The moment Remy entered his room he slammed the door behind him. He ripped the tie from around his neck, and shrugged off his jacket, growling when he thought about Erin sneaking into his storage and stealing his possessions. When his wife died he’d made sure all traces of her were purged from the condo. Pictures, love notes, clothes. He even kept her wedding ring stored away in his—

Remy raced to his closet and cleared the storage space above. If Erin was sneaky enough to raid his storage, who's to say he wouldn’t steal his wife’s ring too?

He finally found the wooden jewelry box, hidden under a pile of paperwork. Remy opened the lid, and sifted through, double checking the contents. There, amongst the garter his wife wore on their wedding day, Annalee’s first sonogram, and his first pair of pilot wings, was his wife’s ring; a shimmering pear-shaped diamond set in white gold. It was as sturdy as the day he’d bought it, but Remy picked it up delicately nonetheless.

Two halves of one soul…

Remy read the inscription on the band and grimaced. When he was younger, he’d heard his father often speak about finding the one. The other half of your soul. The Omega who physically, mentally, and spiritually suited you.

Your fated mate.

Of course, as Remy grew, he rejected his father’s words as a myth. There was no such thing as fated mates. It was an illusion. A fantasy.

And then Remy met Rosie.

She was the spark to his flame, and the light to his darkness. A day that was gloomy turned bright. She illuminated every part of him with her smile and warmth, and Remy loved her with every part of himself.

Remy swallowed and clenched his hand around the ring.

That’s over you fool. Done with.

He placed the ring back in the back and shut the box tightly. His wife was gone, and no matter how long he held on to her memory, he couldn’t bring her back.

HOURS ticked by, but Remy couldn’t find sleep. When he’d fed Annalee earlier, he noticed the kitchen and living room were once again back to normal. Erin had even made he and Annalee’s dinner plates, and left a note for Annalee apologizing for not joining them.

Remy sighed and bunched the pillow in his fist, fighting the image of Erin’s smiling face. He wasn’t used to an Omega like Erin. Rosie had her enigmatic moments, but Erin confounded him. He was beauty without vanity, and innocence without deception. He had poise, and yet, he was an oddity among the graceful.

Then again...

He was also impulsive and unfocused. He was loud and disorderly. Erin snuck into the storage without his permission. He had every right to be mad!

And yet…

When Remy closed his eyes he saw Erin’s depleted face, shimmering with tears. He wanted to embrace him, to gentle away the hurt and pain Remy caused.

Protect him.

Remy, covered his head with his pillow, ignoring the voice and trying to sleep once more. Just as he was drifting into limbo Annalee yelled, “PAPA!”

Remy practically fell out of the bed when he heard Annalee screech from the hallway.

“PAPA! PAPA!”

Remy quickly recovered himself and rushed to see what was wrong.

“What is it?” He met her on the stairs, crying and babbling incoherently. He scooped her in his arms and carried her upstairs to his room.

“Annalee.” He sat her on the bed and tried to get a sensible word from her. “I can’t understand you, darling. Please.” He wiped the tears that seemed to leak from her eyes. “Breathe and tell me what’s wrong?”

“My—” Annalee sobbed through her hitching breaths. “My picture. Of Mommy! It’s gone!” she cried. “I had it on the table. And it’s—it’s gone!”

“Your picture?” Remy frowned at her. Surely she couldn’t be talking about the picture he took from the frame.

“It was of me, and mommy, and you, Papa. And—and I was a baby. And Erin said I looked like mommy. But can’t—” She could barely contain herself through her bawling. “I can’t find it, Papa.”

“Shhh…” Remy tried to calm her once more. Was this what Erin was trying to explain to him earlier? “Where did you get the picture, Annalee?”

“Erin gave it to me,” she told him.

“You asked him for it?”

