The Mafia Alpha's Hired Bride

Chapter 4

The next morning, the house felt far too quiet. Deeya woke early, but the silence pressed against her chest like a weight she couldn't shake off. There were no little feet running across the floorboards, no seven-year-old laughter to crack the morning open. No Jace.

She stood in front of her small wooden wardrobe, staring blankly at the row of clothes. But her mind was racing. Jasper is picking me up today. If I want to get more money out of him, I have to be able to please him...

Her hand reached for a provocative dress, cut low, hugging every curve and putting her cleavage on shameless display. Deeya stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were sharp. Her body was a weapon.

"There it is... No man can resist a woman this sexy. Especially not Jasper," she whispered, then gave a small nod. "Okay. I'm ready."

She made her way down to the living room and poured herself a glass of water. The moment her lips touched the rim, a sharp thud sounded from the window. Before she could even react, the window burst open and a small wolf pup leaped inside.

"OH MY GOD, Jace!" Deeya shrieked, nearly dropping the glass.

The little wolf stood frozen in place, his ears flattened with guilt. Deeya rushed to shut the window, then crouched down in front of the small creature. "What did Mommy tell you? You cannot shift in broad daylight like this! You have to learn to control yourself!"

The pup let out a soft whimper, and his body began to shift. A few seconds later, Jace's small human form stood before her, his face crumpled with desperation.

"Mommy..." he said softly. "I missed Mommy so much. I don't want to be apart from you."

Deeya let out a long breath and crouched down fully, pulling Jace into a tight embrace. "Oh, baby... Mommy missed you too."

They were still wrapped in each other's arms when the door swung open. Jasper stepped inside, his tall frame filling the doorway, his cold presence swallowing the room whole. The moment his eyes landed on the little boy, his strides slowed.

"Who is this child?" he demanded, his voice sharp.

Deeya shot to her feet, her heart plummeting straight into her stomach. "He's... Jace. My son."

Before any further explanation could leave her mouth, Jace suddenly bolted forward and wrapped his arms around Jasper's leg. "Daddy!"

Deeya's world stopped spinning. She stood frozen, her mouth opening but no sound coming out. Jasper stared down at Jace, his expression utterly unreadable. Then his brow furrowed deeply.

"Your son... does he have issues with his father?" His voice was flat, almost insulting.

"I'm sorry... He's not usually like this. I don't know why he—"

"Daddy!" Jace said again, his eyes sparkling with innocent certainty.

Deeya scrambled to pull Jace away, but Jasper raised a hand, silently commanding her to stop. He knelt down, bringing himself level with Jace, and studied the small face that bore such an uncanny resemblance to his own.

Deeya noticed something then. The way Jasper's thumb moved against his own wrist, it was almost identical to Jace's unconscious habit.

"Hey, kid," Jasper said, his voice dropping lower. "Why are you calling me daddy?"

"Because... you smell like Daddy. And you look strong!" Jace answered with unfiltered honesty.

Jasper went silent. But Deeya caught it, the corner of his mouth twitched, almost lifting.

"Your name is Jace, right?" Jasper said. "But listen to me carefully. I am not your father. And I would never let a woman give birth to my child... unless I truly loved her."

Jace blinked, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. Deeya noted how that expression stabbed at her heart. Jasper rose to his feet and fixed her with a cutting stare.

"You didn't resolve your issue like you promised."

"I left Jace with my friend last night. But he ran away. He... he didn't want to be separated from me," Deeya answered, panic bleeding into her voice.

"I'm not interested in your excuses. I've run out of patience."

Just as Jasper turned to leave, Jace grabbed the hem of his black coat. "Daddy... if you're taking Mommy away... can I come too? I have to protect Mommy."

Deeya nearly broke into tears right there. "Sir, don't listen to him. I'll take Jace to my friend's house right now."

"NO!" Jace screamed. "I only want to stay with Mommy!"

Jasper exhaled sharply, then looked at Deeya with a stare that pierced straight through her. "Fine. Just bring him along."

"I can't!" Deeya blurted out.

"Why?" Jasper asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Oh God... I can't let him find out Jace is a werewolf! Deeya's mind spiraled in panic.

