Page 17 of Red River (Eden’s Omegaverse #4)

Over the next few weeks, things in our house settled down even more. Igor really stepped up as an older brother again—and my job as his guardian, which used to take some effort, became a piece of cake.

At school, Igor started making a name for himself. He joined a few extracurricular sports activities, including jogging and swimming, made new friends, and even earned the respect of his coaches.

We also had a visit from Riley, who was surprised to see how well his brothers were getting along now—working out and playing together like a real team.

Riley was different from the rest of his brothers—more guarded, more closed off. It was hard to tell what he was really thinking.

Despite being an omega, he had a more beta-like appearance, and he even admitted that he’d thought about using his ambiguous look to his advantage. There were prestigious talent development courses, training camps, and masterclass retreats that were only available to betas as part of the beta-empowering policy. Riley had even considered trying to qualify for one of them, using suppressants to mask his scent, but River talked him out of it—though Riley still seemed a little disappointed.

Riley had inherited features that made him resemble his uncle, Winter—River’s only beta brother. He had light blond hair, though with subtle strawberry highlights, strikingly pale blue eyes, and a more aloof, almost cold expression compared to his siblings. River admitted to me that, for a long time, they all thought Riley might be a beta or even an alpha—his secondary gender hadn’t manifested until he was almost seventeen, a rare case of late subgender reveal. He had sharp, sculpted features that made him undeniably handsome, and even though he turned out to be an omega, he still had a gender-neutral look, further emphasized by his 5’10" height. Meanwhile, his dad and granddad had much softer, more traditionally omega-like features.

Riley stayed with us for a few days, and I set up one of the empty rooms for him. He seemed genuinely surprised that there was a place just for him. The sheer size of the house really caught him off guard.

When it came to his attitude toward me, we had no issues. Riley was respectful, well-mannered, and kind. I could see that he was pleased to see his dad looking as if he had literally come back to life. One time, I overheard him talking to River, saying he was shocked at how much younger and more energetic he seemed.

During that first week after the heat, quite a lot had happened.

River had a conversation with Oliver’s brother—Milo and Avery’s dad—and he agreed to have Avery come over for violin lessons. River was quietly but deeply happy about it.

Soon, Riley headed back to campus, wanting to prepare for an important recital.

By the end of the second week after River’s heat, Oliver had more news. He told us that he’d finally spoken to his cousin, who was happy to offer River a trial run at the preschool, where he could spend time with the kids and introduce them to music. And so River taught them about rhythm and melody, showed them simple instruments, and let them play the triangle, maracas, drums, and xylophone. The kids loved it, and before long, the preschool offered River a permanent position. Now, he visited them a few times a week.

I could see how much joy it brought River—even though he called it more of a hobby, it was like new life had been poured into him. And I was glad he’d finally broken free from that miserable online consultant job while still earning some money, which was important to him.

One afternoon, about a month after River’s heat, I took a short post-lunch nap. When I woke up, I walked to the window and smiled in satisfaction. Outside, Igor was with his brothers, setting up the training mats near the biggest climbing wall.

Everyone was busy—soon, Igor was holding target pads while Van practiced his punches. Next to them, Milo held another set of pads as Aiden worked on his strikes. The only ones not training were Lake and little Avery, who were playing nearby. Avery was only five, but from a distance, he and Lake looked almost the same height. They swung on the tire swings, laughing together.

After a while, they all took a short break, and the younger boys ran to the house for some refreshments. That left Igor and Milo alone, and with some surprise, I noticed a peculiar scene.

At one point, they stood by the climbing wall, backs against it as they talked. Then, suddenly, Milo turned slightly, placed a hand on Igor’s chest, and slowly leaned in. Igor mirrored the movement, just as hesitantly. And then… they kissed! It was short and shy, but still—a kiss. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

A moment later, both boys returned to their training, the energy between them lighter, more playful.

Just then, I heard River walk up beside me, but he was too late to catch what had just happened.

I had the news of the kiss right on the tip of my tongue, but… oh well. I decided to hold on to this secret a little longer. I still remembered what it was like to be barely sixteen—having parents involved in matters like this wouldn’t be ideal.

River, however, looked strangely excited, like he was about to burst, but he managed to keep it together. He watched Igor and Milo for a moment, observing their training with quiet amazement.

"Your plan worked perfectly, Archer." He motioned toward Igor. "I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting this… but it’s kind of amazing. Igor’s doing so great. And that’s because of you."

I shrugged. "Sometimes, the best way to learn how to follow is by being in charge for a while. It makes you see both sides of things."

He gave me a thoughtful look.

"How is it that, at your age, you already have everything figured out? And I’m the one who’s supposed to have more life experience."

I smiled. "River, I think it just comes down to personality. Yours is different from mine, and that’s okay. We balance each other out."

River tilted his head. "I’m so happy you’re a natural leader. It puts me at ease. That was never a role I wanted to take on. It’s stressful—more of a burden than a reward for me."

"Well, everything has its ups and downs, River."

"That’s for sure." He let out a small, hesitant laugh.

I glanced at him, sensing a shift in his mood. There was something a little solemn in his voice.