Annalee shook her head against Remy’s chest. “I was sad, because Hannah said I didn’t have a mommy, and Erin said—” she clung to Remy’s arm, hiding her face. “Erin said that if I had my picture of mommy that I could look at it when I was sad. You and Erin yelled at each other. And Erin didn’t come to say goodnight or read me a story. And that made me sad, too. I don’t want you and Erin to fight, Papa.”

In thirty-six years, Remy couldn’t remember feeling so guilt-ridden. He’d yelled at Erin. Ridiculed him. Fired him and ordered him out…

All because he told the truth.

And all while he was trying to help Annalee cope with the loss of her mother.

“Do you hate Erin, Papa?” Annalee suddenly asked through her tears.

“Of course, not.” Remy shook his head firmly, swallowing the knot of guilt in his throat. The fact that Annalee even thought he might hate Erin spoke volumes regarding their interaction.

“Then why did you yell at him?” She sniffed and looked up at Remy with reddened eyes. “How come you said all those mean things to him?”

Remy sighed and shook his head, wishing he’d asked Erin why he took the picture to begin with. “I was angry,” Remy answered quietly. “It upset me because Erin didn’t follow my rules while I was away, but…”

But Erin was right. Annalee was happy, smiling brighter than he’d ever seen her, and now she was crying her eyes out. Because of him.

“Annalee.”

“Yes, Papa?”

“Will you please go and get Erin. I have something I want to say. To both of you.”

“Okay.” Annalee hopped off the bed and skipped to Erin’s room. Remy stood up and paced his room once more, but this time, he wasn’t angry, he was terrified. Facing Erin after he’d said such hurtful things…

Remy stood tall and resolved himself. He would apologize and ask the Omega to stay. Annalee needed Erin. And he was willing to do whatever it took to keep him. Even beg if it was necessary.

“Papa!” Remy heard Annalee call from the hallway. “Erin’s gone!”

“Gone?” Remy’s eyes widened as he ran to Erin’s room. He couldn’t have left. Not at this hour. But as he swung the door open and flicked on the light, calling Erin’s name, the truth became clear.

“Annalee. Stay here!” Remy rushed down the stairs and grabbed his coat. He pulled it over his Navy t-shirt and wool pajama pants, and slipped on his jogging sneakers. Perhaps if Erin just left, he could catch him on his way.

Remy sprinted through the atrium and grabbed the first bellman he saw. “Did you see him?” Remy panted out. “Did you see Erin leave this way?”

“Sir?” the boy frowned.

“Erin!” Remy repeated, ignoring the boy’s wince. “He’s blond! Pretty! An Omega!”

“I saw him, Sir,” another called to Remy. This one was older, but still new enough that Remy didn’t recognize him. “He left about an hour ago.”

“Where?” Remy demanded.

“He uhhh, said he was going to his sisters,” he answered nervously.

“Fine.” Remy smoothed the dark hair from his face and walked toward the valet stand. “Call the cab company. I want them to track which house they dropped him to.” It wasn’t standard procedure, but considering Erin was an Omega, arguably under Remy’s care, he could talk them into giving him the information.

“Sorry, Sir. But he didn’t take a cab.”

“What?” Remy looked up and walked toward the valet. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “what do you mean he didn’t take a cab?”

“He insisted on riding the train, Sir.”

“You let an Omega ride the train alone at twelve at night?” Remy roared, reaching out and bunching the valet’s collar around his neck.

“I tried to talk him out of it!” The Valet sputtered and held his hands up in surrender. “But he was adamant! He said he didn’t want his sister in traffic! And it would cost him too much in a cab!”

“And did he happen to say which train he was catching?!”

“No…” The Valet shook his head. When Remy growled the Valet added, “but he was walking toward the 1 train, Sir.”

“Where?” Remy ordered.

“Four blocks east!”

“My daughter is in our apartment alone," Remy informed the Valet, commanding him without pretense. "Go guard the door until I get back.”

“Yes, Sir.” The valet nodded firmly. Remy released the Valet and took off down the street without another word.