Burned by Rejection (Book 4 of Wolves of Milano )

For all the readers that just stumbled on this book. There is a series of mine, called Gods of Old, where we encounter many of the characters that will be playing a vital role here. So, if you didn’t read the series, or for all those that did and forgot about the events there, here is a short introduction: Vito, the alpha of the Milano wolf pack, gets on the bad side of the goddess Morrana. She is the Slavic goddess of winter and death. And she is the mate of a wolf; Marco, the son of Vito. As Vito opposed their union and was reluctant to set Marco free of a contract he signed for his son, Morrana demanded that he tell her how to break the contract. Vito on the other hand, stubbornly refused and even tried to kill his own son. Morrana was faster than the bullet Vito intended for Marco and she saved his life by taking the bullet herself. Bullets don’t kill her, they just seriously piss her off. Morrana took Vito to the Underworld to be punished on her special prison island. She gave him provisions to last him there for five days, since there is nothing edible on the island and the water surrounding the island is toxic. She left him in a run-down cottage with one room and no bathroom to speak of. And the oppressing silence during the day is replaced by screams and howling of the damned souls at night.  She forgot him there and only went to get him out after seven days. Maybe killing him outright would be more merciful, but she is not known for mercy. And he doesn’t deserve it anyway. Not after what he tried to do to his own son. He can suffer for eternity and see if she cares. After his return to the land of the living, Vito slips slowly into insanity. He can try so hard to forget what happened and he plays the careless alpha well, but at night his nightmares return all that he tried so hard to forget. He relives the island every night and wakes up in the morning drenched in sweat. And every time during the day, when he slips up and thinks about the island, he finds himself shivering in cold sweat. So he gets busy with every day and the most miniscule things in his pack, just to not think about the island. He literally throws himself into all matters of the pack members and not just running the pack. He has great plans and he holds meetings with the clan elders every day. Most of the elders are too afraid to oppose him, but some share his ideas of more traditional ways. Even bringing back arranged marriages and the death penalty for every offence to the alpha. This book is the fourth in the series, but they don't need to be read in order. Since Allegra and Alessio are siblings, his book is important to get to know their dynamics. She is emotionally tied to Alessio and he is the most important person in her life.