"You know, my father wasn’t a natural leader. He was super laid-back—a typical rocker, an artist. He believed in ‘let’s do it together’ leadership. He called our house a ‘beautiful chaos’. But I didn’t see it that way. I wanted him to step up sometimes—to just say no and set some kind of order. Our home was loud, always chaotic—boys running wild. My parents thought that was normal, just kids being kids, but the truth is… not everyone thrived in that kind of environment."

He tilted his head slightly, lost in thought. "I argued with him about it a lot. Once, I even told him that because he wouldn’t enforce any structure, some of us were suffering. It hit him hard, but he didn’t know how to tackle it."

So… The conversation had taken a more serious turn. River usually didn’t like talking about his family, so why was he bringing it up now?

"Suffering how? What do you mean?"

River’s eyes drifted down to where the boys were practicing. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit rueful.

"The shy kids or the nervous ones—the ones who weren’t naturally loud or combative—were pushed aside. The more dominant, aggressive ones took over. And when there’s no strong, stable leader, those who rise to power are usually the most chaotic and unhinged. It’s not healthy."

"That’s right. It gets brutal, like jungle law," I said. "The weaker ones get trampled."

"Exactly. And I was… the shy, nervous one in the midst of all the chaos."

"Your parents probably thought traditional parenting was too strict and wanted to give you guys more freedom. Some people believe that’s what a good childhood looks like."

River sighed. "I do see the upsides. We did have a ton of freedom. They almost never forced us to do anything. Everything was a choice—no household chores, no crazy pressure to get good grades. But there was one summer when my outlook on it all changed drastically." River shot me a meaningful glance. "My uncle Van stayed with us for a few months. And that was the best summer of my entire life."

"Uncle Van? The ex-cop?"

"Yeah. He came into our house full of chaos and immediately brought order—the kind we’d never had before. And for me, those were the most peaceful, happiest months of my childhood. No more constant fights, no more hunting for Storm, no more screaming matches, no more of Bay’s unfair playing, no more of Winter’s painful jabs. And he protected me, Archer! He recognized my needs—maybe years of being a police officer trained him to be more observant of people… I’m sure some of my brothers hated it because Uncle Van actually made them do things—chores, responsibilities, structured activities. If they got too wild, he shut it down. But for the first time, I could actually relax. I didn’t have to brace myself for whatever disaster was about to explode next."

River slowly turned toward me, his face wistful.

"Your father allowed Uncle Van to take over like that?"

"My father was on a long tour at the time, organized for the thirtieth anniversary of the band he used to play in. He and Dad invited Uncle Van for that very reason—they knew they would rarely be home."

River’s face was somewhat stirred, his breathing a bit shallow.

"So that was the moment I realized there were other ways to live—ways that vibed better with me. I just… couldn’t go back, Archer. That’s when I started dreaming about leaving home."

I listened closely, watching the way River wrestled with his thoughts—the love and respect he had for his parents versus how he personally felt, the way his soul craved something different.

Finally, I said, "I think some children wouldn’t do well in a strict, structured household. I believe Lake is one of them—he seems like the kind of kid who already has his own sense of order. Other children need structure because it makes them feel safe, gives them something solid to rely on. There’s no perfect way to parent. Every method has its pros and cons. It has to be tailored to each kid, individualized."

River gazed up at the cloudy sky behind the window and took a deep breath.

"You’re quite observant. Yes, Lake is independent. That’s probably how it should be—approaching kids in an individual way. But… it didn’t work like that in our house. That was part of why I ran away with Thomas. I used to vent to him about my chaotic family—even before I decided to be with him. Seeing me distressed awakened a certain protective instinct in him, and he promised to give me my dream life: stability, a strong, providing alpha who would handle everything, take care of the messy stuff so I could just breathe and focus on raising a family. But… my parents saw through him. They knew the truth—about his three bankrupt businesses, about the fact that he was faking it. And they were right. Thomas couldn’t deliver what he promised."

River locked his eyes onto mine. There was something challenging in that look, like he was daring me to respond.

Silence settled between us.

"River," I said after a moment, "it’s very possible that Thomas never really sought that kind of life, but he wanted to be the perfect alpha for you—just because he fell in love with you. Who wouldn’t? A breathtaking, beautiful omega craving a protector. Pleading to be rescued. He probably would’ve promised you a star from the sky."

Something flickered in River’s eyes. He suddenly stepped back from the window and sank onto the edge of the bed, his fingers gripping the top of his nest’s wall.

"Yes. I… projected my own dream of a strong alpha onto him. The one I thought my father should have been—the better version of him."

His fingers twisted nervously through the woven fabric reinforcing the nest. His voice dropped to a whisper, rough with emotion.

"But Thomas couldn’t do it. And he knew he was failing me—his prince, as he called me. So he just… checked out."

For some reason, River’s fantasies of being saved—or, for that matter, being failed by a hero and abused by monsters at the same time—made a twisted kind of sense in the landscape of his psyche.

He lifted his head. Only then did I notice he was holding something small in his hand, clutched so tightly that it was impossible to tell what it was.

His other hand still tugged at the wall of the nest.

