The Mafia alpha's generals: mated to my father's enemy

Chapter 1 Mariana pov THE SHIPMENT “Listen up!” My voice thundered across the deck, leaving no room for hesitation. I held the bottle of my favorite liquor, Bitter Bianca, loosely in one hand, the glass cold against my palm. “The shipment will be arriving any moment now, and I want every single one of you on full alert. Do you understand me?!” “Yes, boss!” they shouted back, their voices strong but laced with tension. We had just reached the Adriatic Sea after receiving intel about an incoming shipment one handled by one of the most ruthless mafia alphas in the entire state. A man whose name alone reminded anyone with a brain to tread carefully. But fear had never been my language. I walked to the edge of the deck, the wind whipping against my face as I scanned the entire coastline. My eyes darted over every dark corner, searching for movement, for a shadow that didn’t belong. The moment I turned to step back, a sharp, echoing ship siren tore through the night. I paused, a slow smile creeping across my face. “Well,” I murmured, raising the bottle for one last sip, letting the burn settle in my chest. “Looks like our guest finally decided to show up.” I faced my men, meeting their anxious stares with calm certainty. “Alright, boys. Get into position. You know the drill. Stay focused. Cover each other. And don’t make this messier than it has to be.” “Yes, boss!” they echoed again, louder this time, guns snapping open as they loaded them. I stepped back toward the crate, reaching for my own gun. The weight settled perfectly into my hand, familiar and steady. “Let’s move,” I ordered, my voice low but firm. “No one screws this up.” A motorboat appeared first, slicing through the black water like a predator. The silhouette of four men carrying a massive crate was enough to send tension ripping through the deck. I lifted the bottle for one final sip, letting the warmth settle, steadying myself. “Set it down,” I ordered. They froze, glanced at each other, then at me. The one in front gritted his teeth and lowered the crate with a heavy thud that echoed against the metal deck. Ammunition, drugs—enough to arm half a city or ruin it. I chuckled, staring at them. “Secure them,” I barked. My men moved instantly. I watched as their boots slammed, guns up, hands quick and efficient. Within seconds, the smugglers were bound, their rifles kicked aside, their faces pale beneath the masks. “Boss…” Matteo muttered behind me, but I didn’t need to hear the rest. I could feel the weight of the shipment pressing at my chest, demanding control. I reached for my phone, and as expected, it vibrated violently in my pocket. I didn’t check the ID,only one person had the audacity to call at a time like this. “Hello,” I said, steady, letting the wind carry my words. “Mariana,” my father’s voice was clipped, tense. “Release the shipment immediately. You have no authority here.” “I disagree,” I replied. My men’s hands tightened on the smugglers. “It’s illegal. It stays here. Father, you shouldn’t be ordering something like this to be released.” “This is business!” he barked, sharp and unyielding. I could feel his anger radiating from his tone. Why was he mad at me over a shipment that could ruin lives? “It isn’t legal business, so I don’t see the problem in seizing it,” I said. “I make the rules on my deck, not you, Father.” He paused. I couldn’t hear anything from his end, then his voice, low and dangerous, came through. “You’re making a mistake.” “I’m not the one breaking the law,” I said, ending the call. I slipped the phone into my pocket and turned back to the crate. My hair flipped to the side, and my heart skipped a beat when I sensed movement behind me so calm that I knew it wasn’t one of my men. His presence cut through the tension like a knife. Instantly, my men instinctively raised their weapons. I turned quickly, stepping back, swinging my gun into action. My jaw dropped but I quickly kicked the shock off my face. Javier Miguel. The Alpha Mafia boss. The man whose name alone made people kneel. “You’re in my way,” he said. No flourish, hands in pockets, dark glasses perfectly in place. “This is my territory,” I replied evenly, keeping my gun steady. I couldn’t help but smile when he stepped closer, tilting his head to study me, his eyes dark and sharp. “Is it?” “Yes.” “You seized something that belongs to me, young lady.” “It’s illegal,” I said, glancing at my boys—well armed and ready—but deep down, I wondered why he wasn’t accompanied by anyone. He stepped closer, slow and controlled. “Release it,” he said, voice even, measured. “No,” I said. Silence stretched across the deck. My men tensed. His men emerged from the shadows, rifles ready, silent and lethal. I giggled. My assumption had been wrong, he wasn’t alone. “Although your father didn’t tell you more about the shipment you just seized or let’s just say you’re either brave or foolish,” he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. A smile stretched across my face. I smirked. “Neither,” I countered, gun steady. “I don’t take orders from smugglers.” His gaze lingered on me, locked, measuring, piercing. Something unspoken hung between us, a thread taut with tension neither of us could ignore. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” he said. “Neither do you,” I said. He brushed past one of my men effortlessly, until he was just a few feet from me. The air between us felt electric. “Careful,” he murmured, voice low, almost a threat. “Before I decide to take what I want.” “Try it,” I said firmly. “I don’t make empty threats.” He slowly leaned back, signaling his men without ever taking his eyes off me. “Realize it, pretty one,” he said, voice carrying across the deck. “I’ll see you when it is,” I replied. He stepped toward the edge of one of the crates, then turned to leave but stopped halfway. I inhaled something different not the usual cold Adriatic sea air; it smelled like dust. I exhaled, letting the tension slide off my shoulders slowly, maybe it was just stress. My stomach growled, and my wolf murmured. Mate! My men began securing the shipment, but I stayed on the deck, my heart thudding. Mate? Matteo moved beside me. “Boss… that was….” “Stay focused,” I interrupted, voice sharp. “Get the shipment secured and the men off my deck. We’re not done.” I spoke through fear and curiosity, praying he didn’t feel the same way. Unfortunately for me, he turned, eyes darkening, and he dashed toward me with urgent speed. His hand gripped my left wrist so tightly that the pain sank into my veins. Gunshots cracked through the air. “You! …You’re my mate!” his voice trembled violently. I struggled to break free but couldn’t. My eyes darted to my men instinctively. I held my breath. Then he sank his fingers deeper into my skin; it burned, but I didn’t show it. “Answer me!” he growled. “Are you truly my mate, or is this some kind of black magic bonding?”