Page 21 of Red River (Eden’s Omegaverse #4)

That evening, after feeding my son, I sat in bed with him in my arms while Archer took the boys out to practice. He never skipped their daily physical activities together. Even Sam’s son, Steve, who was Lake’s age, had become interested in the practice and joined them, treating it as a fun time with Uncle Archer.

A knock on the door—and a moment later, my father stepped inside.

Anyone looking at him would never guess he was over seventy. The magic of True Mates made him seem no older than his late thirties—maybe forty. His chestnut hair was free of gray, his face nearly wrinkleless except for a few expression lines at the corners of his silver eyes.

He walked over and sat beside me, his gaze soft as he looked down at the baby.

"How are you feeling, River?"

"Great. I gave birth in an hour—I don’t even feel tired!"

"Have you picked a name?" he asked, gently brushing his finger over his grandson’s cheek.

"The boys suggested Red, Rusty, Draco, or Roan… but I’m fond of Phoenix. Because it means rebirth, transformation, and a new life. Archer is a new force in my life, a new beginning for me, and my child is a manifestation of our union."

"I like Phoenix," he said. "It’s a fiery name. In Greek mythology, the Phoenix represented an immortal fire. And… Aiden means ‘little fire’ in Gaelic. It could be a nice link—how a small flame grows into a great blaze in the next generation."

He smiled a little sentimentally. I hesitated, wondering if I was reading too much into his words. But there was sorrow lingering in his eyes. I knew we kinda needed to have that conversation.

"I know you ran away because of me, River," he said slowly, his gaze still on little Phoenix—I was already getting used to that name.

"I had years to think about it." He sighed. "Sometimes, I thought about it every single day. About the mistakes I made. About how I failed to give you the space you needed to feel happy and safe."

"You didn't fail our family, Fa. You provided for us. We had a comfortable life. We were loved and taken care of. And look at my brothers. They all turned out to be good people. They got their education, built solid careers. They’re good partners to their loved ones."

"But I did fail you."

I closed my eyes. "I was a peculiar kid, Fa. Nervous and sensitive. Very different from my brothers. When Thomas promised me the perfect world, I naively fell for it. If anyone failed, it was me. I misjudged him and set myself up for a hard path."

"You searched for something you didn’t have at home. When Uncle Van lived with us, it was an eye-opener for you—a different kind of family dynamic, and I know it clicked for you."

For a moment, I delved deeper into my own feelings. "Maybe Uncle Van helped me discover what resonated with me, yes. But I should have approached it more wisely, been more patient, instead of running away."

I sighed and stroked Phoenix’s little head.

"There’s one more thing I need to say. I had time to reflect, Fa—to really look in the mirror. I was so critical of your parenting methods, but when it came to being a parent myself… I was far from perfect. The way I handled Igor’s latent Musth was terrible. It was Archer who saved the day. I was lost and chaotic. I expected the impossible from you both and fell short in my own parenting. The worst part is, I failed to see you wanted the best future for me. I should have listened to your parental advice—that Thomas wouldn’t be a good provider or protector."

Father sighed. "It may sound cruel, but I’m glad you’re no longer with him."

Suddenly feeling guilty, I whispered, "If nothing else, I have wonderful kids thanks to him."

"That’s true. That’s a good thing."

"He loved me, Fa. He never raised his voice or his hand against me. But that doesn’t change the fact… he wasn’t my ideal partner. He made room for someone who didn’t have to pretend to be the alpha I wanted. Archer just is that. Only now, finally—I'm in the place I wanted to be from the start."

Father smiled, this time without a hint of sadness. "And that, River, is why… I can truly be at peace about you. It should have been him from the beginning, if only not for the age gap…!"

I shook my head, feeling a strange shiver down my spine.

"No, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced things happened exactly as they were meant to. If I had met Archer first, I would have stayed a spoiled prince and wouldn’t have truly appreciated what he’s giving me now. I would have treated what he does as a given, not a gift! I needed to grow too, Fa."

His gray eyes were on my face, attentive.

"Fate was wise to set us apart with the age gap. I needed that time to be ready to appreciate Archer."

"I only wish you didn’t have to fight so hard to stay afloat."

"Archer said something to me soon after I moved in with him. Alphas mature through pain and overcoming difficulties. I think… not only alphas. It’s a universal experience."

My father took a deep breath. A trace of sadness was back in his eyes. "That’s… true. But it’s hard, as a parent, to think about all your struggles."