"I need you to know that I don’t want to make that same mistake. I don’t want to put pressure on you to be some perfect alpha—"

I moved closer, sitting beside him. Gently, I pulled his hand away from the nest, stopping him before he could tear it completely.

"Take it easy, River," I said softly. "I appreciate that you’re giving me space to fail. But I think… this time, you’ve ended up with someone different from Thomas. The thing is—he was pretending to live the way you imagined. I actually do live this way. That means I won’t have to push myself to be something I’m not."

River’s eyes were almost crazily focused on my face, like he was drinking in my words, and I smiled with some melancholy.

"I won’t have to stuff down my failures with candy bars and triple portions of food. I’ve always had my structure, River. My discipline, my way of doing things. You’re stepping into something that’s already built. You don’t have to change me."

River's face was now more pensive, as if his mind were wandering through places that didn’t necessarily make immediate sense.

"Sam told me something interesting about you—that guys on campus called you a conservative prick or a house tyrant who wants to put omegas in the kitchen. But funny enough… you freed me from the kitchen. You even encouraged me to get a new job! They were so wrong about you…"

I snickered. "Well, maybe because I already knew exactly who I was and what I wanted. And they… were still searching."

"I tried to change Thomas," River whispered. "But that approach is always doomed to fail. It just has to already be there… like it is with you ."

Suddenly, he showed me what he was holding—his fingers opened.

"Archer, I started this convo for a reason. I’m pregnant."

With a soft smile, I took the small plastic strip from his hand. Of course, I already knew—I had sensed his changing, vanilla-saturated scent—but I didn't want to spoil his joy, the moment of announcing this.

"I remember when I found out I was pregnant with Lake. I felt a wave of fear then—about our family’s future. But now—"

River lightly tapped with one finger the strip lying on my hand and smiled sheepishly.

"Now I can’t wait to expand my family, Archer. And I can’t believe I feel it so… carelessly. There’s no fear anymore, Archer. I trust you in a way I never trusted Thomas." He let out a loud breath. "Thank you… for this gift. For letting me just be happy about our child."

Then he put his palm over the strip I held, and smiled lovingly.

"And I thank you for the gift… of happiness," I said solemnly. "You brought life into my emptiness. On every level, in every way, River."

A lonely tear appeared on his face, and he averted his gaze, something flashing in his eyes.

I studied him for a moment before asking, "River, have you thought about… reconnecting with your family? Pregnancy could be the perfect moment. This child could be a bridge—a new beginning for all of you."

River flinched slightly but didn’t respond.

After a brief pause, I asked, "Do you still carry resentment toward your parents? Do you feel like they let you down? That when you ran away… you weren’t really running to Thomas, but away from them?"

This time, River stiffened, like I’d touched a nerve. His fingers twitched toward the nest, but I kept his hand in mine, steady.

"Maybe I partially blame them for it," he admitted. "Consciously, I do appreciate how much they loved us, how gentle and understanding they were. Even if they weren’t great at setting boundaries, they did the best they could in a way that made sense to them. It’s just…"

I lifted his palm slightly, giving it a small encouraging toss in the air before letting it fall back into my grasp.

"Say it, River."

"My brothers were strong characters—pushy, combative, or kinda… unbothered, like Snow. But me? Did they care how I felt? A nervous and sensitive kid like I was—the one constantly trampled over."

There was a brief pause while I played gently with his slender fingers, and River stared at this movement with a serious face.

Then he raised his eyes to me. "How are my brothers doing? Their careers?"

"I only know what I heard from Skye. And Skye’s a great guy, top student. Your other brothers seem to be doing well too—some are programmers, one’s a director at DevApp, and some are musicians with actual careers."

River nodded slowly. "So… even if their parenting style didn’t work for me, it worked for my brothers. Fa and Dad… they weren’t bad parents. I was just the misfit. I’m happy my siblings turned out… okay."

He sat quietly for a moment, gazing out the window. Then, finally, he said, "I’m trying to let go of how I used to feel about the past. Nobody is perfect, and I surely shouldn’t criticize others when I’m not a perfect parent myself. So, I think I’m getting there, Archer. Because more than anything, I miss them—even with all their… imperfections." A small, hesitant smile crossed his lips.

"I hope one day you’ll be ready to meet them," I murmured. "I don’t think Fate put us on the same path for no reason. I want to build more than just a home with you, River. I want you to thrive. And that includes healing your relationship with your parents."

River closed his eyes briefly, exhaling softly.

"I love you, Archer…" he whispered suddenly. "It may seem quick, but it’s what I feel. And it’s strong! As strong as… you."

"And I love you, my Red River. My turbulent, vibrant, perfect mate."

He grinned, and I saw another tear on his cheek.

"I dream that one day I will be able to tell him about you," he confessed. "My dad… He would be ecstatic for me. My disagreements were always with my father. But my dad… he tried so hard to make me feel safe, but the house was just too chaotic. He was really amazing, gentle, and loving. Very… omega! I miss his closeness. I miss him."

"One day, you’ll tell him about us."

River sighed. "Yeah… I think I’m getting there. To meeting them. Both. Not today. But soon."