CHAPTER SEVEN: THE SHAMELESS REQUEST

The person in the car stepped out, revealing himself to be Ryder. He was holding Zelda's bag, the one I didn't let her take with her. I had hoped she would beg me to take her back, but now I couldn't care less about her.

"Ryder, what the fuck are you doing here?" I asked impatiently.

We faced each other in the middle of the road, our anger simmering. I could sense that Ryder was looking for a fight, but I knew I was stronger than him, so I tried to reason with him.

"What are you doing here, Ryder?" I asked calmly.

He stepped forward, his fists clenched at his sides. "Where is she, Apollo?" he growled.

I held up my hand to try and placate him. "She's safe," I said. "I put her in a hotel."

Ryder narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" he demanded.

I shrugged. "Believe what you want," I said. "But it's true. I bought her everything she needs so she doesn't need that bag you're holding."

Ryder looked down at the bag in his hand, then back up at me. "You're a heartless bastard, you know that?" he spat. "That lady is pregnant!"

I just shrugged. "It's my job to take care of my mate," I said. "Not yours. You have a bride to think about."

Ryder took a step forward, still clenching his fists. "I don't believe you," he said, his voice low and dangerous. I paused as my right-hand man and soon-to-be beta communicated with me through the mind link, then returned my focus to Ryder.

I sighed. "Look, Ryder, I don't have time for this," I said. "I have to meet up with Seth. He's waiting for me at the local strip club."

Ryder's eyes widened. "Why would I follow you to a strip club?" he asked.

I just shrugged. "Because I believe you want to know which hotel Zelda is at," I said.

Ryder shook his head. "You're a monster," he said. "A heartless, selfish monster."

I just smiled. "You're damn right," I said. "Now, are you coming or not?"

Ryder glared at me for a moment longer, then turned and headed back to his car. I got into my own car and started the engine, waiting for him to follow me. As we drove off down the road, I couldn't help feeling satisfied. I might be a heartless monster, but I was doing what I had to do.

***

The strip club was dimly lit, with neon lights casting a glow on the stage where a scantily-clad stripper danced to the music. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, alcohol, and sex. Ryder and I walked in, and the other pack members made way for us.

Ryder seemed lost in thought as we settled at the VIP bar. The bartender brought a lot of drinks to our table, and I took a sip, urging Ryder to do the same.

"You seem unusually cheerful," Ryder remarked. "Considering you've been sad since the death of Matilda, and you barely utter a word when you visit me to drink."

I shrugged. "I've moved on, but my wolf hasn't. He's weak and pathetic."

I took another sip of my drink, feeling the alcohol burn down my throat. "I've become one with my demon, even if it means killing whores every night to tame my wolf."

Ryder shook his head. "You're heartless, Apollo. You've always been cold, but now you're just...inhuman."

Ignoring him, I turned my attention to a beautiful blonde stripper who had just approached us. She tried to touch Ryder, but he ignored her.

I took my chances and let her sit on my lap. As I leaned in to kiss her, I couldn't help but appreciate the curves of her body. Her hips fit perfectly against mine, and her skin was soft under my touch. My hands explored her body, running up and down her sides, tracing the outlines of her breasts. I was lost in the moment until I heard Seth's voice calling out to us. Despite the interruption, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the time I had with her and the way she made me feel alive.

"Took you long enough," I said, irritated.

Seth wasn't alone. He had brought Zelda's father with him, who looked like a street beggar. I was surprised to see him there.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I have a proposition for you," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"I need your help. I need money to start a business I've been planning."

I motioned for the stripper on my lap to leave us alone while I sorted things out. I could see the fear in Mr. Macdonald's eyes as I scattered the bottles on the table with my feet, grabbing the attention of everyone in the strip club.

Ryder tried to calm me down. "Come on, dude. Don't be overdramatic."

I ignored him and turned to Mr. Macdonald. "What do you want?"

"I want to start my own business," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I need money to make it happen."

I looked at him with disdain. "And you think I'm just going to give it to you?"

He shuffled his feet nervously. "I chased my own daughter out of my house to please you. Now I need your help. Please don't neglect me."

I was disgusted by the shameless old man. "Beg properly," I said, my voice cold.

He hesitated for a moment before getting down on his knees, ignoring the broken bottles and spilled alcohol on the floor. "Please, Alpha Apollo. I beg of you. I need this money."

I looked down at him, feeling a sense of power wash over me. "Even if you licked the floor, I wouldn't give you a dime."

Seth stepped forward. "You don't have to do this, Mr. Macdonald. This isn't worth it."

I warned him to stay out of it and turned back to Mr. Macdonald. "You're greedy. You couldn't even stand by your daughter when she needed you the most because of money."

Tears filled Mr. Macdonald's eyes, but I didn't care. I stood up from my seat, ready to leave. "Take him out of here, Seth, and don't bring me to places like this again."

As Seth escorted Mr. Macdonald out of the strip club, I turned around to see that Ryder was nowhere to be found. He must have gone home or gone to look for Zelda.

"Fuck!" I cursed under my breath, It was going to be a long night.