Page 14 of Red River (Eden’s Omegaverse #4)

I was completely lost in this love-dazed trance for what seemed like an hour of pure bliss and delight, only snapping back when I realized I was still lying on my back, Archer above me, while the sky drifted overhead—light, high, and crystal clear. The sun was much lower on the horizon now. I lifted my eyes to it and whispered,

"Thank you, Fate… thank you for this."

Archer smiled softly, then reached out and plucked a nearby wildflower, tucking it behind my ear. I laughed, remembering that marigold he had once given me.

"Do you have a thing for flowers with fiery colors? Ever since you gave me that marigold back then—"

"I have a thing for one man with fiery hair. All the other red things are just… ornaments for you."

"You always know what a man needs to hear," I winked.

"This just suits the moment," he murmured, his voice low and warm. Then, with a smirk, he plucked the heads off a dozen more flowers and scattered them through my hair.

"Now you look like a red prince," he teased, his eyes gleaming mischievously.

But he didn’t stop there. He kept adding more, carefully tucking and arranging them in my hair. And in that moment, I really felt it—I was his. His priceless treasure, his most precious gem in the world…

…until he ruined part of this magic by suddenly saying, "We have to take a selfie! You look incredible."

"I didn’t know this side of you—so you are just young and modern, after all?" I joked as he pulled out his phone and snapped a pic from above. Then he showed it to me.

Oh wow, it turned out amazing. My hair was spread out in all directions, and the flowers looked almost unreal in it—like something straight out of a fairytale. I grinned.

"Yeah… actually, that’s a pretty cool picture. Titled: An omega thoroughly fucked. "

Archer burst out laughing, then kissed me—deeply and possessively.

When he pulled back, I narrowed my eyes. "Well, since we have a phone now… we could look it up—"

"C’mon! Can’t you just enjoy the moment instead of analyzing everything to death?" He rolled his eyes, but when he saw my pouting expression, he smirked. "Fine, go ahead. I can see it’s eating you alive."

I scrolled quickly through the articles on my phone.

Frowning, I read in silence while Archer watched me intently. I felt him… in that strange, almost tangible way I had sensed before but kept pushing aside. Now, I finally understood what it was—why I could pick up on his emotions even when his face gave nothing away.

But now it was like we were connected by an even thicker, invisible current, and I could feel him more than ever.

Excitement. Hunger. A deep, restless yearning.

Slowly, I looked away from the screen and met his gaze.

"I can feel you now," I murmured. "Your emotions."

Archer’s lips quirked slightly. "Me too. It’s been happening for a while now… building up. But now—"

"They say True Mates share this… ‘Bond’ that’s almost telepathic," I added. "It lets them sense each other’s state of mind… even some thoughts during sex."

"Yeah, I heard. It’s called Emotional Telepathy—or just empathy for short. The word’s basically been hijacked for this specific use," Archer said, tilting his head.

Then his eyes fixed on my face. "You found something."

I grinned. "Oh yeah, I did. And you can see it in my mind!"

Turning the screen toward him, I read aloud.

"If True Mates meet before both of their glands are fully matured, they won’t recognize each other. The Pull won’t activate—at least, not in 99% of cases. They’ll feel a strong connection, but they can separate and live apart, even though something will always draw them back together." I tapped the screen for more. "There’s a case here about two kids who met in preschool. Their families moved to opposite sides of the state, but the boys kept in touch online because they… had to. The urge. And then, when they met again as teens, once their glands matured, they realized they were True Mates all along."

Archer listened in silence for a moment. Then he let out a breath. "That explains so much… I never forgot about you."

"Neither did I," I admitted, my voice softening. "I wanted to see you again, but Thomas—"

"I know," Archer sighed. "He had me trapped too. The thought that I’d ruin your family… that I’d hurt your kids—"

A wave of emotions surged through me. I exhaled slowly, then reached out, brushing my fingers against his cheek.

"Fate brought us back together," I whispered. "And I feel… relieved. You know why?"

Archer’s lips twitched. "Because of the kiss?"

I laughed, shaking a playful finger at him. "You read my mind again, didn’t you?!"

