Benefit of The Doubt

Dexter paced the wide hall, fuming in anger and occasionally throwing things around him away.

His hands trembled with fury consuming him as he muttered curse words under his breath.

Harrison Bugle, Dexter's beta and childhood best friend sat on a couch, whistling to the sound of his favorite country music, not bothered by his friend's troubled state.

Dexter turned around to face Harrison. "Would you please stop that! It's both disturbing and annoying."

Harrison stopped for a while then resumed.

In annoyance, Dexter threw a pillow at him. "Just shut the hell up!"

"I would stop when you also stop pacing the hall, okay?" Harrison said, throwing the pillow back to Dexter. "Anyway, I don't even get why you're troubling yourself."

Dexter's eyebrows raised as he stared at Harrison in surprise.  "How can you say that? How can you say such when we are on the verge of losing everything we've worked for so many years?"

"How so?" Harrison asked casually.

"Oh my god!" Dexter said slamming his palm on his forehead. "Harry, this isn't the time for jokes."

"I'm not joking." Harry said aloud. "I really don't understand how we are going to lose anything because of your baby brother's in town."

"First of all, he is not my baby brother… He is not even my brother." Dexter said, taking a basket woken chair and sitting back on it.

"He is your brother, okay? Adopted or not, you both grew up together in the same house and apart from four or five people, no one else knows about his adoption." Harry said in a corrective tone.

"Fine, but that's not the point. Blade is back to Haven and I know that his performance at the party was just a tip of the iceberg." Dexter said, sweating profusely.

"Is that why you've got yourself all worked up?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Isn't that enough reason?"

"No, it isn't." Harry said. "You're an Alpha. If you can't take care of Blade, then we are all vulnerable. The whole pack and Haven itself is relying on you, you can't be here killing yourself before you even confront Blade."

The door to the large hall opened and a girl in blue jean skirt with a black sleeveless shirt walked in with a tray in her hands.

The charm in her ocean blue eyes immediately caught both Harry and Dexter's attention, leaving them numb until she dropped the tray of chicken sandwiches and left the hall, walking sedately.

"Who is she?" Harry asked, with his gaze still fixed at the door the girl had gone out from.

"I don't know her name but I know that she's the daughter of my father's favorite beta." He took one of the sandwiches and took a deep bite. "She works really hard for the pack and i always see her here. I even heard she just became an omega."

"Wow!" Harry said in awe of her. "Sometimes, I wonder why your wolf chose Emily."

A broad smile appeared on Dexter's face. "I don't. He must have seen the uniqueness in her."

      "Really?" Harry said as he studied Dexter. 

    "I've never seen anyone with so much beauty both outside and within." He dropped the sandwich in his hand as his smile broadened. "Sometimes i wonder how lucky i am. Being fated to Emily is a dream come true as I've always admired her since she was little. She had so much boldness and charisma that…"

"Okay!" Harry said holding his hands up. "I give up, you're sickly in love and you really need help."

Dexter chuckled. "Damn, this sandwiches are so good."

"Yeah, that girl is almost everything I need right now." He said taking another sandwich. "Beautiful, Devoted, Hardworking and a great cook. I'm interested."

They both laughed shortly before Dexter countenance changed.

"So, i've decided to go home and tell that douche of a brother that his rent's expired. He better take the next bus outta town. He could go kill everyone in New Yawk with his bloodlust, I don't give a damn." He  said, rising from the chair.

"You sure about that?" Harry asked. "Because that sounds like a pretty f*cked up plan."

Dexter shook his head in exhaustion. "You got a better one?"

"Yeah." He said stuffing his mouth with more sandwiches.

"Do you care to share??" Dexter asked in irritation and impatience.

"Fine." Harry chewed fast and then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "It's simple. Since he wants your help, then give it to him."

Dexter's brows caved in as he considered Harry's suggestion. "Just like that?"

"Exactly, that way you'd be able to keep yourself and this pack and town safe and free from Blade and his pack of demons. No bloodshed, no loss and just solemn peace." He said.

"It seems like the best idea right now but I know my brother, he isn't trustworthy."

"From what I know and have heard about Blade, i'm pretty sure that he is a man of his word. If he makes an oath, I'm sure he wouldn't break it."

"I know that, Harry and i've even tried to make him swear on it but he now claims to be Christian and sees swearing as 'ungodly'."

Harrison's mouth quivered for some seconds and after he burst out into laughter. "You've got to be kidding! If Blade Ferguson is Christian, then I'm the pope."

"So, you see he is untruthful and he's not gonna back down after I give him the elixir. I'm sure of it."

Harrison reasoned it for a while and then shrugged his shoulder. "But we still don't have a better option. If you decide to send him away and he retaliates, we know we are doomed. Once he brings his devilish animalistic pack members to Haven, the whole town will be destroyed. Both humans and werewolves."

Dexter sighed aloud. "That means we have to trust him."

"Yeah." Harry said nodding his head. "Give him the benefit of the doubt."

"So either way, we are screwed." Dexter said.

"Exactly."