Page 19 of Red River (Eden’s Omegaverse #4)

We were all packed into Archer’s Jeep, and—no surprise here—I was a bundle of nerves.

My mental preparation had gone fairly well… until today. The day of the wedding. Now, I was right back to my default setting: a ball of stress and anxiety.

We pulled up a short distance from my parents’ house because, at the last second, I urged Archer to stop. My voice trembled as I did.

"You okay, River?" Archer asked, even though he knew perfectly well I wasn’t. My stomach was in knots—tight, painful, and impossible to untangle until this day was finally over.

"I'm so damn nervous, Archer… it’s been twenty years."

I turned around to look at my kids’ faces. We were all here—Riley, Igor, Van, Aiden, and Lake. And inside my body, my youngest, sixth son was sleeping peacefully. My gaze dropped to my rounded belly.

Four and a half months along, but I already looked six. Slowly, I stroked my stomach, then glanced again at the house I grew up in.

So many memories—mostly good, mostly warm—but always shadowed by the lingering feeling that I never quite belonged.

From where we sat, we could see the driveway packed with cars. They were everywhere—on the street, in the neighbors' driveways. Rain’s wedding was happening behind my parents’ house, in a big event tent that wasn’t visible from here. To see it, we’d have to get out and walk across the lawn, but I was shaking so badly that I just… couldn’t move.

"The ceremony has already started," Archer reminded me gently.

We’d been sitting here for fifteen minutes, and I still couldn’t bring myself to step out of the car.

"Twenty years," I repeated. "That’s the last time I stepped into that house. No, wait—twenty-one years ago."

My kids stayed silent. Archer had already told them to give me space—not to push me, not to judge whatever happened next. They had all promised—no pressure. This was going to be on my terms, at my pace.

Archer watched me carefully.

"Listen, I have an idea," he said softly. "There’s such a big crowd over there that no one will even notice if we come in from the back. We can keep our distance and just… watch for a while. You said your uncle Timothy is officiating, right? Maybe we’ll be able to see something from afar."

I reached out and squeezed his hand, still resting on the steering wheel. "Thank you for understanding. That’s a good idea. I’ll ease into this whole wedding thing slowly."

"Yeah, I doubt anyone will be looking behind them. All eyes will be on Rain and his groom."

"I was checking his Instagram earlier," Riley chimed in, holding up his phone. "Dude is stunning. He was an actual runway model! Tall, gorgeous—seriously."

I took the phone and looked at the screen.

"Wow. Damn. And here I was hoping to be the most beautiful omega at this wedding. Guess not—Kay’s taking that title!" I chuckled and winked so they knew I was awkwardly joking.

But Archer, ever serious, said, "To me, you’ll always be the most beautiful omega."

"Oh, come on, look at him. Where do I even compare? He was a top model with huge brand deals."

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Besides, he’s not a redhead!"

I chuckled, then let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, fine. Let’s try sneaking in… discreetly."

"If sneaking in discreetly is even possible when you’re a group of seven, then sure—let’s give it a shot." Archer’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and Igor chuckled under his breath.

"Can I tell Granddad that he has the same name as me?" Lake asked suddenly.

"He’ll figure it out the moment we’re introduced, dummy," Van muttered. "No need to announce it—"

"Shush!" Lake shot him a scolding glance. Lately, ‘shush’ had become his favorite word.

"Honey, I’m sure he’ll be delighted. You two actually look a lot alike. He has golden hair too, but yours has a reddish shine in the sunlight. His is more of a platinum hue—like white gold."

"What about Grandfa Aiden? Do I look like him?" Aiden asked eagerly.

During those last few months, Aiden resisted the idea of meeting my parents the most, but eventually even he gave in and started looking forward to it.

"Well, you’ve got his chestnut hair, but your eyes are more steel blue. His are gray—almost silver."

Riley, who had been glancing around, turned to me. "Okay, so… are we getting out? Your parents’ place is huge. This is a big-ass mansion."

"Don’t curse. And yeah, my dad got a big settlement from some… bad people who won a massive lottery. But my father wasn’t exactly poor before that either—he was in a famous boy band and had high royalties for years from their songs, plus earnings from concert tours."

A bit of awkward silence. I had never really talked about my parents’ past in detail. But over the last few months, I had been slipping in general info here and there—carefully, gradually—so they could warm up to the idea of the upcoming reunion.

Archer smiled at me. "You ready?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," I muttered, biting my lip. I grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. Warm air rushed into the car. It was June—humid, sticky. These suits were definitely not made for this kind of heat. And being pregnant? I felt like even the wind was heavy.