"Sort of." He leaned in and planted a kiss on the sensitive skin of my freshly bitten gland. I shivered, but then he pulled back with a slight frown, once again seeming to read me.

"That first kiss… I still don’t feel great about it," I muttered. "I don’t want to give myself a pass for it, because of the TM thing."

Archer rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. "At least now we know there was something bigger behind it."

"Yeah."

"Another thing… I’ll finally be free of suppressants."

A thrill pierced me. He was right!

His Allure scent would be back—we’d be known, recognized by everyone as a mated pair. That thought sent another jolt of satisfaction through me. I hadn’t been mated for years—not since Thomas’s mark had started to fade after Lake was born, and I felt very… single because of it.

But the moment I thought about how others would perceive us now, a realization struck me.

"Archer… it’s time to break the news to someone who’s going to be shocked," I finished, grinning.

Archer smirked. "I already know who."

"Sam!"

"Yes, Sam!" I throw out triumphantly.

We both burst out laughing.

Oh yeah, I was probably being a jerk now, but there was a deep satisfaction in knowing how powerful this news was—how it would ripple through our family.

All of Sam’s doubts and anger suddenly seemed misplaced. Maybe it was petty, but I just grinned. In a way, I had my villain-redemption arc. Fate was pulling the strings here.

But just as I went to press Call , a message notification popped up.

I frowned. "It’s from Oliver."

Archer leaned over to glance at the screen.

"Please, come back quickly."

We exchanged looks. Then, in unison, we sat up. Archer grabbed my hand, steadying it when he noticed the faint tremor in my fingers.

"Easy," he murmured. "Whatever it is, we’ll handle it."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I know. I trust you one hundred percent."

He only nodded back.

Within three minutes, we were packed and back on the pontoon.

I tucked my phone away, staring at the shoreline ahead, but it looked empty. My heart was pounding, though I made an effort to stop myself from over-worrying.

The second I stepped onto the sand, I saw Oliver rushing toward us from the house.

And the look on his face told me—whatever this was, it was big.

"Hurry up," he breathed out. "Some guys showed up a while ago—they want to talk to you."

I stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Who are they?" Archer asked before I could choke out a word.

Oliver hesitated. "I think they’re… safety enforcers."

My stomach dropped. I felt the blood drain from my face, and I wobbled slightly.

Then I glanced at Archer. He furrowed his brows slightly before turning and heading straight for the house without a word. I ran after him, my gut twisting.

Was there ever going to be an end to our problems?

Inside the living room, Van and Igor sat on the couch. Igor looked pale and tense. Across from them were two men—one alpha, one omega, both middle-aged and dressed like government agents in sharp suits, their expressions official and unreadable.

The moment we walked in, they stood up. The omega stepped forward, his nostrils flaring. Archer and I probably reeked of sex.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wilson. We’re with the Department of Family Affairs. Oleg Tana and Edgar Dunn," he said, gesturing toward his partner. "We’re here following a report from the school counselor in Darton regarding some concerning incidents—"

Before we could even react, Igor shot to his feet. "I already told you what happened with those ‘concerning’ incidents!" he snapped. "Everything I said to the principal was just to get his sympathy so he wouldn’t suspend me!"

He moved closer to them, standing defiantly with his hands on his hips.

The omega agent frowned. "We understand. But we still need to take a closer look at your home environment. You told the counselor that your bedroom door was removed and that you were being forced into a strict training regimen, waking up at dawn…"

Igor clenched his fists.

"I made all of that up to get his sympathy! I didn’t want to get in trouble. I didn’t want to be suspended, so I spun some story to make my guardian look bad, so the principal would go easier on me!"

Archer and I locked eyes on Igor. I had to admit, I felt a weird kind of shock—but in a good way.

Igor turned, glancing at me and then at Archer, giving him a sad, apologetic smile.

The alpha agent spoke up. "The school contacted us after they learned about your accident yesterday. They’re concerned about your safety, wondering if this is your way of drawing attention to problems at home."

I gritted my teeth, remembering the disgruntled face of the counselor, he just could not let it go!

