It's June and Manhattan was burning in the sun. Humid air layered over the city and carried the smell of gas and coffee grounds. Louis spends the day walking around the city, basking in the sunshine and catching the eyes of strangers. It is a little after twelve when Louis walks into the tiny clinic on a busy street.

There's a clean scent wafting in the air, the white of the walls and floor is blinding with the bright lights. Several people sit in the waiting room, an Omega with a small child on her lap. She has her eyes closed and sways lightly with a solemn expression on her face. There are two Alphas, both reading the newspaper with a matching furrow in their brows.

"Tamera," Louis addresses the smartly dressed Beta at the front desk. "How are you?"

"Louis," the woman greets with a tip of her glasses. Her red lips stretch into a polite smile. "I'm well, how are you?"

"Just here for my usual package." His words are vague for any eavesdroppers. He leans on the counter and nods towards the hallway. "Dr. Conroy in today?"

The colour of Tamera's face pales, her lips turn down and she gulps nervously. "Of course, he's waiting for you." There's a mysterious fear in her eyes, Louis ignores it in favour of going down the hall.

The lights bounce off the light yellow walls. His feet click off the linoleum floor as he passes the shut doors with each corresponding doctor's name. When reaching the last door, he knocks lightly.

"Come in."

Louis steps into the office, Dr. Conroy is sitting by his desk with his glasses on the tip of his nose. His blue eyes soften upon seeing Louis and he stands to greet him with a handshake.

"Back again so soon?" Dr. Conroy has a deep voice laced with a British accent. He sits on his chair again, crossing his arms. "This may become too suspicious if you come more often."

Louis doesn't reply. He understood the stakes the moment he robbed the first Alpha. It was the rush of adrenaline and the satisfaction of finally doing something for society. He was helping the forgotten, the vulnerable omegas of Manhattan. He would rather carry out cruel actions to aid the innocent citizens. He'd rather be guilty of the defenseless than innocent for the wicked.

Dr. Conroy sighs when Louis doesn't speak. He stands and ruffles through one of the lower cabinets. His movements stutter as he hesitates. "You aren't afraid? There have been plenty of investigations around the city. The police watch nightclubs like hawks."

"I'm aware of what I'm getting involved with," Louis replied calmly. His shoulders remain relaxed. "If I don't do it, no one else will."

"It's dangerous, Louis." The Alpha slowly hands over the paper bag. The glass bottles clank together as Louis stuffs it into his jacket.

"I know." The Omega has an emotionless expression on his face. "That's why I do it." Louis walks to the door and twists the knob.

"I only give you these because of what you did for my daughter." Dr. Conroy confesses, though Louis already knew that. "Thank you."

Louis merely nods in acknowledgement. "Does she still carry the taser?"

"Never leaves without it. She's thinking about going back to school and being more careful with her money." Dr. Conroy says. "Staying away from loans, the whole lot."

"As she should," Louis' tone is chopped as he slips through the door.

"This isn't a club." Harry immediately says, eyes widening at the scantily clad man on stage.

"I was thinking, where else can drunk Alphas be promised sex where sex is a central theme." Liam almost sings, leading them to the bar as the music plays loudly. "Welcome to one of the best strip joints in the city."

Harry sits at the bar next to Liam as the latter orders drinks. The man on stage had dark hair and glitter covering most of his torso, his lower half squeezed into a pair of tight shorts. Harry clears his throat, averting his gaze to the crowd. Of course, it was full of Alphas and only a few Betas towards the back.

Harry watches the crowd of hooting men and sips on a drink he doesn't know the name of. Eyes watching the club carefully, searching for anyone suspicious. "You know, I think you might be onto something," Harry admits. "A strip joint is the perfect place to meet horny Alphas, no doubt."

"It's a casino of bodies for the richest in the city," Liam replies, humming around the rim of his glass. "Though, only one of the men spent their night here before they were robbed. Most of them report meeting the suspect at clubs."

"Well, it's darker and louder in a club, more distractions to drug them and remain anonymous." The music cuts and starts up again, signalling a new dancer. Harry pays no mind. "Here, they can trace the identity of the employee. Unless the culprit is also a customer."

