REMORSE AND INTENTIONS

　　Ethan gets to his office waiting for Peter and Sandra. He wants to give Peter an update of what happened in Mike's town and he wanted Sandra to be there as a witness. The town needs a new gamma and he has to discuss with Peter as to who could handle things there calmly and without constant issues like Mike had done.

　　Ethan seats on his working chair, sorting some of the old files on the desk. He picks out every file that showed proof of all the money he had sent to Mike for the upkeep of the people which he never used for them but himself. Ethan takes them and places them aside, he may have to return to the town with them.

　　A sharp knock comes to his door and brings his focus out of the files he had been searching through. It is Peter and Sandra standing by the door, patiently watching him waiting for his response.

　　"Please step in, don't wait out there," he says calling them over to his side.

　　Peter pulls out a chair for himself and settles on it. Sandra glares at him discreetly but sluggishly pulls a seat for herself as well.

　　"How was your trip, what happened there?" Peter asks the moments he sits.

　　Sandra rolls her eyes in irritation. "You should at least let the alpha say why he called us and not put words in his mouth!" She hisses.

　　"You forget he is my best friend. He has always been my best friend before he became the Alpha!" Peter retorts, his eyes sparkling with anger.

　　Ethan raises his brow at the two of them and smiles. They have always argued between themselves like two crown princes fighting for the throne. But Peter is right. He and Ethan are friends, he can always talk to him however he wanted as long as it is in close spaces. And Ethan knows, Peter's intentions are always pure, whereas Sandra's intentions are always questionable.

　　"Just because he is your friend doesn't mean you have to give him less respect!" Sandra snaps not wanting to let go of the argument.

　　"Sandra, it's alright. That's actually why I called the both of you here," Ethan says, ending the fight altogether.

　　Peter and Sandra calm themselves and focus on Ethan to hear what he has to say.

　　"Mike never did anything for the people..." Ethan begins, "and I am beginning to wonder why either of you didn't notice. Especially you Sandra, you practically live there. How come you didn't report this?" Ethan asks staring at the both of them intently.

　　Sandra shrinks into the seat she occupies as she tries to find an answer to the question in front of her.

　　"I am sorry Ethan, we should have seen it. I just never really paid attention..." Peter says with his eyes on the ground. He is ashamed of himself. It is his job to check up all the towns and report the activities of the gamma to Ethan but he relented in his duties because he thought Sandra was there. He didn't want it to seem like he is trying to steal her work away from her. Now, look at the mess they are in because he was trying to avoid getting into another power argument with Sandra

　　Ethan narrows his eyes at him and turns to Sandra, who looks like she won't open her mouth even if they used a pair of pliers to split her lips open.

　　"Sandra, what's your defense?" Ethan asks her.

　　"Well, I- I thought Peter was supposed to do it..." She trails throwing Peter under the bus. That is Sandra's character for you. She'll rather have someone else take the blame than take responsibility for her faults herself. Ethan understands both of them perfectly but he doesn't want to condemn her so it won't look like he was taking Peter's side.

　　"I am extremely disappointed at the both of you. Because of you, people have died. If you had said attention then you would have noticed the arrival of that strange liquid into town and we might have been warned of whatever Mike might have had planned." Ethan scolds them.

　　They both keep their faces on the floor, ashamed of their actions or pretending to be.

　　"The werewolves in this town believe in me and I have been trying to do my best to keep them safe. It is hurtful if my assistants and representatives can't help me with a simple task such as looking out for the people." Ethan continues.

　　"Now, Sandra you left and came here without telling me that you were leaving. Who did you leave in charge?" Ethan asks her, not because he would have left the town in her care even if she waited behind. But he wanted to point out her irresponsibility.

　　"I left Lady Zara and Lord Alfred..." She grumbles.

　　Ethan raises his brow at her. "Lady Zara? Really?" He can't believe that she will leave that distrustful woman in charge. He is so grateful he had left Max in charge because the people will have been thrown into the very same problem they just came out from if Lady Zara is left in charge. The woman is too power-hungry and Alfred is not firm enough, he practically follows after Zara's shadow.