"The only problem was how I behaved a month ago, after my father died," Igor said. "He told me I had to step up and be the man of the house, and I was terrified. I didn’t think I could handle it. So I acted out. But I’m really grateful to my dad for bringing us here because now I know—I’m not ready for something like that. I’m not ready to take care of a whole family."

I stared at him, barely believing what I was hearing. Even Archer had his eyebrows raised.

But the omega agent didn’t seem convinced. He tilted his head, frowning slightly, before turning his gaze to me and Archer.

"That’s a pretty drastic change of heart. You have to understand why it’s hard for us to believe your perspective shifted so quickly."

Igor’s lips trembled. "Yeah? If you were being pulled under the water, fighting for every breath, and then you lost it—if you thought you were about to die—you’d see things differently too," he almost yelled, his voice shaking. "If you wanted to live so badly but realized you’d nearly thrown your life away because of your own stupidity… you’d change your perspective for sure."

His voice broke. I quickly stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him.

And that’s when it really hit me—this wasn’t just a small accident to him, or some kind of reckless ‘adventure’, as it might have seemed from the way he posted about it online.

It was something deeper, hidden beneath the superficial likes and comments he got from people. Something had changed inside Igor when he thought he was really going to die.

"Igor, I’m so sorry," I whispered. "I’m sorry you were so scared."

Overcome with guilt, I kept hugging him tightly. I should’ve talked to him about this yesterday. I’d started seeing him as more grown-up than he really was, but he’d been dealing with all of this alone.

Just like before, I avoided the difficult topics, falling into my usual pattern of running away from anything that could heighten my anxiety. I thought back to the day we arrived at Archer’s house—I hadn’t gone to Igor’s room, hadn’t asked how he was feeling. I let his attitude push me away, too caught up in my own stress to… deal with his.

The omega enforcer watched us with that same skeptical expression, like we were just putting on a performance. Meanwhile, his alpha partner pulled out a small blood-testing device.

"In cases like this, we usually recommend a hormone level test," he explained. "It’ll show if Igor is in the early stages of Musth . That’ll help us determine if this situation could lead to further complications."

Igor lifted his chin.

"I’m not in Musth ," he said firmly. "But if it’ll get you guys and your department off our backs, go ahead—take my blood."

That surprised me.

"Igor, are you sure?" I asked. "We have the right to refuse."

"I’m sure," he replied. "I just hope this finally gets them off my case."

I glanced at Archer, and he just nodded. The omega agent pricked Igor’s finger with a small device, similar to a blood sugar monitor.

"How long until we get the results?" Archer asked.

"Just a second," the omega replied. "This is calibrated to detect Musth hormone levels… and—" He paused, glancing at the screen, almost with disappointment. "Yeah, no problem here. His levels are completely normal for his age."

He turned the device toward me, showing the results, but I had no idea what I was looking at.

"I think that means we’re done here," Archer said, standing up, his entire body language making it clear they were no longer welcome.

The alpha agent looked mildly apologetic. The omega—not so much. He just seemed miffed they came here for nothing.

"We’re sorry for the intrusion," the alpha muttered. "But it’s our duty to act when there’s a potential risk of Musth . The consequences can be serious for the entire family."

"I get it, that’s your job. No hard feelings—if anything, our issue is with Nelson and Vernon’s… overzealous initiative. Anyway, it’s time for you guys to go. I’m sure the counselor will keep you updated. He’s that type," Archer added with a crooked smirk.

Once the agents left, it was just the four of us—Igor, Archer, silent Van, and me. Oliver was in the kitchen, but he kept glancing toward us while preparing dinner.

"Sit down, Igor," I said, and he dropped onto the couch.

I sat next to him, reaching for his hand. He hesitated for a second before letting me take it.

"I know things haven’t exactly been smooth, but you can always come to me and tell me how you’re feeling… What happened yesterday—it was a lot for all of us. Overwhelming. And I think we were so focused on your physical state that we forgot to ask how you were doing emotionally. I’m sorry, Igor. If you need to talk about it—the fear, what you felt—"

Igor gave me a weird look. "Honestly? I’d rather just go train. Physical effort always helps me shake off negative stuff," he admitted, glancing at Archer, who sent him a small smirk.

