Page 18 of Red River (Eden’s Omegaverse #4)

The next day, not long after I woke up, I told Archer—who had just returned from his jog—that I’d decided to announce my pregnancy.

The boys already suspected it, but I wanted to use it as a way to ease them into a bigger conversation about family.

After taking a shower, I stood in front of the mirror and, for the first time, truly noticed how much the True Mate bond had already changed me. My skin looked smooth, healthy—almost glowing. I appeared to be twenty-two. Not that I’d ever had wrinkles, and even before this, I didn’t really look my age, despite being thirty-eight.

It wasn’t a dramatic change, not like with Day, for example.

We’d been exchanging messages ever since their visit, and he’d shown me pictures of himself from before he met Jan—the difference was insane, like he’d aged backward two decades.

My transformation was more subtle, more like someone shedding years of stress and exhaustion, regaining their natural vitality. But still, there was something youthful about me now, a certain freshness and softness I hadn’t seen in myself since my early twenties.

And, really? I was starting to love looking at my reflection. My complexion was delicate—some might even call it luminous. I glanced down at my body and almost nodded in approval. I had never been too thin or too chubby, just somewhere in the middle. And now, my slightly soft curves seemed even more pleasant and appealing.

"Liking what you see?"

Archer’s voice reached me from behind. He stood in the bathroom doorway, amusement flickering in his eyes.

I giggled and was about to cover myself, but before I could, Archer was at my side in an instant, swiftly tugging the towel away.

"Beauty should not be concealed…" he murmured.

He was now right behind me, his head just above mine in the mirror.

"I was just contemplating how much the True Mate magic changed me," I admitted.

"Not that much, to be honest. You looked twenty-seven before—now you seem to be maybe five years younger. It’s not a huge difference."

I pouted, and the moment he noticed, he fought back a chuckle.

"Well, that was meant as a compliment," he assured me. "You were already mesmerizing when you got here. I never minded how you looked, River. You were beautiful then, and you’re beautiful now—just a few years younger. But the charm was always there."

"Maybe it’s because I’m a child of a True Mate couple. They say we age about ten years slower than everyone else."

"Who knows? Whatever the reason, you were always perfect for me, River."

We stared at each other in the mirror. Then Archer slowly placed his hand on my neck, pressing just lightly against my glands, and I gasped softly, his Allure surrounding me.

Since he’d stopped using suppressants, we could finally smell each other’s natural scents. Archer’s was that of a mountain silver fir forest—so the smell I’d caught before really had just been his shower gel, though there were similar fresh undertones.

Archer once told me he’d recognized my scent—a mix of dahlias and strawberries—on the edge of his consciousness from our very first kiss. Later, since I used shower gels with a similar fragrance, it reinforced that impression.

Now, there was nothing masking it. Our real scents were out in the open, and we could fully immerse ourselves in them.

So I closed my eyes, and instinct took over.

His splayed fingers rested firmly on both sides of my neck, applying pressure to my glands. Reflexively, I lowered my head, my pelvis tilting on its own, and my buttocks pushed back. A wave of heat surged through me, making me shiver. Blood rushed downward, concentrating in my groin. My breath quickened, and my heart began to race.

Since my heat ended, we'd often have sex in short bursts, using the moments we could steal between daily activities.

During the day, we rarely role-played, making the most of those few minutes—indulging in pleasure, seeking intense, rapid satiation. It was in the evenings that we reveled in more elaborate scenarios, incorporating my favorite ‘damsel in distress’ elements.

As True Mates, our libido was way higher than that of normal couples, and we needed to enter into Joining at least four or five times a day. I was shocked at how quickly I could get aroused and ready—my hole would immediately slick up, open, and clench invitingly.

This was one of such moments.

Archer's lips brushed my left gland, where a beautiful mark signaled that I was a mated omega now, belonging to my alpha—who bore my matching bite. His touch was so delicate that I wasn’t even sure he’d kissed it. Maybe it had just been his breath.

His lips parted over my nape, his tongue warm, shifting to the naked skin of my back; I even felt his teeth nipping their way across my shoulder blade, drawing a groan out of me.

