyes. That goes for any wolf I have ever met.”

“What’s his last name?” Marra wants to know.

“Zimmer.” She answers. It’s a common Swiss name, it tells her absolutely nothing, but maybe her mother knows something?

“Tells me nothing.” Her mother shrugs. “It might be an alias. There are a million reasons a wolf would change his name. If he travels a lot, he’s bound to cross other pack territories. He can ask for permission, but that means risking to be found out or turned away just for spite. A businessman would not risk that.”

“I like the way you think.” Kara smiles at her mother.

“Yeah.” Marra sighs. “I thought of something else. If he really is your mate, your Uncle will never allow the union with a rogue, or a lone wolf for that matter. Mattias will have to tell who he really is.”

“That might be dangerous. What if he’s hiding from someone? What if breaking his Alpha promise would gain him me, but lose him his pack? There is no way he could win with Uncle Vito.” Kara scoffs. “The bastard is making sure to ruin all our lives.”  

“Valid points, dear. You can think outside of the box. Maybe all you need is to talk to him? Give something to get something? Explain what is going on. Tell him your reservations.” Her mother chuckles. “But first of all let yourself feel. Get your wolf on board and see what that gets you.”

“That scares me even more than Uncle Vito. What if he is my mate? What do I do then?” Kara admits to her mother.

“I can’t make that decision for you. You have two choices: you either give up or fight for your happiness. Whatever you chose is going to be hard, but I promise to be there for you all the way.” Her mother smiles.

“Thanks mom.” Kara smiles back. It always helps to talk with her mother. She might not have all the answers, but her ideas are great. It got Kara thinking.

She is up in her room, getting ready to go to work. She stares at the blue dress she wore last night and she smiles. It was fun, all of it. Her paintings got sold! That is a huge step towards being a real artist. Day job and all, she is finally a painter. She chuckles and glances at the pile of paintings just sitting there against the wall. Could she do what Lea suggested? Could she ask Mattias to help her sell the rest? 

‘What do you think?’ Kara asks her wolf.

‘Mattias is dreamy. I would like to sample that body. Maybe he is our mate and we can keep him around?’ The wolf answers smugly.

‘You know that’s not what I was asking you about? Should I sell the rest of my paintings?’ Kara elaborates.

‘I think you should. You could buy that brush set you always pass over. That expensive one, with red handles.’ The wolf smirks.

‘I’ll think about it. I better take pictures to send, if I decide to let them go.’ Kara tells her wolf.

‘To Mattias? What will you do about him?’ The wolf muses. At least her inner animal is amused by the situation.

‘I don’t know. Should we see if he really is our mate? Feel him out? Or maybe talk to him first and see if he would give up and run when he finds out the truth?’ Kara inquires.

‘Feel him out? Are you talking about allowing me to feel? What if he is our mate?’ The wolf is stunned and surprised.

‘That’s what I meant. Let’s take a risk and see.’ She answers.

She will take her mother’s advice and feel him out. She can go from there. If she doesn’t act on the mate bond, it might go away. Or she can ask Devana if there is a way to break it, the goddess might know something. But the real question here is what if she likes him? What if the feelings will be too great to let him go? What if they are mates and she wants to keep him? What will they do then? She can’t fight Vito, but maybe he can? She will have to ask him once she explains all the mess her own pack’s Alpha created. Maybe there will be nothing to worry about, if he bails on her? 

But, like her mother said, she can’t know if she doesn’t try. She needs this for her own sanity as much as she needs to paint to still her soul. She snaps a few fast pictures of her paintings and sends them to Mattias with a simple note to sell them. He might come around after the lunch crowd; she can ask him for a talk then. Maybe Rialto is not the best place to talk, but they can just arrange a time and a place.

Is she ready for this? She never gave it much thought, she was too busy to actually live. She still is, to be fair. Can she leave everything for a mate?

‘Leave? What are you thinking?’ Her wolf asks.

Leave mom, Teo, the restaurant. He doesn’t live here. No sane person would want to join our pack. I was thinking if I’m ready to move away. I don’t buy the lone wolf excuse, he is a pack member, we just don’t know which pack.’ Kara explains.

‘I see the point. I just don’t see why we need to change everything and he gets to keep his life intact?’ The wolf scoffs.

‘I know. But something tells me he is not an ordinary wolf. I pray to the gods that my instincts are wrong, but what if I’m right? Then we would have to move to be with him.’ Kara says. She is giving this thing a thought and she keeps coming up with new ideas and possibilities.

‘How about we worry about it, if it comes to that?’ The wolf offers and returns to her chilling place. Kara smiles at the image her wolf presents. A white wolf on a blanket in front of a fireplace. There are books on the shelves and even a Christmas tree at the side. 

It got her into a good mood. So she plans a tree decorating evening when she returns home tonight. She has everything boxed up, she might as well set it up. Her wolf can turn a hint into an idea. And she always loved this time of the year. There is just something peaceful about a decorated tree.