"Spoken like a true alpha," Archer said, and I could practically feel the pride radiating from Igor. Well, that was definitely different from how I would react, but by now, I had long stopped imposing my omega ways on the alphas in this house.

Only Van grimaced slightly, but nobody seemed to notice except me. But I was far too overjoyed to let myself be distracted.

Igor coughed. "I might have exaggerated a bit to get them off my back," he added with a sneaky smirk.

I gaped. "Igor! And I was worried…"

"It was for a good cause, Dad!"

Archer sighed. "To be honest, the omega agent didn’t fall for it either—I could tell. But the test results were on our side, and that’s what matters most."

He placed a hand on Igor’s shoulder, nodding slightly. Igor responded with a small nod of his own.

Seeing Igor and Archer’s bond strengthen—becoming something real—meant everything. Archer’s energy had already stabilized Igor’s, an invisible force at work, the threat of Musth was no longer on the horizon.

But there was an unexpected bonus!

Through my empathic link with Archer, I had begun to understand Igor on a deeper level. It was as if I could see my son through Archer’s eyes, feel the energy flowing between them. Our newly formed True Mate Bond wasn’t just connecting us—it was also reinforcing Igor’s own developing structure, grounding him in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

A new understanding and appreciation emerged within me. In a way, Archer stabilizing Igor’s energy reminded me of my own instinct for nest-building. I had always sought out stable structures, places where I could feel safe. Now, it was all starting to fit together beautifully, like pieces of a puzzle.

All subgenders had their own ways of finding stability, even if, on the surface, the methods seemed so different.

Archer looked at me, almost as if he were partially aware of my musings, and said, "There’s something important we need to tell you all. Go grab your brothers and have them join us."

Igor raised an eyebrow at me. "What, are you pregnant or something?"

"Just get your brothers, and we’ll talk," Archer told him, settling into the couch.

Igor darted up the stairs, returning moments later with his younger brothers, who looked a little nervous—clearly aware that something big was going on.

"Where are the agents? Are they taking Igor?" Lake asked Archer anxiously, his eyes rimmed with the remnants of tears.

Aiden looked just as tense, and that’s when I realized something—the bond between them hadn’t been irreversibly broken. The brothers still wanted Igor with us, they still cared.

Relief washed over me—this family was healing!

My gaze landed on Archer’s manly, handsome face. This guy was mine! And he was doing wonderful things for my family!

But I wasn’t the only one staring at Archer with intensity. All my sons were somehow gathered around him.

"They’re gone, Lake," Archer said calmly.

Lake immediately climbed onto Archer’s lap, resting his head on his chest—a gesture that made me swoon.

"They tested Igor’s hormone levels, and everything checked out. But I have no doubt they’ll be keeping an eye on us from a distance," I muttered.

"The situation’s been handled," Archer assured them. "But that’s not why we called you in here. We have something important to share."

Once Aiden and Igor had settled onto the beanbags around us, Archer took my hand and announced, "We have some big news—something that could change everything for our family and our lives."

"You’re pregnant?" Aiden blurted out.

I burst out laughing. "What is it with you guys and pregnancy?" I muttered. "I haven’t even been in heat."

Archer sighed. "It’s something else. The news is… your dad and I are True Mates."

Lake snapped his head up to peer at Aiden’s face.

Dead silence.

The rest also stared at us, wide-eyed, like their brains refused to process what we’d just said.

Igor’s expression was probably the most shocked, but in a strange, guilty way.

"Wait… for real?" Van’s eyes bulged. "Or are you messing with us?"

Their faces were so over-the-top confused that it was almost funny.

Then, Igor scoffed knowingly.

"You guys fucked, and that’s how you know."

"Igor, for God’s sake," I hissed, my face burning.

"What does 'fucked' mean?" Lake asked, blinking at us with his big, innocent green eyes.

"It’s a bad word for something nice," I added quickly. "We’ll talk about it another time." I shot Igor a glare, but he only shrugged.