I caught my reflection in the mirror one last time. Would Dad even recognize me? I looked twenty-two. My entire body renewed, vibrating with youthful energy.

"Skye told me that a lot of your brothers are expecting kids," Archer said, stepping out of the car and walking around to my side. "Skye’s actually bringing his newborn, little Silver, to the wedding. Also, a lot of True Mate couples in your family now…"

"That’s strange, right?" I muttered, trying to distract myself from the nerve-wracking moment about to happen.

"Yep. A true mystery. Could it be what they say about TM children in general? About their increased chances? Or something more? Because Skye has some ideas…"

"Hmm," I hummed, though my mind was too full of everything else to focus on the mystery right now.

"It’s probably Storm’s doing," Aiden chimed in, stepping closer and peering up at me as if trying to read my mood. He clearly remembered who had helped Jan and Day find each other. "I’m gonna ask him about my True Mate."

"Aiden, I don’t think that’s the best idea. Maybe when you’re older, but for now, let’s not bother him with that."

"I doubt Storm found their mates," Archer said. "Skye thinks there’s someone else in your family who made it happen. One of your brothers… apparently, he’s pretty special."

Something clicked in my mind—memories from years ago, surprising events tied to one of my brothers, Snow. I was just about to say something when I felt a tug on my sleeve.

"Dad, I gotta pee," Lake muttered, pulling at my arm.

"Uhh… You’re gonna have to hold it for a bit. The wedding’s happening right now—"

"I caaaaaaaaan’t!" Lake whined.

Igor stepped closer. "Come on, Lake. See that trash can over there in the shade? I’ll take you there, and you can go," he offered, taking Lake’s hand protectively.

I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Igor."

Over the past few months, the change in Igor had become even more obvious—and permanent. I was now sure that Thomas had been right—Igor really did have what it took to be a leader. His energy had firmly settled into something calm and steady, a lot like Archer’s. He trained with Archer all the time now, even thinking about entering his first Muay Thai competition at the local level.

At school, his grades were solid, and his relationships with his brothers had never been better. More and more, they looked to him as their second-in-command.

It was hard to believe how much had happened in just a few months—how my rebellious teenage son was growing into a strong, level-headed young man. And a very handsome one at that.

Physically, he’d changed too. In these few months, he’d put on muscle and grown almost an entire inch.

Even his video channel reflected his transformation. He was posting progress videos showing how many push-ups or muscle-ups he could do now, along with short clips from his martial arts practice.

I glanced at the man who’d had so much to do with that—Archer. His influence was undeniable.

I moved closer, clinging to his elbow and practically pressing myself against his side. "I love you, you know that?" I whispered. "And thank you for bringing me here today."

Archer scoffed lightly. "River, I’m happy to be here. You have no idea how much. It’s easy to run away from problems, but facing them? Trying to fix things? That takes real courage. And you’re doing it today—pushing through fear and stress. I’m so damn proud of you."

My throat tightened.

Just then, Igor was back with Lake, and I turned toward them.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "Let’s attempt our stealthy trip to the back of the house."

"Yes, let’s move," Riley hurried, slipping his arm through mine.

He’d also grown a bit in the past few months. College was going well for him, but he missed us. I glanced up at him and realized, with some annoyance, that he was now so much taller than me. In fact, out of all the adults in my family, I was officially the shortest omega. At 5’4", I was practically a hobbit compared to my dad, who stood at 5’8", and now Riley had more than two inches on him!

Our whole group moved toward my parents’ backyard. The front gate was wide open, and there was no one in the parked cars. As we walked past them, I spotted a few catering staff moving between a van and the back entrance of the building.

I held my breath as we rounded the house.

And then I saw them all.

A huge crowd had gathered on the lawn. Luckily, thanks to the slight slope of the yard, we had a pretty decent view of the main tent and the flower-draped stage.

And there, standing right in the middle, were my brother Rain and his fiancé, Kay—a tall, striking omega with breathtaking beauty.

From this distance, I couldn’t make out details, but the ceremony was in full swing. Rain was exchanging vows with his husband-to-be.

My heart pounded wildly, like a tiny, terrified bird trapped in my chest.

"I can’t see! I can’t see!" Lake whined, bouncing on his toes, clearly hoping Archer would lift him up.

But I pressed a finger to my lips. "Shush now, you. Be patient. This isn’t our moment—it’s Rain’s. Let’s not interrupt."

We moved carefully along the edge of the crowd.

I scanned it with curiosity, and quickly recognized some of my parents’ old friends and spotted my uncle Timothy’s family. Also, my cousin Hunter stood with a tall blond omega plastered to his side, and there were two more people next to them that I didn’t recognize—one very tall, handsome alpha and a short, beautiful omega with long black curls. That alpha could be my other cousin, Nathaniel, but I wasn’t sure. He was only three the last time I saw him.