"Don’t be sad. I’m a slow learner. I required more time to understand things. I kinda needed my life to be exactly like this for one more reason… to understand that you can’t force people to change. I wanted you and Dad to change. I wanted Thomas to change. And even Igor. And all that desire brought me was stress and disappointment. I needed to learn to respect other people’s ways, even if they were different from mine. And I think I finally did. Took me a long time, but I get it now. That’s why I came back."

Father gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "You know… I learned something too. You running away opened my eyes. I always thought that as a parent, all I had to do was give endless love. But love is like sugar…"

"Too much of it isn’t good! Archer says that all the time."

We both laughed.

"Exactly. After you left, your dad and I changed a lot about how we raised your brothers. You might be surprised, but we actually introduced some discipline, more household responsibilities, and we even started keeping our eyes on their grades! Kay, Soren, and Damien once told us that our boys are the most self-sufficient alphas they’ve ever met! They don’t just sit around waiting for someone to serve them food or do their laundry. So yeah, we learned something from all this too… maybe the most important lesson of all? We became better parents thanks to you, River."

I squeezed his hand in return.

"I want you to know that I love you both. I came home with my heart cleansed of all the negative feelings from the past. Life cured me of it, and truly opened my eyes. And I want you to know—I never stopped thinking about you, about making things right. I wanted to come home a thousand times—a thousand moments when I cursed my life, the daily fight to keep going. I just wanted you both to show up at my door, pack my bags, and take me home. But I guess, in the end, it was me who had to make that decision."

My father squeezed his eyes shut, and I saw the tears glistening beneath his lashes.

"River… and for a thousand moments, your dad and I wished we could turn back time. To be the kind of parents you needed."

I reached for him, and he leaned in carefully, making sure not to squish little Phoenix between us as we hugged tightly.

"I need to tell you something. One day, back in December, I was sitting on the porch with Snow. He was playing his harmonica, and then suddenly, he lifted his head, like he was listening to something. And then he said, ‘River is free now.’"

I stared at him, stunned. "In mid-December… Thomas died."

Father nodded. "Yes, that was the exact day. We panicked at first. We thought ‘free’ meant something terrible had happened to you. But Snow calmed us down. He said, ‘Everything will change now. Just wait a few months… and everything will resolve.’ And he was right."

"How did he know?"

"No idea… He never talks about it."

"I remember many things from when we were kids, almost… magical, about Snow. He seemed to know stuff. Almost in a clairvoyant way."

"Yes. If it weren’t for Snow, Winter wouldn’t be here with us today… You already know he was stranded on the deserted island, but Snow helped save the day. Snow really is special."

"Fa, tell me the truth. Is he the reason so many people in our family somehow found their True Mates?"

Father nodded seriously. "Storm told us about a conversation he had with Snow. He doesn’t like to talk about it, avoids the topic. But yes, from what we understand, his gift works in a quieter, slower way… quite different from Storm’s, but it’s really powerful."

"Our family is something else, huh?" I let out a shaky laugh. "Fa, you have no idea how happy I am to finally be part of it again."

"River, you were always part of it… We were all waiting for you. You complete us."

Tears streamed down my face. "Thank you for everything, Fa—for every lesson and for your love. I needed to grow to truly appreciate it in the end."

"Oh, River, I love you so much, son."

"And I love you!"

"So much love, I’m starting to get jealous!" Archer’s voice came from the doorway, his usual smirk in place, with Igor standing by his side.

Father stood up and faced him. His approach to Archer was a bit different from my dad’s—more rooted in mutual respect, with a peculiar… brotherhood vibe. Almost as if my father didn’t see him as his son-in-law but as a peer.

"Take good care of my son… he’s a treasure!"

Archer grinned and winked. "I’ve known that since I was six."

"You are all welcome to come to our house for the winter break," Father said, putting his other hand on Igor’s shoulder too. "We would love for River to spend some time with his brothers. They waited patiently through the end of his pregnancy, but now they’re going to be even more insistent that you both visit us for more than just a dinner!"

"I’m sure it can be done. Winter break is the perfect time for a family reunion."

***

The next morning, I was lying in bed with little Phoenix, gazing lovingly at his tiny, adorable face, completely captivated by his striking golden eyes. I knew that color ran in Archer’s family—Jan had golden eyes too—but Phoenix took it to another level. His shade was almost fiery.

I stared at my youngest with a dopey smile, amazed by the fact that this child was the very embodiment of my love with Archer. Then, I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

Igor stepped in, holding a printed-out piece of paper. I raised an eyebrow at him—he looked way too serious.

"What’s that? A congratulations letter for giving you a new baby brother?" I joked, chuckling silly.

Igor rolled his eyes. "Very funny. But actually… yeah, kinda."

"Wait… what?"

He smirked mischievously, then leaned over, peeking at his new little brother.