"Anyway," I cleared my throat, "it’s official—Archer and I are True Mates. It’s… a miracle. Everything that happened in the past finally makes sense. Why I always liked Archer. Why I felt so strongly about coming here—"

"Dad, does that mean you’ll be the same age as Archer now?" Aiden asked, scratching his chin.

"Yeah," I nodded. "True Mate pairs both reset to around twenty-five if they’re older, or if one of them is younger, they meet at the younger one’s age."

"Oh wow, does that mean you’ll live longer?"

"Yep. Thanks to Archer, I just got an extra fifty years tacked onto my lifespan. I won’t even look forty until I’m about eighty."

"Oh my God, I wanna find my True Mate too," Aiden said, looking almost starry-eyed.

I pressed my lips together, thinking about someone who could actually help them with that someday—their own uncle, my brother, Storm. But I stopped myself from commenting.

"But that also means that if one of you dies, the other dies too," Van pointed out, his voice more serious now. "That’s the price for this kind of magic, right?"

"Which is why you all need to take good care of Archer," I insisted, glancing at him with an all-knowing smile.

Igor looked like he was processing something deeper. And then, for just a second, I saw a flicker of sorrow on his face.

Finally, he blurted out, "Well… I feel like an even bigger idiot now." He rubbed his forehead. "I was such an ass. You guys were True Mates this whole time, and I was out here fighting against your relationship?"

I squeezed his hand lightly.

"Igor, we didn’t know either," I admitted. "I never would’ve guessed True Mates could be separated for years without realizing it. True Mates are so rare, there isn’t much widespread knowledge about it."

"That’s so insane… It’s literally like a dream come true," Van murmured, looking completely awestruck. Then, after a pause, he added, "But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re the child of True Mates yourself, and they supposedly have a higher chance of finding their own mates."

An odd mood settled in the room. Any discussion about my parents had been strictly forbidden in this family by Thomas. But maybe… maybe it was time to loosen that rule a little?

However, when I looked at my sons’ faces, their expressions already slightly troubled, I knew this revelation was shocking enough. It would take time for them to process, and I didn’t want to pile another heavy topic on top of it.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, a sudden, intense cramp gripped my lower abdomen—a sensation I hadn’t felt in years, almost forgotten, but its sheer force left no doubt about what it was.

I snapped my gaze to Archer, who raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Shit! Looks like you were right, back on the island, when you said that—" I shot to my feet, grabbing his hand. I didn’t want to talk about this in front of the boys.

Archer let Lake slide from his lap to the sofa and stood up.

As we left the house, their confused stares followed us. Once we were out of earshot, I locked eyes with Archer.

"I’m going into heat."

A small, knowing smirk played on his lips. Classic Archer.

"I know. I was pretty damn sure the moment I saw your entrance."

"What now?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you asking?"

"Well… you know… everything."

Archer made a calm motion toward the house. "What’s there to discuss? I’ll tell Oliver he needs to stay here for the next few days. He’ll sleep in the guest room. And we lock ourselves in my room; no one comes in except to drop off food. Which Oliver will prepare."

I blinked, surprised once again by how effortlessly he had it all figured out. "You’ve already thought this through?"

"Isn’t that what you want from your man, River?"

My cheeks burned. If I was being honest… it was exactly what I wanted.

"Yes, alpha," I whispered, looking coyly at him, my hole clenching slightly.

"Then let’s go talk to him. We need to get ready."

I hesitated, my insides twisting with anticipation. "Could you… talk to him? And explain everything to the kids? I’d rather go to your room and prepare the bed," I mumbled, feeling my face heat up.

Archer’s gaze held a hint of amusement. "A nest?"

I let out an embarrassed huff. "I shouldn’t even be talking about this—"

"Why not? We’re together."

"Well, yeah… Thomas never—"

"Thomas is the past. You’re with me now."

I stared at him, gaping, warmth pooling in my stomach. Gosh I loved it! I needed him. In me—as fast as possible!

"Understood! And yes, I feel the urge to build one. A double size! Suitable for my alpha."

Archer smirked.

"Take your time. When you’re ready, call me from a distance."

I blinked. "How?"

"Telepathically."

Right. Stupid question.