The Omega's Quest

12. Hard Truth

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I cannot talk to him?" Oscar was muddled. He did not come all the way there to just sit on someone else’s couch. Jason was supposed to be his lifeline, and without him, he had no one else to run into. Did he drag Elliot to his problem only to get himself killed? He hoped not.

George looked paler than before. "Well, how should I put this? Jason has been missing for a month now. I have been over to his old place, and his dad's pack is also looking for him." The alpha shed a tear, but quickly wiped it off.

Oscar stood up and began to pace back and forth in the living room. "This can't be happening!" he blurted out. "See this? No one answered my query. Everyone in this group is gone, and Jason seemed to have logged in some time ago." He pushed his phone to George’s face.

"This is irrelevant. I think he has been kidnapped." George looked around before saying the last word. "I have not told my pack yet. I just told them that Jason was on vacation. Ivan was supposed to help me look for him."

Oscar gave Ivan a nasty glare, but then changed his expression to something softer when he turned back to George.

"We guessed that the group moderators had not approved any posts for a month now. However, you also made a valid point. It wasn’t like Jason to run away." Elliot was calm and composed when he spoke, unlike the three of them. Instead of panicking, he chose to be rational.

"Jason walked out on me once, after a fight. Did you guys get into a fight?" Oscar was channelling his inner detective. In his head, he could imagine George sitting on a table with a dangling bulb above him. He pressed the alpha for more details. George might be Jason's husband, but that did not mean that he could be trusted easily.

"We did not. He just said that he would buy something in town. The next thing I knew, his car was towed. His phone kept on ringing at first, but now, it’s unreachable." George slumped on the couch. He even let the toddler go. He looked melancholic. However, not telling his pack about it did not sit well with Oscar.

"I called his phone a few days ago. It rang, but no one answered. Is this still his number?" He showed the number he called.

George nodded. It was confirmed that they have the same details. The only difference was the day they noticed Jason was missing. There were a lot of loose ends.

"Does Jason have an enemy?" Ivan asked. He had a squeaky voice and was shaky. It almost seemed like he was nervous.

Oscar looked at Ivan and then at George. He was waiting for someone to answer the question.

"I do not know anyone. Elliot, did he tell you anything?" George looked so unsure when he turned to Elliot. Given that his husband was friends with Oscar and Elliot before him, he hoped that the two could give him clues.

"I know a few from UOFC, but that was way back. I am not sure if they would even bother him now. Does he receive his monthly stipend?" Elliot had to ask.

"Jason regularly receives a newsletter along with his stipend. I do not get your point on this. It was usually sent via his phone." George scratched his head. He was now holding the toddler's hand so it wouldn't run off.

That was when Ivan took over the discussion. He pointed out things that were inconsistent with George's observations as well as the last time he saw Jason. Instead of interrogating pack members, Ivan suggested reviewing the footage of the surveillance cameras. By the time they got the files, it was almost dinner time.

"I will sift through this tonight. I just wish there was a faster way." Ivan slouched as he sat on an office chair while working on the videos.

George patted his shoulders. "Thank you for helping me out, man."

"Anything for you and Jason. He saved my life once. Let me repay the favour." Ivan was smiling as he said those words.

"How can I help?" Oscar asked the two men. Sitting idly while waiting for an answer made him giddy. It would have been preferable if he had had something to do instead of just breathing there.

"Thanks, Oscar. It would be nice if my children could hear stories about you and Jason while you were still in UOFC. He usually tells them those at bedtime." George’s eyes were pleading. It was as if he could not take another day doing all the parenting without breaking down.

"I can do that. I do have one request, though." Oscar paused for a bit and gathered all his courage. He was vulnerable at the moment, and he needed help. Elliot knew about his situation, but he had kept quiet since they arrived. They had nowhere to go for the night.

"Can we stay here? I know it is a lot to ask, but we don’t have a place booked in town. I was hoping Jason was here. It would have been easier to ask." There he finally said it. He was so embarrassed while talking that his whole face was red. Could anyone imagine a billionaire like him begging for free lodging? This was the first time he did this, and certainly, he wanted to hide behind the chair in shame.

He had the money, but it was connected to Byron’s account. He couldn’t use it, as it would give away his location. He just wanted a good rest, even for one night. That was all he was asking for.

"You are welcome to stay here as long as you want. Any friend of Jason's is a friend of mine." George accepted his request immediately. He even hugged him and Elliot.

"Elliot, can you show him the guest room? I believe you are familiar with our home already," the alpha spoke softly, wiping his tears as he looked at Elliot.

Oscar surely missed out on a lot of things in five years. Jason already had a family, and Elliot became part of it as well. While in his case, he lost his family as he shunned himself. Nurtured by fear and doubt, he cast himself away from everyone he loved.

"Sure, I can do that. Thank you, George." Elliot smiled at him, then back at George.

Oscar was afraid that Byron might come for him during the wee hours. Thus, he checked his phone. Relief flooded him upon seeing his inbox empty.

"Before I forget, I have contacted Alpha Byron. I stated that you are in my care.If he wants to take you back, he needs to come here and talk to you," George whispered the words, but Oscar heard them loud and clear.

He panicked at the mention of his husband’s name. "He would be fetching me for sure. If I refuse to go with him, can I join your pack?" He was desperate to get away from his ex-husband, and abandoning his position to be a member of another pack sounded better.

"Let’s talk about that tomorrow. I want to know the details first. I do not want to meddle with another pack's issues. More so, a couple's." George was level-headed, and Oscar easily sensed that.

"I will protect you," Ivan butted in, and Oscar’s eyes grew larger from his mate's reaction. He doubted Ivan’s fighting skills, not because Ivan was skinny, but because he knew Byron. Byron was a gym junkie, and he trained daily. He was obsessed with being the best fighter.

"You? Tsk! You won’t last a minute against him," Oscar said. It was not his intention to belittle Ivan, but it sounded like he did. There was no walking back for him, even if Ivan was his mate.

He wanted nothing from Ivan. If only he could update his relationship status to ‘tired’, he would gladly tell the world how toxic his last relationship was. He wasn’t looking for another. He had already had enough heartbreak.