His fingers brushed the side of my hip, teasing a bit, moving slowly, painting slow circles over my abdomen, but avoiding my dick. The grip of his other hand on my neck tightened, and I let out another shameless, omega-typical call to be mounted.

Archer's fingers wandered up toward my pebble-hard nipples, and as he squeezed one of them, I had a peculiar sensation, as if a drop of milk flowed from it.

"Mmm… that’s unexpectedly sexy," he whispered into my heated skin, just close to my ribs on the side, his tongue leaving there a wet, warm trail.

"Please," my whimper was super needy, as he made his way along my spine, toward the small of my back.

Then he went down on his knees, and I squeaked as his teeth nibbled at my plump buttock. Suddenly, his breath was on my hole, which started to open, obscenely clench, pulsate. Archer's tongue flicked across my pucker, and my body shivered as he began to lick my rim leisurely—the ring of muscles quickly swelling with blood, and a wave of slick became imminent.

Goose bumps rose on my skin as I felt his mouth going deeper and reaching my balls, which were desperately hanging there, waiting to unload. It was a pleasant sensation, the light tingling of his tongue on my ball sack and higher up, over my taint.

"Please…"

Some movements happened behind me, and Archer stood up, his hands on me again, one on my neck and one wrapping around my waist, raising me a bit in the air. Immediately, I strengthened my grip on the sink's edge to stabilize myself as my feet dangled over the floor, losing contact with its surface.

Now it was time for the impaling part.

Soon, I felt the blunt tip of Archer's dick pressing slightly against my entrance, and an intense excitement filled my veins, my pulse spiking.

He held me like that for a while, his dick teasing my entrance, pushing just a bit, then easing the tension, playing with my rim a little, swaying my body from one side to another, languorously nudging his dick head over my opening.

And then, without warning, he suddenly pushed inside, breaching the ring of my muscles and I moaned lewdly, my own dick immediately making a strong throb, letting out small droplets. Fuck, it was good. I felt like a stuffed chicken on a skewer.

Archer just went for it.

Thrust, thrust, thrust…

My body wobbled at the sheer force of his rhythm, sadly I knew it never went on long. His dick drilled me intensely, massaging all the wonderful spots inside…

These short fucks, an integral part of our daily routine, usually lasted only about a minute. Yep, that quick.

My hole welcomed Archer deep inside, easily; I was able to take him whole for some time now, which was an amazing thing for him, since he had never had it with any other omega like that.

But we were made for each other. I could feel him so fully inside, it was overwhelming in a most wonderful sense—that I was completely at his mercy, vulnerable, and safe at the same time. My walls were on fire, and my moans became faster. His hips worked intensely, plowing me, pushing against me, and my climax couldn't wait.

Our racing heartbeats filled the bathroom; Archer repeatedly rubbed over my sensitive prostate in a smooth rhythm, taking me higher and higher.

Then my passage just clenched and rippled, my dick throbbed, spurting all over the sink's edge. At the same time, my gut was filled with Archer's warm cum—our orgasms were now always joined, since the Bond had crystallized between us.

Archer was silent as usual, but I gasped loud enough for both of us, as sweet shivers rolled over my body, turning me into jelly.

He put me on the ground, but immediately had to catch me before I slumped to the side, my knees buckling under me.

Archer held me tightly against him, his energy shifting from intense and hungry to soothing and tender. With the softest kisses along my spine, he revealed a side of himself that only I could glimpse in those fleeting moments—when ecstasy made him tremble deep inside me.

His lips moved up my back and pressed against my neck, leaving a warm trail.

"I love our quickies," I muttered, putting my forehead on the sink's edge as I tried to catch my breath.

"And I love you," he murmured, planting another kiss on my bare back.

"You can't beat me like that!" I giggled. "I love you too, Archer, always."

***

Fifteen minutes later, we were both ready and headed downstairs, where Oliver had already prepared breakfast.

We sat down at the table, and I glanced at my sons, mulling over the right moment to bring up the topic.

No one in the house could really detect that I was pregnant—Oliver was a beta, and none of my boys had fully matured glands yet, including Igor, so their AO-typical keen sense of smell was still underdeveloped.