"I need time... I have to pack Jace's things. And handle his school transfer... because we'll be moving, won't we?"

Jasper studied her for a long, tense moment. A faint smile ghosted across his lips, cold, suspicious. "You're not planning to run away with him, are you?"

Deeya nearly choked on her own breath. "Wh..why would I run? I still need the money you promised!"

"Good." Jasper nodded.

He glanced over his shoulder at Nick, who stood silent at the doorway. "Nick, help me clear this place out. I'm staying here tonight."

"What?!" Deeya nearly screamed.

Nick looked equally stunned, but he bowed his head obediently. "Yes, Boss."

---

That night, the full moon hung low in the sky, pouring its pale light into the house like the cold eye of a watcher. Deeya yawned, exhaustion dragging at her limbs as she made her way toward the bedroom. But her steps halted abruptly the moment she pushed the door open.

Jasper was sitting on the edge of her bed, his head bowed, his shoulders rising and falling as though he were wrestling with something deep and unseen.

"You... why are you here?" Deeya said, startled. It only then registered that the bedroom now belonged to Jasper. "Sorry. I'll sleep outside."

Deeya stepped back, but her gaze couldn't tear itself away from the shadow of the man sitting in the dim glow of the bedside lamp. Something was wrong. Jasper's face was flushed, his breathing labored, and his eyes held a hazy, unfocused quality, as if he were fighting against something invisible.

"Are you sick?" she asked, her feet carrying her closer without permission. "Jasper?"

"Get out of my sight." Jasper's voice came out low and hoarse, like a howl being forcibly suppressed.

Deeya should have listened. But her body refused to move. Some force kept her rooted near him, drawing her in.

"I just want to help—"

Before she could finish, Jasper seized her wrist in one swift motion and pinned her down onto the bed. Deeya's breath caught in her throat. She stared up at him, and for a single, fleeting moment, she felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff.

"When I tell you to leave, you leave," Jasper said coldly, his voice nearly reverberating inside his own chest.

"I'll go now," Deeya said nervously, trying to pull away. But Jasper was already too close.

"It's too late for that."

Deeya swallowed hard. "So... you want to spend the night with me?" she said, half-joking, attempting to cut through the tension. A sly smile played on her lips, even as her heart hammered wildly in her chest.

Jasper's brow furrowed, and he returned her gaze with a look of sharp disdain. "My body might want you. But don't ever think I actually want to touch you."

"Oh? Then who just pulled me onto the bed?"

Deeya's words should have sounded light, but they both knew the tension between them was impossible to ignore. She touched his chest, trying to play with fire, but Jasper smacked her hand away roughly. His fingers then gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Is there something I can help you with, sir?" Deeya whispered, trying to maintain her composure.

"Wipe that smile off your face." Jasper's voice dropped an octave, sharp as a blade. "Unless you want me to f**k you to death on this bed."

His grip on her chin tightened. Deeya froze. Fear and something deeper, something she couldn't name, made her tremble beneath him.

"I know you can do more than just threaten," Deeya said, half a whisper, half a challenge. "Out of all my clients, yours is definitely the biggest."

Jasper's eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't ever compare me to your filthy men," he hissed.

Deeya fell silent. The words landed like a whip, striking the most hidden parts of her. Somehow, shame crept into her heart—not because of what she was, but because of Jasper. Because those words came from the mouth of a man whose effect on her somehow slipped past all her defenses.

"I'll remember that," Deeya said at last, lowering her gaze.

Jasper studied her wounded expression, but she still stood with her head held high. Something inside him seemed to waver. Then he leaned closer. His fingers gently pinched her chin and tilted her face toward his.

"Woman..." he murmured, his tone shifting into something strange and unreadable. "Have we met before?"

The question made Deeya's entire body go rigid. "What?" she breathed, her eyes searching his face for meaning.

They stared at each other in silence. Outside, the night wind stirred the curtains. And beneath the moonlight spilling through the window, two wounded souls read each other, searching for something they didn't yet understand, but that felt achingly familiar, like shadows from a forgotten past knocking at the door once more.