Episode 32

★ SILVA ★

We were still gathered around the dining table, eating and drinking while waiting for Ariana to return with Lucia. Although she had left a while ago, she had not yet come back.

"Silva," Alpha Jesse called out to me, causing me to widen my eyes in response.

"Could you please go check on why Ariana is taking so long? I'm not sure what's keeping her," he ordered, and I let out a heavy sigh.

It's frustrating to think that even after all my effort, I still find myself in a position where I cannot disobey the Alpha for any reason or come up with lame excuses. If Lucia is really missing, they might suspect me even more.

Just as I was about to get up from my seat, Ariana walked in, and I froze in place. We all waited for Lucia's arrival, with Alpha Jesse and Jackie also looking at Ariana expectantly.

I observed Ariana as she approached Alpha Jesse, moving silently towards him. I sat back down immediately, sensing that something was amiss. If everything was alright, she would have stepped aside and waited for Lucia's arrival.

As she neared Alpha Jesse, Ariana bent down and whispered something in his ear.

"Is everything alright? Come on, where is she?" Jackie asked, taking a bite of his chicken and looking at Ariana and Alpha Jesse.

"Silva!" Alpha Jesse whispered my name, beckoning me to come closer.

I approached him and leaned in. "Go with Ariana and find Lucia. It seems like something is not right. Make sure you locate her before returning here. We are at risk," he whispered urgently in my ear.

I nodded in response, understanding the gravity of the situation.

As I got up from my seat, I gave Kase, Justin, and the others a certain look, and they understood that I needed their assistance. One by one, they began to follow me out of the dining area.

Alpha Jackie was furious, not understanding why we were leaving. It was difficult to gauge his thoughts since it was unclear whether he believed we were playing a game with him or if he was genuinely concerned about Lucia's whereabouts.

"Jesse, what's happening? Why are they leaving?" Jackie demanded, his body tense and ready for any sudden movement.

"I apologize for the confusion. Please make yourself comfortable. Lucia will be with you shortly, and I assure you that everything is under control," Alpha Jesse replied, clasping his hands together in a gesture of reassurance.

Jackie nodded, trying to hide his skepticism behind a small smirk. he glanced at the other guy sitting beside him, who returned his gaze with a knowing smirk before turning back to Alpha Jesse.

"Jesse... are you absolutely certain about this?" he inquired, grabbing a chip from his plate and taking a bite.

"Yes, I assure you that everything is fine. I just have a particular way I want this introduction to go," Jesse replied, forcing a smile.

"Is that so?" Jackie asked, looking pleased and impressed.

"Yes, that's precisely why I sent my boys to ensure that everything goes according to plan," Jesse confirmed, as Jackie nodded his head in agreement and resumed eating with a contented expression on his face.

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"So, where exactly should we start looking for Lucia?" Kase asked immediately as we left the dining.

Although he was directing the question at me, I knew what I needed to do.

I had a mission to accomplish, and this was my opportunity to shift the focus onto Ariana. If anyone were to be suspected in the future, it should be her.

"Well, perhaps that question should be directed at Arianna," I replied as we continued making our way out of the house.

However, my statement caused Ariana to stop in her tracks and stare at me.

"I don't understand. What do you mean by that?" she demanded in a harsh tone, which was likely another offense from her.

"How dare you raise your voice at me?!" I shouted at her, feeling annoyed. I couldn't believe an Omega had the audacity to yell at me, an Alpha's companion.

"I'm sorry for that," she said, her gaze fixed on the ground. When she looked up at me again, her expression was innocent.

"But you just made a statement against me!" she protested, and I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"I was busy cooking, so how was I supposed to know the whereabouts of Lucia?" she retorted with a smirk, as I looked over at Justin and the others who were observing us with their arms crossed.

"Can any of you honestly say that you noticed how close Ariana was to Lucia?" I inquired, as they gazed at each other in silence.

"I do too!" Debby replied, and the others nodded in agreement, indicating that they had also noticed.

"So, how could she be so close to her and leave without telling her where she's going?" I inquired, my attention fixated on Ariana as she struggled to defend herself.

"Silva, are you already accusing?!" she yelled at me, not showing any signs of fear.

"And how dare you raise your voice at me again!" I retorted, my anger towards her visible as I stepped closer to her, causing her to move backwards.

I was feeling very angry, and I had the urge to leave a lasting impression on her memory so that she would respect me every time she sees me. I wanted her to learn how to speak and behave like an omega she is supposed to be.

However, just as I was about to approach her, Sam stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Hey, you need to let her go. It's too early to start suspecting someone. We're here to find Lucia, so let's go and look for her together," Sam said, looking at all of us.

Kase stepped forward and nodded in agreement, "Sam was correct. Lucia may be out there celebrating with the people under the full moon."

"Lucia is the type of person who easily makes friends, so it's possible," Kase added, looking at me. Derby then stepped forward, "Kase may be right, but Ariana was justified," he said, shrugging his shoulders before turning to leave.

Confused, I asked, "What do you mean by that?" Derby paused and walked back towards me.

"What were you trying to do to Ariana? Were you trying to beat her up or something?" Derby asked incredulously.

"Ariana did nothing wrong. She was simply defending herself." He added

I raised my voice, still angry, "Did you not hear her say that she has no idea where Lucia is?" I yelled at him.

"And was she lying? Let me ask you, was she lying? She has been busy in the kitchen since morning," Derby replied.

"I haven't seen her leave the kitchen all day, and I haven't seen Lucia at all today, let alone in the kitchen. How do you expect Ariana to know where she is?" Debby asked, defending Ariana.

I glared at him, feeling frustrated. This could have easily led to a fight, but when I noticed the way everyone was looking at me, I decided to let it go and ignore the situation.

I walked past him, and the rest of the group followed me, leaving only Ariana and Debby behind.

"Thank you, Debby!" Ariana expressed her gratitude.

"It was nothing," Debby replied before leaving Ariana behind and catching up to us. Ariana soon followed suit and joined us.

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"Right now, we need to split up and search for her. If anyone discovers any evidence of her whereabouts, please inform the rest of us. If you are unable to find her, please send a notification to the rest of the team. Is that clear?" I gave clear instructions, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"I will search the right side of the house, and Justin will search the left side," I directed, and Justin promptly left to begin his search.

"Debby, you and Ariana will search the right side of the party, while Kase and Sam will search the left side." I directed, and each person obeyed before leaving to begin their search.

I was pleased with how the search was going, as it was the perfect opportunity to inform Diana that it was time for her to take over. That's why I decided to search the right side of the house, which included her apartment.

I considered the possibility of lying to Diana by telling her that it was part of my plan to lost Lucia, but it was too risky. If the truth were to come out, she might expose me, thinking that I was truly responsible for Lucia's disappearance, even though I had no knowledge of her whereabouts.

"There is no time to waste thinking. I need to see her immediately," I muttered to myself, quickly scanning the area to ensure that nobody was watching me. Seeing that everyone was occupied with the search, I made my way to Diana's room.