SERVED SILVER

　　Mike lied to him. He lied to everybody.

　　The basement isn't filled with a curse, it is filled with food cartons and much worst a stack of bottles filled with a glowing liquid.

　　Ethan feels the pull from the bottle but he doesn't want to jump to a conclusion yet.

　　In the room, they find another door, and thankfully, this one has a key to it. Ethan opens it and finds it leads to another staircase. Following the stair, it leads to another section of the house and then further to the back door. This must have been his exit, that's why no one noticed that he came in here whenever he wanted to get more supplies.

　　Ethan returns to the men in the basement and finds them still shocked at what they had thought was a monster all along. He would have loved to hear Max make fun of them but there is something else on his mind. If this liquid turns out to be what he thinks it is, he will have to give the ultimate punishment to Mike.

　　"Max get the boxes of food out of here." Ethan orders as he circles the strange liquid. "Let these stay, I will have Adam check it out."

　　"Yes sir." Max lead the men into taking the food outside using the back door, Ethan found. They bring out about a hundred cartons of food which Mike had stored away for himself.

　　Ethan remains in the basement still staring at the bottles. He can't believe that Mike will stoop this deep into this. Mike can be very greedy and selfish. The food storing and the money hoarding may be him but to pack this kind of liquid is just beyond him. Ethan will have to confirm it before he takes his next decision.

　　"Alpha,"  Max calls, breaking him out of his thoughts. Ethan turns, giving Max his attention.  "The scientists are in town. I thought you might want to see them," Max says.

　　Placing his forefingers on his jaw, Ethan Smiles. "Tell Adam to come down here, there is something I want him to see."

　　"Okay," Max says turning to leave but Ethan stops him.

　　"Do you know how many of these abandoned houses we have here? " Ethan asks him.

　　Max tries to think but shakes his head. "No, Alpha, I can't think of a figure."

　　"Get the men to tell you. When you find out about it, get the men to search those There may be more of these out there. I want them all found," Ethan says, starting at the liquid with his arms folded across his chest.

　　"Alpha, what do you think it is?" Max asks, seeing how Ethan's demeanor has changed since he laid eyes on the liquid.

　　"I can't say for sure Max, that's why I want Adam down here. Go check the other houses, if you find any liquid like this, don't touch it, " He tells Max.

　　Max gives a quick nod and goes out to the men to tell them about the new development. Since they already know it is only food supply and a large supply of some strange liquid, getting other people to go searching the basement isn't so difficult. It even became a joke among those who went in with Ethan. They recount how they got so scared thinking the staircase had turned into some kind of monster.

　　More men join them and they search all the basement around the area and just like the first building, they find more food supplies in the basement. There was also the strange liquid in all the basements and they report everything to Ethan.

　　Ethan remains in the first basement still observing the liquid. He remembered what had attracted him to the basement in the first place. It was a scream. A painful howl. And it wasn't just his Alpha side pulling him to the situation because Max had heard it too and that was why he came down here. What could have happened to whoever was here?

　　He hears footsteps approaching him and he turns around to the back door they found. A short bald man with a grey suit walks in and Ethan's eyes light up as he recognizes his friend.

　　"Adam! I am glad you could make it on such short notice!" Ethan says stretching his hand to the short man.

　　Adam takes his hand and gives it a firm shake. "Alpha, it is always a pleasure working with you!" He exclaims.

　　"I have told you, it is Ethan to you and not Alpha," Ethan says with a grin.

　　"It is your title my friend, you have to shoulder I," Adam responds with a grin of his own

　　"Please, give me a break," Ethan says and the two of them share a laugh.

　　As they laugh, Adam's eyes fall on the liquid too and his smile falls. "I guess this is why you called me down here," he says.

　　"Yes, Adam. We found it here this morning. What do you think it is?" Ethan asks him.

　　Adam dips his hand into his suit pocket and brings out his glasses. He places it on his nose and draws closer to the liquid. He pinches his nose after a while and takes out his phone. He types something in it and keeps his phone in his pocket.

　　"So, what is it?" Ethan asks getting impatient.