"He’s awesome! I always wanted a purple alpha brother to take down all my enemies," he said with a wink. "I guess a red alpha will do, too!"

I let out a laugh. "Oh, wishful thinking, kid. I had a purple alpha brother myself, and I can’t say he ever took down a single one of my enemies for me"

Igor planted his hands on his hips, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "Dad! He was a little kid when you ran away from home! He never got the chance!"

I snickered. "You’re so serious today, and here I am trying to crack jokes with my fierce son—who, by the way, doesn’t need anyone to fight his battles. You’re doing just fine on your own."

And that was true. Igor had already debuted in a Muay Thai tournament—and won his first two matches. Everyone said he had a real knack for it.

"Alright, enough jokes, Dad," he muttered, sitting down carefully beside me and placing the printed-out sheet at the edge of my nest. "Take this. It's… money. A bank transfer receipt."

My fingers skimmed over the paper, and I blinked in confusion. "Money?"

"Yep. You’re with your True Mate now. You’ll be around for a long time, staying young and strong. I know you want to focus on family right now, but with so many years ahead of you, maybe… you’ll want to do something for yourself too—something you’ve always dreamed of but never had the chance to do, because my father took that from you."

I stared at him, stunned. "What are you talking about? And what money?"

"You can major in Music Education online at the college Riley attends. Anyone can enroll—I checked. This money… I earned it from my videos. It’s enough to cover the full tuition."

"What?!"

Igor nodded firmly.

"Yep. Father’s debts drained your account. I know you saved up for years. I know you dreamed of going back to school someday, even after all this time."

"How do you know that?"

"Sam told me."

My eyebrows shot up. My friendship with Sam had improved a lot, but it was still healing—we weren’t quite where we used to be.

Igor observed me attentively.

"Sam helped me with this. He really wants to make things better between the two of you. Since I’m a minor, I couldn’t access the money from my channel directly, so we put Sam down as the formal owner. The transfer has already been made—the money… it’s yours now. Here’s the receipt. Do whatever you want with it. But when the kids are older… maybe you’ll decide to follow your passion for music more seriously. You have time, Dad. A lot of time. And I wanted to do something—to make up, in a small way, for what my father took from you."

My throat tightened, I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

"Igor… that’s not your responsibility. Those were his mistakes, not yours. You don’t have to pay for them. You earned this money—it’s yours—"

Igor stood up, leaving the paper on the bed beside me, his eyes filled with sadness.

"When I decided to take on the role of alpha in this family, this was one of the first things I wanted to do—give you back what was taken from you. You worked so hard for that money, Dad. This is part of my own promise to myself—to do right by you."

He nodded, about to leave—but I carefully shifted Phoenix off me and rushed to Igor, catching him at the door and pulling him into a tight hug.

We stood there for a moment before he gently freed himself and stepped away.

"I need to go, Milo is waiting. And it’s not a big deal, Dad. Chill out."

"It is! You have no idea how much this means to me… You're the best son a parent could ask for."

"I’m not. I’ve made mistakes—"

"Like we all have! I’ve made a million mistakes. It’s part of growing up."

"But I have the chance to make one thing right. And I decided to take it."

He stepped back, his eyes shining.

"I love you, Dad."

"And I love you!" I gasped, still in disbelief.

We exchanged smiles, and Igor left.

Wow, my dear Fate—what a day!

I walked back to the bed and picked up the receipt. I didn’t need the money.

My parents had set up a fund specifically for my college education, and it was still there, untouched, waiting for me to finally use it to complete my dream studies. They had given me access to it.

But Igor’s gesture… that meant more than anything.

We had come full circle. Dad and son. We had found our way back to each other.

And that was worth more than any amount of money.

I already had an idea of what I’d buy him in the near future. I remember what he said when we visited my parents' house, what caught his attention there! Smiling roguishly to myself, I tucked the receipt away.

***

Ever since Rain and Kay’s wedding, we hadn’t visited my parents’ house for more than a day.

That was mostly because, during my pregnancy, I had a deep, instinctive aversion to traveling. Instead, I loved nesting—building my safe space, coming up with new ways to decorate, adding colors, modifying shapes. The idea of leaving home felt almost unbearable, so in the months leading up to my due date, my parents were the ones making the trips to visit us. We would only stop by for short lunches or dinners.

My brothers, however, kept complaining that they hadn’t gotten to spend enough time with me. Eventually, Archer and I decided to visit for a whole week, even though Phoenix was barely over a month old. But since my nesting instinct had finally eased up, I felt like I could handle being away from home.

Since it was winter break, Riley was able to join us too, coming home straight from campus. So, we basically descended on my parents’ place as a whole pack.