After a few seconds, I also spotted my uncle Van. He was here with his husband and their four sons—none of whom I’d met before, though he’d mentioned them in emails.

Near one of Van’s kids, I noticed a tiny omega—shorter even than me—with dark blue hair and strange, high-tech glasses. Even from a distance, something about him looked oddly familiar—some public figure, perhaps? But I was too anxious to focus on it.

Archer, however, who was also scanning the crowd, suddenly murmured, "Wow. No way. It’s Gabriel! I can’t believe it. I need to talk to him later."

During the last few months, I finally learned that Archer not only knew my brother Skye from college but also my second cousin Gabriel, Van’s son. I was pretty surprised, but also… not.

Fate was obviously pushing Archer toward my family in every way possible. I knew Archer and Gabriel had a fallout after my unfortunate cousin got involved in some criminal activity. He seemed good now, and the presence of the tiny omega at his side hinted at a lot of changes in his life as well.

Then, after another moment of attentively observing the guests, Archer let out a soft chuckle.

"Oh wow, and there’s Skye—and his… peculiar beta. Do you see his tattoos? Quite avant-garde. He’s got a newborn in a baby sling on his chest. It must be Silver. Gotta congratulate them—"

But I wasn’t stopping for anyone. I pushed forward relentlessly, scanning the crowd, having only one goal in my mind.

To find my parents.

And finally, I saw them.

Right in the front row, close to the stage.

Some of my other brothers were also there with their partners, though from this distance, I had a hard time telling who was who. The crowd was thick, making it difficult to take everything in.

But I was focused only on two specific people.

And then, I spotted the thick, pale blond braid of my dad.

My breath caught in my chest. My heart pounded even harder.

"There he is," I whispered, gripping Archer’s sleeve tightly.

Since Archer was taller, he had an even better view.

"Yeah," he murmured. "I see him too. Your father’s right next to him. Looks like they’re sitting near Kay’s family. From what Skye told me, Kay has a kid from his previous marriage. I think that’s them sitting there together."

"I’m so nervous, Archer," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Most of them don’t even know me."

"Well, when you left, some of your younger brothers were just kids."

"Yeah… Sun wasn’t even born yet. Skye was barely three. Storm was four and a half. Rain wasn’t even six yet. Do you think they’ll even recognize me?"

"I think they will. They’ve seen pictures of you, for sure. And your older brothers definitely remember you."

"But, God… they’ve changed so much. When I left, they were close to Igor, Van, and Aiden’s age. I’m a stranger here!"

"Don’t overthink it now. You came here to make amends with your dad, right? Just take it one step at a time before you move forward."

"I want to reconcile with my whole family… but yeah, my dad and father are the first on my list."

Archer gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

I murmured, "Let’s wait until the ceremony is over. We shouldn’t interrupt or distract them right now."

Archer studied me for a moment.

"Just don’t wait too long, or it'll feel even weirder," he said with a small smile, trying to encourage me.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m getting myself ready… preparing…"

We watched as the ceremony unfolded, Igor was recording it on his phone, and my ball of nerves grew to the size of a planet. When the newlyweds exchanged rings and then stepped down to receive congratulations, my hands were literally drenched in sweat. I swallowed nervously, unsure of what to do—should I go up and offer my congratulations too? Should I wait just a little longer?

A wave of fear, guilt, and shame was so strong that I almost wobbled.

"I can’t do it, Archer!" I squeaked. "It was a mistake coming here!"

"River…"

In a mad impulse, I turned around abruptly, wanting to run away. But just as I lifted my leg to start my shameful escape, I noticed someone standing behind me, staring at me with strange, pale violet eyes.

I recognized him by his eyes alone.

My brother, Snow.

The one who rarely spoke, who was even more estranged within our family. The one they called a weirdo, a freak. Always on the sidelines, yet ever observing, ever present. I knew—remembered from my time here—that he had some strange abilities I couldn’t quite comprehend. Eventually, I gave up trying.

"Snow?" I muttered, swallowing hard.

He said nothing.

We just stared at each other. I felt Archer’s presence behind me, but he didn’t intervene. This was my part to play.

"Hi. Nice… to see you. You’ve… grown."

It was true. The last time I’d seen him, he was eleven. Now he was thirty-two, though he didn’t look his age. More like early twenties! Had he also found his True Mate?