　　"With the color and balance, I am guessing it is silver. But I have messaged my assistant to prepare the mini-lab for more tests. Can I take a sample with me?" Adam says.

　　"Of course, take as much as you want." Ethan takes two of the bottles and places them in a bag for Adam.

　　"Thank you. I will be heading back up now," Adam says scurrying to the door.

　　As Adam says his guess, Ethan's heart drops. This was exactly what he feared. He also thought the same. But the question now is, Why will Mike keep such large quantities of Silver?

　　There is something else going on in this town that is much bigger than Mike and his greediness. "Adam?" Ethan calls and Adam who is about to step out of the door pauses.

　　"Yes, Ethan?" He responds.

　　"Can you also test the food supply that we got from these basements, I want to be sure they are not infected or something?"

　　"Sure, just ask one of the men to bring it to the minilab, it is in the clinic," Adam says. "Do you need something else?"

　　"None for now. If I remember something else, I will come to you," Ethan says to him.

　　"Okay." With that Adam, disappears behind the door to go start his work.

　　Ethan stays behind thinking about what exactly was going on in the town. Mike can't possibly be the only one involved in this.

　　As he paces around, he remembers the incident he encountered last night with the petite wolf. He will have to talk to lady Zara about that. Maybe this is a perfect time.

　　Ethan exits the basement and goes back to town. He walks to one of the guards by the entrance of the packhouse.

　　"I need Lady Zara and her daughter, to get someone to bring them to my room immediately." With that, he walks to his room.

　　He is just finishing to freshen up when a soft knock comes on his door. Slowly he walks to the door and opens it for his guests.

　　"Lazy Zara." He looks past her and finds no one behind her. "I told that guard to call you and your daughter, where is she?" He asks her.

　　"Alpha, that's what I am here to tell you about," she says. Her eyes twinkle with something Ethan can't place but he nods and allows her to step into the room.

　　"Please come in!" He says waving her in.

　　He settles on the couch and points at the opposite seat for her to take. She settles into it and folds her hands.

　　"So, where is she?" Ethan asks not wanting to beat around the bush.

　　"Alpha, I can't find her... I woke up this morning and she was gone," she says dropping her eyes to her shaky hands.

　　Her heart picks up a strange rhythm and Ethan knows she is lying. "You do know I can feel your emotions. I will advise you don't lie to me lady Zara. I am not a man of a lot of patience." Ethan snaps.

　　She spurts to her knees immediately. "Alpha, please forgive me. It is my fault. I sent her to you. I am so sorry..." She sobs holding on to Ethan's feet.

　　"Why did you send your daughter to me?" Ethan slowly asks. As much as he is pissed off by the action he doesn't want to scare her off. He at least wants to know the reason she would have thought of doing something like that.

　　"I thought you might need company. You know how you've been searching for a mate... I thought maybe she could be the one-"

　　"By asking her to give herself to me in her wolf form? That's too low even for you!" Ethan barks. "What makes you even think if I needed a company I will settle for your daughter?"

　　She opens her mouth and closes it again, not knowing the right words to say.

　　"I should give you and your child a befitting punishment-" Ethan begins to say but lady Zara cries even louder.

　　"I am so sorry alpha, please punish me and spare my child!" She cries. "She is just a child! Please!"

　　There is something about her begging that just doesn't reach Ethan's heart. But he pushes the feeling away.

　　"I will let you go this time but if I find out you have been throwing your daughter to men against her wish or you even engage in questionable activities, then I will not hesitate to punish you severely! " Ethan growls.

　　"Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise it will never happen again!"

　　"You may leave now!" Ethan tells her.

　　She quickly gets to her feet and scurries out of the room. Even as she leaves, Ethan still gets a feeling she won't stop, but he will rather give her the benefit of doubt. There is nothing wrong with that.

　　All of this is because he hasn't officially told his pack that he has found his mate. If they knew, they wouldn't dare send in their children to seduce him. Camilla is more than enough for him.

　　Thinking about her makes his wolf restless again and he groans. The problems are not yet over but he will have to return to the Estate and spend some time with her. If he doesn't do that, he may as well run mad with want!