　　Sandra's mouth opens and closes like a fish but she is unable to bring out another defense.

　　Ethan shakes his head regretfully. He has no one to work with. The entire council of elders and stakeholders were questionable, for they were all present when mike was siphoning funds for his strange projects and none of them decided to blow a whistle until Mike himself thought it was smart to call out so he could get more money.

　　Ethan exhales sharply. "I will think of what to do to the both of you. But be great assured that I will not let this matter go." Then he turns his attention to Sandra and says, "you may leave us for now. You must be tired and I want to speak to Peter privately."

　　Her eyes flash anger but she nods nevertheless and carries herself out of the office. Ethan waits for her to completely leave the corridor before he opened his mouth. "Peter close the door," he instructs after the echoes of her footsteps had ended from the corridor.

　　Peter gets on his feet and goes to pull the large door closed. Once close, the room is soundproof. None of their conversations will be able to leave the room even if someone is waiting at the other end.

　　"Ethan I am so sorry but you know how Sandra is, she wants to take full control of that region. When you sent me over there, I just basically called her for information, I didn't reach there. I didn't want another brawl with her." Peter explains himself. If he knew things were going to end up like that, he would have gone to the town himself and he would have gotten the right information to give to Ethan.

　　"I understand Peter. I know how you work but I don't want this to repeat itself either way. This is about people not about the both of you, do you understand?" Ethan tells Peter.

　　"Yes, I do," Peter says dropping his head in remorse.

　　Ethan feels bad for him. He doesn't want him to hate himself over the matter, it has happened already and there was no turning back. What they needed now, was solutions, not regret and remorse. "Peter wipe that look off your face it does suit you. What we need to be doing now is find a solution not mop around in regret..." He tells him

　　Peter stays quiet and Ethan watches him. Knowing Peter, it will take more than one line of pep talk to get him to loosen up again at his own pace, so Ethan waits for him.

　　"What is the situation like now?" Peter says after a while.

　　Ethan breathes out again, "well, I got Mike thrown into the Blackhole, he will be there for a while. What is on the ground now is the discovery of a liquid in the basements of the abandoned houses at the edge of town," Ethan states.

　　"What liquid is it?" Peter asks.

　　"I am suspecting it to silver."

　　"Silver? What will Mike be doing with Silver?" Peter asks, it is strange for Mike to be involved with Silver or any form of harmful element at that. The guy knows close to nothing when it comes to things like that.

　　"I thought the same thing until Adam discovered Silver in the blood of the sick wolves..." Ethan tells his friend.

　　Peter furrows his brow and a frown soon forms on his face. "Are you saying, Mike, infected the people himself? It doesn't make sense?"

　　"I have the same doubts as you. That's why I feel this is beyond just Mike. Mike might be a fool but he isn't a killer." Ethan adds, as he also falls into deep thought.

　　They both go silent as they each think of what could be the motive behind infecting the people with Silver.

　　"He wouldn't have called if he knew things were this bad..." Peter pointed out.

　　"But he would have called if he thought I would only send money and not investigate it myself, " Ethan puts in

　　"You do realize that most times, you send me on such missions. Even I was shocked when you decided to go into town on your own," Peter says and Ethan starts seeing things in another light.

　　"...then when I send you, because of the brawl you have with Sandra, you don't get to stay nor search deeper..." Ethan says.

　　"Yeah, I report basically what Sandra asks me to report to you!" Peter snaps also getting the point Ethan is driving at.

　　"Sandra is somehow involved in all of these. She is smart enough and she has more to gain." Peter says.

　　Ethan doesn't want to condemn Sandra at once even though all their theories point at her. "Maybe she is also being used. You never can tell someone else who is much smarter may be heading this," Ethan says.

　　Peter shakes his head. He has known Sandra longer, he didn't believe someone else can manipulate Sandra. "Who do you think is wise enough in that town to cook this up aside Sandra?"

　　"Lady Zara..." Ethan says.

　　"That lady?" Peter asks. The last time he met the woman, she didn't come off to him as a threat or a person with deep and dark intentions. "Are you sure?"

　　"I have my reasons to doubt her, Peter. Don't let her age or the fact that she is a mother blind you."