The house was crowded and lively, but Archer quickly established some order. All the kids trained with him—even without an obstacle course, they could practice martial arts and go jogging together.

I spent most of my time at home with Phoenix, talking a lot with my parents. We shared stories from the past, and I told them a lot about my sons' childhood.

My parents were starving for those details—they wanted to know everything about their grandkids’ toddler years, all the little moments they had missed. I felt guilty that they hadn’t been part of those memories, so I made up for it by indulging them with every funny or heartwarming story I could think of. They could listen for hours.

On my parents’ huge property, at two opposite corners, stood two other houses—one belonging to Snow and the other to Bay.

Both were technically ‘mobile tiny houses’, but they weren’t all that tiny. I knew both of them were planning some changes soon, preparing to expand their places to make them more adaptable for a larger family.

Bay had bought his house years ago, when he was still in college, with money from his concerts. He wanted some privacy but, for whatever reason, didn’t want to move far from our parents’ home.

Snow, on the other hand, had lived in our parents’ basement forever. But some time ago, after getting together with his partner, he finally got his own big ‘tiny’ house model.

There was one more secret fan of those tiny houses—someone who sometimes wandered around them, admiring their compact and modern design. Igor.

At sixteen, he was just two years away from adulthood, and I already knew exactly what I was going to get him for his eighteenth birthday: his own tiny house on the edge of Archer’s property.

Archer was already making preparations to section off a small part of his land in Igor’s name. We both wanted him to have his own space, but we also loved the idea of him staying close. I couldn’t imagine ever being separated from my wonderful son (yes, the dad heart speaking!).

This idea came to me when I noticed him staring at the houses and commenting on how cool they were. Still, Igor’s curiosity about my brothers’ properties was never fully satisfied—he hardly ever got a peek inside.

Those uncles of his were never the overly family-gathering types, and both of their partners were even shyer, so they didn’t often drop by for casual chats on the—now usually crowded—patio. And they definitely weren’t the type to invite us over for tea.

Snow, especially, with his unique personality, kept to himself even more.

During the visit, I got to know my brothers' loved ones just a bit, and honestly, I sometimes had trouble believing the crazy (and sometimes downright sensational) stories of how they met and ended up together. It was always something straight out of a horror story, a fantasy novel, or maybe a crime drama. I made sure my kids didn’t overhear those tales—they would’ve totally blown their minds.

In the meantime, my other brothers visited, staying for a few days here and there.

My youngest brother, Sun, was on a trip to Europe, which I regretted because I longed to get to know him better. Also, Winter couldn’t come since he was in the final stages of a big work project, but Storm arrived with his boyfriend, Damien, a young student—an adorable omega with hair almost the same shade as mine, though more pinkish in hue.

Rain also came with his husband, Kay, who was far along in his pregnancy. They brought Kay’s son with them, little two-year-old Ray, a kid from Kay’s previous marriage. The boy was a ball of energy and pure joy. Lake loved playing with him, leading him around by the hand through the house and garden.

Skye and Soren also showed up with their six-month-old baby, Silver. That reunion was especially emotional—Skye was the only one in the family still actively playing the violin, and being around him brought back vivid memories of when he was little and would sneak into my room to listen to me play.

I have to admit, I was a little overwhelmed being around two such stunning guys like Kay and Soren. Both were tall, black-haired beauties, though in different ways—Kay had a classic elegance, while Soren had a sharp, almost edgy kind of attractiveness. Maybe not everyone’s type, but undeniably striking. His features were feline and sensual. Their kids seemed to have inherited their dads’ breathtaking looks—both boys had those thick, dark lashes I always envied on brunets, while I was stuck with my auburn ones.

At first, both Kay and Soren seemed a bit distant, almost aloof. But the more we talked, the more I realized they were actually sensitive and, deep down, kind of sweet. What I enjoyed the most was how completely in love they were with my brothers. Watching them together, I saw just how perfectly Fate had matched these True Mates. Their relationships were harmonious, like puzzle pieces seamlessly fitting. Seeing my brothers so happy made me pause and reflect—it was kind of unbelievable.

In a world where True Mates were incredibly rare (only about 5% of the population ever found theirs), so many people in my family had somehow found their perfect mate!

On a few occasions, I was tempted to ask more about how Snow was doing it—how exactly his magic was responsible for this astonishing stroke of luck.

Our family was practically a statistical anomaly—a whole cluster of True Mate pairs. And not just us, but even a few of our cousins had found theirs. It was almost too magical. But I kept my mouth shut. Inviting Snow into a conversation was a challenge anyway, and maybe some mysteries were better left hidden.

***