As we ate and chatted about our upcoming trip to the seaside, I steeled myself and blurted out, "Oh, and by the way, I got confirmation—our family is growing by one in November!"

As I expected, no one seemed particularly surprised. Lake let out an exaggerated sigh and said, "I already knew you were making a tiny baby!"

Archer looked like he was about to chuckle but held himself back.

The other boys just ate, mildly interested—which made me pout a bit. Not exactly the "Wow, how wonderful!" reaction I was hoping for. Seeing my disappointed expression, Archer immediately stepped in.

"Hey, you could at least say something nice to your dad. This is big news for the family."

All my sons snapped their heads up, but Van was the first to respond. "Congratulations, Dad!"

Aiden simply nodded. "Yeah, I’m happy to have a new brother. But… will he cry a lot?"

"He’ll probably cry sometimes," I admitted. "That’s just what newborns do."

Aiden frowned. "So I should probably wait before I play with him? I don’t like crybabies."

"It’s not that he’ll be a crybaby—it’s just how babies communicate. If he’s hungry or needs a diaper change, crying is the only way he can tell us."

"Then we need to teach him to talk as soon as possible," Aiden concluded before going back to his food.

Igor, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "I’m happy for you, Dad. And I’m glad we’ll have another brother. I think big families are great."

"I appreciate that, Igor," I said sincerely. "I've always dreamed of having a big family, especially since I came from one myself."

"But you hated them," Van muttered. "They were too crazy for you."

And just like that, the topic I’d been hoping to ease into was out in the open, ready to be picked apart. I glanced at Archer, but he remained focused on his food, clearly wanting me to start it.

"I hated the chaos," I corrected Van. "Not my family. I miss them, you know?"

A brief silence settled over the table.

Lake murmured, "I was named after my granddad. I wonder what he’d say if he knew."

Igor and Van kept their heads down, suddenly very focused on their toast, looking uncomfortable.

Aiden, however, muttered, "We don’t talk about Dad’s family. Father said so."

It was like a wave of different energy spread through the room, and Archer immediately straightened up.

"Aiden, missing your family is natural," he stated in a firm tone. "Dad expressed how he feels, and in this house, we always have a safe space to share our feelings."

Aiden blinked and swallowed. "But Father said they hated him—"

Then, an unexpected voice cut in. "Archer’s our alpha now," Igor sounded sternly.

"But he’s not our father!" Aiden protested, frowning.

"This is his house, and his rules," Igor responded just as fervently.

"It’s okay, Igor," Archer interjected. Then he turned back to Aiden. "Your dad is free to talk about his family as much as he wants in my house. That is not up for debate. Remember, there are two sides to this situation—your father’s and your grandparents’. Which one do you think has more valid arguments?"

"Father’s," Aiden mumbled, looking sulky. "Obviously."

"Why?"

"Because… just because our father was—" Aiden trailed off, lowering his gaze.

"And what if both sides had valid arguments?"

A brief pause. Finally, Aiden sighed. "So what were theirs?"

"They loved your dad and cared about his future. They wanted him to be with someone who could support a big family, someone healthy enough to work and actively help raise kids. Does that sound bad?"

Aiden kept his head down. Only Lake was still looking at Archer, while Van and Igor continued eating.

After a brief pause, Archer added, "But I also see your father’s side. He fell in love with a beautiful young omega who saved his life—dragged him out of a burning car, a real hero, an angel. And then that wonderful person told your father he felt overwhelmed, trampled over in his own home. So your father wanted to do exactly what had been done for him. Save the angel."

Aiden’s head snapped up, wide-eyed, as he swallowed nervously. The other boys also glanced at Archer.

"He tried, no doubt," Archer continued. "He had a good heart. But some things are more powerful than the flames of a wrecked car."

"What’s more powerful?" Aiden murmured, his voice slightly trembling.

"Our own limitations."

The silence was so deep, I could hear their hearts beating as if my head were pressed against their chests. Aiden’s was racing the fastest.

"I… want to talk to you, Dad," Igor suddenly cut in.

For a second, I just blinked, as if snapping out of a dream.

