CHAPTER EIGHT: STRANDED

Zelda’s POV

It was a dark, cold night, and my baby bump was causing me pain as my unborn child kicked furiously within my stomach. I was hungry and thirsty, but I had nothing to eat or drink. Apollo had thrown me out of Ryder's packhouse without even letting me take my things or have a shower. I waited for him to come back, hoping he would realize his mistake, but I was losing hope.

I tried my best not to cry, but my eyes filled with tears anyway. I sat on the cold floor for what felt like an hour, but I didn't know what time it was. The cars on the road had slowed down, and there weren't many anymore. My legs ached.

Suddenly, a passerby stopped in front of me. He was a man, and he extended a sandwich to me, thinking I was a street beggar. I felt awful, but I accepted it. As soon as I did, other pack members started walking past me, throwing money at me. Before I knew it, I had unintentionally become a pregnant street beggar who had been neglected by my mate and family.

The sandwich was delicious, but it felt like a last supper. I counted the money that was flung at me; it amounted to $500. I was grateful for the kindness of the Gianttooth pack members, but the money didn't matter much when I was caught in the rain. I ran around the streets aimlessly, looking for shelter.

As I was walking down the road, lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt a sharp tug on my arm. Before I could react, a group of thugs appeared out of nowhere, surrounding me on all sides. I tried to back away, but they were too quick for me.

"Hand over all your money, now!" one of them barked, his face contorted with anger.

I pleaded with them, telling them that I was pregnant and had nowhere to go. "Please, I beg of you, have mercy!" I cried out, hoping that they would take pity on me. But they didn't care about my plight and snatched my money from my hand anyway.

Tears streamed down my face as they left me alone in the pouring rain, penniless and scared. I tried to find shelter, but all the buildings were either locked or abandoned. Finally, I spotted an old, decrepit house with a broken window. I went inside, hoping to find some respite from the rain, but the roof was leaking and the floor was dirty.

“Mind link with Alpha Ryder and tell him where you are,” Lexa urged me, but I hesitated. I didn't want to be a burden to him, especially not after what had happened at his house.

As I lay there, drenched to the bone, with my pregnant belly pressing against the hard ground, I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I was all alone, with no one to turn to.

***

The next day,

The sound of droplets falling from the roof of the abandoned house chilled me to the bone. Shivering uncontrollably, I struggled to get up, but my weak body refused to cooperate. It was clear that the cold from last night's rain had seeped through my clothes and into my bones.

Then I heard Ryder's voice in my head. He was worried about me, even though I wasn't his mate.

"Zelda, can you hear me? I've been up all night looking for you. Just tell me, are you okay?" I couldn't help but marvel at how much he cared about me, even though he didn't even know me.

"Zelda! Zelda! Please answer me! I need to know if you're fine." I tried my best not to answer his calls, even though I was dying.

"Answer his calls, you naive bitch!" Lexa insulted me, but I ignored her.

I continued shivering and breathing quickly, trying to remember the road signs from the last place I had been. Finally, I replied to Ryder, trying to explain that Apollo had abandoned me.

"I... I'm…in... a..." But the words wouldn't come out right, and I couldn't make him understand.

"Zelda, are you okay?" Ryder asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I'm not okay," I managed to say before passing out.

I was barely conscious and shivering in the abandoned house. The cold was seeping into my bones, making it difficult to move. Suddenly, a figure ran towards me, taking off their jacket. As they got closer, I realized it was Ryder. He lifted me up in his arms and cursed under his breath.

"Apollo is a fool for leaving a pregnant woman like you out here," he muttered.

He whispered to me, "Don't worry, I'm here now. Everything is going to be okay. I'll protect you and won't let Apollo harm a hair on your head." Despite his kind words, I knew he was with his crazy bride. But at that moment, I felt a warmth that I hadn't felt in a long time.

Ryder ran out of the house with me. "Please look at me," he begged. "Don't close your eyes." As he carried me to his car, I could barely stay conscious. I sensed Apollo's presence and saw a shadow in the side mirror, but when I turned to look, there was no one there.

Ryder placed me in the back seat of the car and then went to the driver's seat. I could hear him muttering to himself about how he was going to kill Apollo, even though Apollo was stronger than him.

As we drove away, I tried to take in my surroundings, but my vision was blurry. The only thing I could see clearly was Ryder's face, his jaw clenched in anger and determination. He was nothing like his friend, and from that moment, I knew he was my only hope.

I couldn't help but think about how much my life had changed in just one night. I went from being a pregnant woman with a home and a mate to a vulnerable and frightened individual with nowhere to go.