Liam runs a hand through his short hair and looks thoughtfully at the curtains leading to the private rooms. "It would be risky for the suspect to find a victim here. Maybe if they get desperate enough, they'll come back."

"You think they would learn," Harry shakes his head as a wealthily dressed Alpha is lead to one of the private rooms. "All of them might as well stay inside every night. But no, they'd rather catch some tail and wake up to an empty bank account."

He peeks at the stage where the bright lights beamed on a different Omega. Harry loses his breath. Those same prominent cheekbones and pink lips, dark blue eyes inviting him in. The Omega grinds on the pole, his body clad in a pair of lace shorts and knee highs. Everything else in the room goes muted, his attention locked on the tanned man swinging about on the shiny silver pole. He watches a wad of cash get thrown on the stage.

A surge of anger hits Harry, his wolf howling in rage as the Omega is shamelessly ogled at by the other men in the joint. His skin and those curves, that same body that Harry had more than a few wet dreams about. It's been over a week, Harry had long forgotten about him because he assumed the Omega had no interest in him. It hurt to believe but Harry could read signals, and the Omega clearly wanted him as well that night at the club.

Liam's voice drawls Harry back in, though he wished for the Omega to meet his eyes. "They're used to getting what they want. They go on vacation in Hawaii every season and live in penthouses and mansions, I'm sure they think life is far too good for anything bad to happen to them." Liam says. "Can't blame the victim, man."

"In other cases, you're correct but in ours," Harry pauses, signalling for another drink, eyes locked on the Omega as he leaves the stage while his earnings as swept up. "All the men who are robbed are rich and entitled, and walk with a stick up their ass. Who knows these Alphas in their personal lives that are hidden from the public, what they do with all that cash. It can't all be good."

"Of course it isn't." Liam agrees. "But that's just a hypothesis. Assuming they're involved in shady businesses."

Harry shrugs. "I guess you're right. There is a trend, all Alphas are bathing in money and flaunt it every chance they get-"

"Is that," Liam's voice trails off as he stares at something behind Harry.

The green-eyed Alpha turns around, almost dropping his glass as he sees Chase Amory waltz in and be ushered to the private rooms. He and Liam are both stunned, jaws on the floor and eyes wide.

"What the hell?" Liam whisper shouts. "Doesn't he have a mate?"

"Had." Harry corrects. "He's been with five Omegas in the past, mated all of them but never got married, so there's no need for a divorce."

"He mated with different Omegas and broke the bonds five times." Liam blinks in disbelief. "Holy fuck, I heard it was painful to break a bond."

Harry nods, taking a long gulp of his drink. "It is." Harry understands Liam's shock. Most people only mate once in their life, others twice but five times was a stretch. "Some people are sent to the hospital." The heartbreak affected the mates emotionally, mentally, and physically. Harry's heard stories of people harming themselves and others after breaking a bond.

"Five times," Liam repeats. "What happened to his ex-mates after they split up?"

Harry goes to answer but quickly realizes he doesn't even know. "Amory keeps them quiet I guess, hush money or something. I assume he wouldn't want the world to know those secrets you share when you're in a relationship."

Both Alphas sit at the bar all night, sipping on drinks and leave past one in the morning, never seeing Chase Amory again or even spotting a potential suspect. While Harry rides in a cab, he deeply regrets chickening out from requesting the Omega for a private dance, but in his defense, he didn't want to be rejected again. His head pressed on the cold glass, he checks his phone. He's been checking it nonstop for over a week. Every time the screen lights up, he's disappointed with the lack of display of an unknown caller. In the back of Harry's mind lingers a curvy blue-eyed Omega whose face was as fresh as ever.

Another report is filed the next day. Another Alpha robbed of his riches and Harry counts that as the fourth report that month. The next week, another man comes in. Harry has grown tired of hanging out in loud clubs trying to find a faceless culprit.

NOTE: the world needs more stripper louis fics. any recs ? thoughts ?