AN OMEGA'S CYCLE: TRAPPED IN HEAT WITH MY FOUR STEPBROTHERS.

ELIJAH’S POV

We spent the night at the hospital, and by morning, nobody had managed to get any proper rest.

I had barely left the chair beside the bed where Nicholas’s mother was lying, and even when I closed my eyes for a few minutes, I couldn’t stop thinking about Nicholas.

His mum was here in a critical condition, and all I could think about was bringing Nicholas back.

Cassian had said it wasn’t my fault. But I couldn’t help thinking about it. I had been the one to set off these chain of events. I hadn’t been able to control the situation, and Nicholas had felt like he couldn’t trust me anymore.

And now, our father knew Nicholas was an Omega, even though he hadn’t said anything about it. The principal and nurse and god knows who else also knew about it. And Nicholas was missing.

And to top it all off, his mum was in the hospital.

Oh shit.

The doctor eventually came into the VIP ward with a nurse and gave us an update. Nicholas’s mother had responded well to treatment during the night, her condition had stabilized and she was no longer in the immediate state of concern she’d been in when we brought her in.

I listened carefully while the doctor explained everything, but the relief I felt was overshadowed by the fact that Nicholas was still missing.

"She’s doing considerably better this morning," the doctor said, checking the chart before looking toward our father. "Her vital signs have improved, and although she’s still weak, we’re satisfied with how she’s responding. The biggest concern now is allowing her to rest and keeping her calm when she wakes up."

Our father nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate everything you’ve done."

The doctor gave a polite smile, but he looked uncomfortable and our father noticed immediately. "Is there something else?"

The doctor hesitated before answering. "There is something I think you should know. We have tried to keep her admission private, as you requested, but I’m afraid the information has already spread."

"What information?" Roman asked.

The doctor swallowed. "The fact that she was brought here unconscious. Someone outside the hospital apparently recognized the family when you arrived. There are already rumors circulating online, and I believe a reporter has published something about it."

The room went silent and our father stared at him.. "You assured me this would remain discreet."

"I know, sir. We did everything we could, but the hospital entrance is visible from the road, and there were people outside when you arrived. I’m sorry." The man quickly bowed.

You have to be kidding me.

Our father didn’t respond immediately. He simply looked toward the television mounted on the wall. "Turn it on."

Adrian reached for the remote.

The television came to life, and within seconds we were looking at a news report discussing an unidentified woman who had been rushed into a private hospital during the night. The reporter was already speculating about the circumstances, and footage from outside the hospital showed our father’s car arriving. Then the screen changed.

CCTV footage appeared and it showed us bringing Nicholas’s mother into the hospital.

I stared at the screen in disbelief. "They actually got that?"

The doctor looked embarrassed. "I’m afraid so."

Our father remained silent for several seconds before finally turning toward him. "Thank you for informing me."

The doctor nodded quickly. "Again, I’m very sorry."

"Just make sure nothing else leaves this hospital." My father warned.

"Of course." The doctor left with the nurse, and the door closed behind them.

Nobody spoke for a moment. Then our father turned toward us. "From this moment forward, there will be no more secrets between you and me concerning Nicholas."

I looked at him without saying anything.

He continued, his expression completely serious. "I don’t care what you thought you were protecting me from, and I don’t care how uncomfortable the information is. If you know something about Nicholas, you tell me. If you discover something about his disappearance, you tell me. If one of you remembers something you previously considered insignificant, you tell me immediately. I will not find out about my son’s situation through a doctor, a reporter or one of you accidentally mentioning something at the dinner table."

None of us argued and Cassian was the first to speak. "Then what’s the plan?"

Our father looked at him. "Finding Nicholas obviously."

"How? We’ve been searching since yesterday." Adrian spoke up.

"I know," Cassian replied. "But we’ve reached the point where we need more resources. We’ve checked the cameras around the school, Jayden’s house and the surrounding roads. We have a possible suspect, but we don’t know where he is, and we don’t know where Nicholas has been taken."

I nodded. "We should involve the police."

Our father looked at me.

"I think we should," I said. "Nicholas has been missing for too long. There’s evidence of stalking, the poisoned medication, the disappearance and a possible suspect. We can’t keep treating this like something we can solve ourselves."

He considered my words before reaching for his phone.. "You’re right about one thing. We need more people."

I expected him to call the police station, but instead he made another call and spoke briefly before ending it.

A few minutes later, two officers arrived.

They were not ordinary patrol officers. The moment they entered the room, their posture and demeanor made that obvious. Our father introduced them briefly and explained what had happened, then gave them everything we had discovered so far. He told them about Nicholas’s disappearance, the stalking, the poisoned medication, the suspicious purchase and Jayden.

"I want him found," our father said firmly. "And I want Nicholas found first. Whoever has him may be dangerous, so you will treat this as a serious abduction. Do not wait for more evidence before following a lead. If something points toward Jayden, investigate it."

The officers nodded. "Understood, sir." They left shortly afterward to begin the search.

I watched them disappear down the hallway and felt the smallest amount of relief I’d felt since Nicholas vanished. At least we weren’t searching blindly anymore. There were now people whose entire job was to find him, and maybe that would finally lead us somewhere.

Before I could say anything, I heard movement behind me.

Nicholas’s mother was awake.

She looked confused at first, then her eyes immediately landed on the empty space around her. "Nicholas." She tried to sit up.

"Mom, wait." I tried to rush to her.

She ignored me, pulled the IV from her arm and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I have to find my son."

Adrian moved toward her immediately. "Please, you need to stay in bed."

"I don’t care." She pushed herself upright, but she was still weak and almost lost her balance. Adrian caught her before she fell. "Let me go."

He shook his head. "We’re not going to let you leave like this."

"My son is missing." Her voice broke.

"I know." Adrian tried to assure her.

"No, you don’t." She tried to pull away from him, tears already running down her face.. "I have to find him. Nobody knows where he is. He’s somewhere alone, and he’s probably frightened, and I’m here lying in a hospital bed."

Adrian held onto her carefully. "We’re going to find him."

"Then take me with you." She begged, tears streaming down her face.

"You need to rest." Adrian tried to pull her.

"I don’t need rest. I need my son." Her words broke completely at the end, and she buried her face against Adrian’s chest.

I stood there watching them, unable to say anything.

She kept crying, gripping Adrian’s clothes as though she was afraid everyone would leave her behind.

"Please," she whispered. "Please find him. I don’t care what you have to do. Just bring Nicholas home."

Adrian held her tighter. "We will."

She looked at all of us through her tears. "Promise me."

Our father stepped closer, looking exasperated. "We’ll bring him home."

She nodded weakly, still crying against Adrian and I looked toward the window.

Now what?

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