Snow appeared peculiar, as always. His almost-white blond hair was tied in a short ponytail at the back of his head. His face was strikingly symmetrical and chiseled, making him look a bit like an ancient Viking. He was probably around 6’6" or 6’7". But those pale violet eyes… they made his face seem almost otherworldly, supernatural. Nobody had eyes that color —it wasn’t a typical human hue. That alone made him a little intimidating.

"I—I… wanted to say hello, but maybe this isn’t the best time…" I managed to stutter.

His gaze remained locked on me with strange intensity.

"They’re probably busy. I don’t want to be some wedding crasher…" I coughed awkwardly.

Snow’s eyes stayed fixed on me, and I suddenly felt… stupid. Silly. After all, I had come here with my whole family, dreaming of a reunion, craving it—yet now I was chickening out?

Slowly, Snow raised his hand and pointed toward something.

Hesitantly, I turned to see what he wanted to show me.

I saw my dad and my father moving slightly to the side, talking with two betas—probably Kay’s brothers.

It was the perfect moment.

None of my other brothers were with them; they were all clustered around the newlyweds. I wouldn’t have to face all my family at once.

Archer placed a hand on my arm. "River, this is it! Your chance."

"Well… right. Kinda." My voice was barely more than a whisper—a weak squeak.

"River, it’s gonna be okay. I’ve got you," Archer said, his hand on my arm again, grounding me, calming me enough to think straight.

He turned to the kids, who had been waiting patiently. "Follow us, stay quiet, and wait to see how things go. River will introduce you to the family afterward."

I looked back at Snow—he was gone! As if he had vanished into thin air.

Had he really been there? Or had I imagined him?

So we started moving.

My knees felt like they were going to give out. I clung to Archer’s sleeve like my life depended on it, my eyes locked on my dad’s fair face.

A memory flickered in my mind—back then, the day before I ran away.

My dad had come to my room and pleaded with me, his eyes full of tears, asking me to reconsider my decision to marry Thomas. At one point, he had even dropped to his knees and begged me, but I sat there with a stubborn grimace, avoiding his gaze.

After he left, I packed my things. That night, I ran away. Thomas had been waiting for me in his car.

Now, here I was, finally dealing with the consequences of that decision—not just in my own life, but within my family.

Maybe… it was time for me to grow up?

That thought strangely resonated within me.

And then—

Then, all at once, I was ready. I wanted to do this.

When we were about fifteen yards away, I squeezed Archer’s arm.

"Stop here. This part… this part is mine," I said, my voice still quiet but unexpectedly firm. It wasn’t a squeak anymore, even though my heart was pounding like crazy.

Archer nodded. "You got it. Good luck, River."

So I walked those last few yards alone, trembling like an aspen leaf—and yet, like an aspen leaf carried by a strong wind, I was moving straight toward my dad.

When I was a few steps away, he turned his face toward me, probably thinking I was just another guest, never expecting to see his prodigal son here.

And then… our eyes met.

Mine were a much darker shade of his—turquoise, like the southern seas.

For a fraction of a second, we just stared at each other, my steps stopping.

And then, I saw it on his face— everything .

All those years without me. The abyss that had separated us. The pain, the shock—flashing through his expression in that single, fleeting moment when he understood.

I had come back.

After twenty-one years, I was home.

He trembled, then dropped to his knees, a sob tearing from his chest—

And at the exact same moment, a twin sob ripped from mine.

I ran.

Tears streamed down my face in an unstoppable flood.

This wasn’t just crying—it was a release. A scream, pouring out years of longing I had carried inside me.

I reached him and threw my arms around him, holding him as tightly as I could—

And he held me just as fiercely, like he’d never let go.

Everything around us disappeared into silence, as if we had stepped into the eye of a storm.

I couldn’t see, couldn’t hear anything—only the beat of his heart, mirroring my own.

"River… my baby… my sweetest baby… my firstborn son… soul of my soul," my dad whispered, his arms crushing me against him. I wasn’t sure even Archer could have held me this tight, like he was afraid that if he let go, he would lose me all over again.

Then I turned my face—and met my father’s gaze.

For the first time in thirty-seven years, I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before. Tears. Slipping down his cheeks.

My father was crying.

"Forgive me, River," he whispered.

I reached out my hand to him, and he grabbed it, pulling me in—pulling both me and my dad against his broad chest.

And so we were like this, the three of us, locked in an embrace of reconciliation.

The people who had given me life—were here with me again.

When I finally turned for just a moment, I saw my brothers surrounding us, their faces a whirlwind of emotions—shock, joy, disbelief.

And then, somehow, I managed to choke out just one sentence.

"I’m back."

In the next moment, my brothers’ arms wrapped around us too, pulling me into their embrace.

And I knew, without a doubt, that there was no better word I could have chosen—

I had come back to this family.