"Can… it wait? We're in the middle of something."

"It’s relevant to this conversation," Igor added quickly. "You might want to see it."

All eyes turned to Igor. Even Archer raised an eyebrow.

Clearing my throat, I reluctantly stood up. "Okay, Igor, let’s go." I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

Igor and I left the kitchen.

As I closed the patio door behind us, I caught Archer’s voice saying, "It’s important to recognize our limitations, Aiden. And it actually takes bravery to admit when we can’t do something as well as we’d like…"

Near the greenhouse—where for the last month, Lake and Aiden had been diligently watering and weeding the pea plants, now fully grown—I stopped and turned to Igor.

His face was calm, his heartbeat steady.

Unsure of what he was about to say, I smiled, but his expression remained serious.

"There’s something I’ve wanted to show you for a few weeks now, Dad."

"A few weeks?"

"Yeah. I’ve been struggling with what to do, but…"

Igor pulled out his phone, scrolled for a moment, then held it up for me to see.

"I think it’s time you saw this."

Still hesitant, I leaned in and read the comment under the video of his waterfall accident.

And then I froze.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The username was L-NOL.

And the comment read:

This video broke my heart, but it also filled me with hope again. You don’t know me, but I’m your granddad. Seeing my son, my grandson—all my grandkids on that bridge… watching that whole dramatic moment unfold… I realized how close I came to never having the chance to meet you. And I want to. So badly. I want to hug you and know all about you. I hope your dad can forgive us someday and give us the chance to be a family again.

—Your granddad, Lake.

I stared at the screen, blinking like a glitching android, reading the words over and over again.

And then—

I broke. I turned and ran, leaving Igor standing alone by the greenhouse, gaping.

Shock surged through me. Powerful, intense.

And despair.

Pain.

As if on cue, Archer came sprinting from the house, his face painted with concern. He must’ve sensed my state the moment I took off running. He rushed past a bewildered Igor and caught up with me just as I collapsed onto the sand at the lake’s edge.

"My dad…" My voice cracked. "My dad saw Igor’s video. He—he wrote that he hopes I’ll forgive him. That maybe… we can be a family again!"

Archer knelt beside me, taking my hands in his. His grip was grounding.

"Igor showed you this now?"

"Yes, he struggled with it…"

Something flickered across Archer’s face, and immediately, I knew something wasn’t right.

"Archer? Did you know?"

"Yes. He told me. But it was before our conversation about your family, so I left it up to him whether he wanted to show you. And to be honest… I only remembered it today, early in the morning, after I received another message—"

"Wait, what?!" My breath hitched. It was just too much. "Another from my dad?!"

Archer shook his head slowly, his gaze locked onto mine.

"You know," he said gently, "after Skye’s graduation, I reached out to him. He never replied." He paused, watching me carefully. "But now… he did."

My heart almost stopped.

"He did?"

"Yes. He apologized for not replying before and asked… how you were. Your whole family saw Igor’s video. So I sent him a new message, telling him you’re my True Mate. I saw his reply this morning when I checked my phone, just before going for a jog. You were still asleep," Archer continued.

It was too much to take in at once.

Were these events even connected? The two attempts to contact me? Perhaps my dad, seeing no response to his comment, had asked Skye to try from his side?

Did he… still care?

Did he think about me?

That thought made my eyes fill with treacherous moisture.

Archer tilted his head slightly, his voice composed but careful. "Skye said Rain’s wedding is coming up soon. The whole family’s gathering for it. All your brothers. Their partners. And…" He squeezed my hands. "They’re inviting us too."

I stared at him, trying to grasp the words.

A wedding. The whole family. A powerful moment. A perfect opportunity to… forgive and reunite?

"Rain is marrying his True Mate, River. It’s a special moment for your family."

My throat tightened. Another True Mate couple in my family? My emotions were all over the place, but Archer’s steady grip on my hand kept me grounded, stopping me from floating away in the storm of my own feelings.

"A few months from now?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes. You have time to prepare."

I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily, and then nodded slowly.

"I’ll be ready," I breathed out. "I want to be there. I want to see them again."