Otabek finds it hard to fathom that he's in a bordering country to his own. For how different it is, it feels more like a different planet. Omegas wander around unchaperoned, and they're allowed to do so. No one harasses them or follows them or encourages them to hurry back to their mates. In fact, many of the ones he spots wandering are completely unmarked and unclaimed entirely.

He's only just exited the plane, making his way to hail a taxi to take to his hotel, and already the culture shock is rather intense. He had been told growing up that omegas wandering freely would be a distraction. That their scents would be too intense and would draw in unwanted attention or trigger ruts in alphas. He feels no draw to the omegas whatsoever. They all smell so calm and relaxed, happy as they go about their daily lives. Allowed to have daily lives outside of the home.

He had even been nervous that such strong omega scents would have an impact on himself, but it doesn't. He can still appreciate that some of them fit what he finds attractive, but there's no uncontrollable draw like he had been led to believe there would be. How much was he lied to growing up for him to believe all of this? To convince an entire nation to believe that omegas had to play the role they do in his home country.

He sits silent through the taxi ride, not much in the mood for small talk with the driver. He gets out, grabs his things, and makes his way to check into the hotel and change into fresh clothes. He was able to get in contact with one of the alphas in the forum he had read through and will be meeting them for dinner. He isn't quite sure what to expect but knows that he's in too deep to just forget about all of this and go back to the life he'd been living previously. Something must change. For Yuri's sake, something must change, and since Yuri won't have the power to change anything himself in the country they currently live in, if that means taking the omega out of it entirely, so be it. He owes him that much after how he's treated him.

It's not only his treatment of the blonde omega that is wrong, though. The entire system has failed Yuri. While claiming to protect the very people it oppresses, it has been a cause of more abuse and death than Otabek can stomach. Not to mention he knows that his omega is actively suffering now, in the care of a man he had once had friendly feelings towards but is now brutalizing and breaking other humans for profit.

He takes a moment to pause his thoughts to remind himself that Yuri isn't his omega. While law might dictate that Yuri is his property, a law he isn't so sure he agrees with anymore, it doesn't mean that the other belongs to him. The beautiful omega may be marked by him, but that means very little when the omega hates him as much as Otabek is convinces he does.

It's about an hour later that he sits outside a rather nice restaurant, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him. He looks up in surprise when a rather flashy sports car pulls up, a black-haired alpha with an undercut getting out. He has several tattoos that are shown off thanks to his sleeveless shirt. Otabek secretly hopes that this asshole looking man isn't the person he's meant to meet with, but when their eyes meet, he knows his dread is correct.

He forces a smile as he stands. "You must be JJ. I'm Otabek. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me."

JJ offers a pearly white smile in return, walking over after handing his keys off to the valet. "It's a pleasure, Otabek!" He reaches his hand out, the two men shaking them before heading inside to get seated. "It's a big step deciding to come here. Especially so spur of the moment. What pushed you to look outside the fishbowl?"

Otabek takes a small breath, taking a sip of water before answering. "I never really thought to challenge how things are. I didn't realize how wrong it all felt until I had an omega of my own. I didn't understand why he would fight things the way he does. I just assumed omegas accepted the system as easily as I did. Yuri doesn't, though. Long story short, he ran away and got caught. The hunter hurt him badly before turning him over to the trainer. I went to school with the trainer, so he called me and let me come over and mark him, because I had put it off, and it was bad. He might drop, and even though he's technically my omega, there's nothing I can do to help him now. I just have to wait. The hunter will get away with what he did, and the trainer is getting paid to break him. I feel powerless and sick over it and I'm sure it's a million times worse for Yuri."

JJ nods throughout the story. It's not an unusual one. He's sure there's pieces missing. If Otabek were as nice a guy as he claims, then he's sure the omega wouldn't have run from him. He's not here to pick apart the story, though. He's here to help. "I was born and raised in the states. I understand the culture. I was a bit older when I finally saved up enough to get an omega, I picked one out. Isabella was and still is everything to me. I was stupid at first, I tried to assert dominance and all that shit they teach you, but none of it worked. I didn't understand why she wasn't as happy to have me as I was to have her. I had to learn a fuck ton of patience, but I put up with it for her. I didn't want to force myself on her. I wanted someone to care for me in the same way I cared for them. If that meant just housing her and keeping her safe, so be it. We became friends after a few months, I left her alone through her heats and gained her trust the proper way, which is a miracle I was able to do it at all considering how rough I was at first. I didn't deserve her trust or her forgiveness. I had to acknowledge that, and I voiced it to her.

"It took about a year for things to develop past a friendship. Another six months and she was pregnant with our first pup. We were happy. Things were good. Until the third doctor's appointment. At that appointment we were told that the doctors had found complications that meant Isabella likely wouldn't survive the pregnancy if she carried to term. They only gave her a 20% shot at survival, and I wasn't willing to take those odds, and she agreed, considering there were many complications with the baby as well that could mean that even if she did carry to full term, our pup likely wouldn't survive. I asked about termination, which isn't allowed even in extreme cases such as ours in the states. I can't say I believe that there's anything pro life about putting a potential mother at risk, but those are the laws in place."

At this point in the conversation their waiter arrives, taking their orders. It gives a much-needed breather from the heaviness of the conversation. Finally, JJ continued, "I couldn't lose her. We didn't want to lose our baby either, but at that point we were already morning their loss. We had to leave the country in order to save Isabella's life, and when we got here, I decided I didn't want to go back. Part of loving someone is having a mutual respect for them. You can't love someone without respecting them and their choices. Moving here meant Isabella would have the option to leave me if she ever chose to. She hasn't, thank god, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about that and worry as we made the decision. We're still together, we foster pups now and have adopted a few, and I found work where I make a decent living to support us all. We're happy here. Isabella is able to go on trips with the kids or with her friends, she's safe and is allowed to do things for herself. Things are good here for us. Really good. We're happy, in love, and have a beautiful family. It was the best decision we ever made."

As their food arrives, Otabek picks at his plate, finding it hard to stomach food as he thinks about this. "Yuri won't stay with me. If I move us here, he'll leave me. I wasn't kind. I try to tell myself that I was nicer than others would have been, but that doesn't justify the bad. He'll leave me and I'll never see him again."

JJ nods, having expected as much. "Would you really rather keep someone who doesn't want to be around you? That won't right any wrongs you've done by him. The greatest gift you can give him is freedom. You seem like a smart guy. Can you really say what you feel for him now is love? If you wish to keep him in a cage for his whole life, can you really call that love?" His tone is gentle but his words are not. He's made these same mistakes in the past.

Otabek shakes his head. "No, I don't know him. You can't love someone you don't know. It's probably closer to infatuation if I'm being honest. There's the draw to him from having claimed and bound him to me, but to have such selfish thoughts when it's his life on his line, I can't say it's real love. I know it'll be better for him to bring him here. To free him from the collar society puts on omegas in the states, but that doesn't make it any easier."

JJ eats his food, finding his appetite is completely intact. "No, it doesn't make it any easier, but it sounds like you've made the decision that will be best for both of you in the end. There's good in that. Good can come from this even if it isn't the ending you want. There's something to admire in someone who chooses to educate themselves and act on that new information. A life you may not be a part of is still worth saving."

Otabek nods, setting his fork down. "It doesn't feel like enough. Yuri will be saved but how many others will still be left suffering."

JJ smiles softly, a knowing look in his eye. "It rarely does. If you're serious about that, let me know. I may have a way you can help further."

Otabek raises an eyebrow, rather confused by the sudden turn. "I'm listening."