Page 9 of Red River (Eden’s Omegaverse #4)

Despite the day's intensity, I fell asleep surprisingly quickly but woke up earlier than usual—just before 6 am. Unable to doze off again, I took a shower and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I drank some yogurt and decided to go for an early jog. I ran for half an hour, clearing my head and calming my energy. With a fresh, positive outlook, I returned home.

At 6:33 am, the kitchen was still empty, so I took another shower. When I came out, I was surprised to see a new presence there.

Little Lake, dressed in pink pajamas and funny bunny slippers, stood by the fridge, staring at it with great uncertainty.

"Hey, Lake, looks like you’re hungry. Want me to fix you something to eat?"

He flinched, peering at me, a bit startled, but then nodded. I was surprised at how small he was, it was hard to believe that he was seven years old.

He had an unusually beautiful hair color—deep gold with a reddish glow when the morning sun hit it. Soft curls framed his perfect little face, reaching his shoulders. His eyes were big and bright green, with long golden-brown eyelashes. A few sunny freckles dotted his small nose, and his lips were shaped just like his dad’s—sweet and full.

I felt a wave of strange protectiveness. He was an adorable little omega, and I smiled warmly at him. Even though you couldn't determine a child’s subgender until puberty, I had to agree with what Sam always said—Lake would most likely grow into an omega, and an incredibly cute one at that. Though, of course, he could surprise us all during adolescence. Being beautiful didn’t solely determine subgender, after all. Igor was one example of that.

"I’d like some milk," Lake said in a serious tone.

I hurried to the fridge. "Of course! Here’s milk for you." I placed the glass in front of him.

He took it with his thin fingers and sipped, glancing at me shyly.

"You’re very big, much taller than my father."

I laughed. "Yeah. I’m bigger than a lot of men. Some even think I’m a purple alpha! I got my height not just from my father but also from my dad, who was almost six feet tall."

"I think I’m an omega. Everyone says so. My dad’s also short. I’ll probably be short too," he said with a slight sigh.

I chuckled softly. "That's good. Omegas don’t need to be big. Omegas are smart, strong, and just… the best thing the universe has ever created."

He looked a bit embarrassed. "Do you like omegas?"

"Of course, a lot more than alphas and betas. I’ve always admired omegas."

"Why?"

"They’re exceptional, smart, caring and very important. Without them, we would all die. The powerful magic I sense in omegas just draws me in. I think you’re the most wonderful beings on this planet." I sent him a smile.

"That’s really nice, what you said. Igor thinks omegas are useless."

I snorted. "Maybe it’s Igor who feels useless, and he’s just projecting?"

"What’s projecting?" He touched his small nose with one finger.

"It’s hard to explain, but it means we attribute to others what we have in ourselves that we don’t want to fix. It’s like the hidden part of our mind is reminding us there’s something we need to improve, which is why it bothers us so much in other people."

"That makes sense," he said thoughtfully.

I struggled to hold back a smile; Lake was really an adorable kid.

He slowly looked around, glancing at the patio, the pool, and the lake below. He blinked. "Can I see the lake?"

I gestured encouragingly. "Sure. Let’s go on a secret adventure before your brothers wake up. You’ll be the first to see the lake up close. Your… namesake. Lake-Lake."

"Okay." He tried to respond seriously, but his enthusiastic nodding gave away how excited he was about the idea.

We stepped onto the patio, and the little omega continued to stare at the lake. For him, the 200-yard distance to the shore was quite a lot. Then he looked down at his fluffy pink slippers.

"I’d like to go down to the shore, but…"

"But you’re only wearing those cute shoes. They might get wet; the grass is a bit damp with dew in the morning."

He hesitated. "I don’t want to go back upstairs because I might wake someone up. Maybe you could carry me?"

My mouth fell open. I had to admit, his bold suggestion caught me off guard. I stared at him, feeling a bit embarrassed myself this time.

"Are you sure? You’re seven already. I don’t know if kids your age still get carried," I asked tentatively.

"Of course they do, especially if they’re as small as me. Uncle Andrew often carried me on his shoulders. My father was too fat for that, but he let me sit on his lap. He always said I was his little omega prince and that he could spoil me a bit."

I laughed softly. "Okay, let’s try it then. You can ride on my shoulders—like a prince!"

I bent down and lifted him high above my head, settling him on my shoulders. He was very light, almost weightless from my perspective.

"Did you sleep well in your new room?" I asked as we made our way down.

His small fingers clutched my hair. "Very well, but I woke up really hungry, so I went looking for milk."

We reached the shore together, and the little boy seemed more and more excited.

"There’s even a sandy beach here!"

"Yeah, sometimes I swim here for a change, especially when I get tired of the pool, and it's hot outside."

"Oh, look! There are ducks on the water! I think one of them has ducklings. That’s a female, right?"

"Yep, among animals, there are only two sexes. You know that."

Lake huffed lightly. "Yeah, I know. Once, people on our planet had two sexes too, but they died out in the epidemic."

"Exactly. That’s when aliens helped us restore the population on Earth—only this time with three sub-genders."

"So, that duck is like their… mom?"

"Yeah, ducks have females who are moms and males who are like fathers."

"And we’re all boys."

"Yep. Special boys, different from those who lived here before. We all have the same organs, but at a certain age, our hormones wake up, and that’s when the changes happen."

"Yeah, I’ve heard about that. My dad explained it to me once. We all start out the same, with tiny uteruses, right?"

"Right. But during puberty the uterus in omegas grows, while in betas and alphas, it remains dormant. Apart from that, we are the same."

Lake watched the ducks swimming nearby. "Aren't they cute little birds? Each one is a different color… How pretty. Maybe I could draw them?"

"Yes, sure you can."

Meanwhile, I turned slightly to the side and tried to look toward the house, feeling like someone was observing us. From a distance, I saw that River was on the patio, watching us intently.

I coughed slightly to get Lake’s attention. "We should probably get back. Your dad might be worried about us being out so early. It's still a little chilly, and you're wearing pajamas."

Lake mumbled something reluctantly, but since he was on my back, he had no influence over my steps. After a moment, we returned to the house. On the patio, I set Lake back on his feet.

River was watching me closely, his eyes fixed on my face. He also had a slight blush.

"Good morning. I hope you slept well?" I asked with a slightly mischievous smile.

"Yeah, pretty well. I see you two are getting to know each other."

Lake went up to him and clung to one of his arms. "Archer carried me to the shore on his back! He’s super strong; I was sitting so high up, and I could see everything! And Archer showed me the ducks at the lake. There’s a mama duck with seven little cute ducklings, and all female ducks have uteruses!" Lake beamed.

"Uhh…" I started, wanting to correct his statement, but River just winked.

"I’m glad you’re enjoying the sights. Ducks are birds, so they don’t have uteruses. But yes, they do have two sexes, unlike us. Anyway, let’s head inside, and I’ll get you something to eat."

"Archer gave me a glass of milk!" Lake announced.

River shot me a look I couldn’t quite decipher.

"That was very kind of him. Did you thank him?"

Lake looked a little embarrassed, glancing down. I ruffled his curly hair.

"He thanked me by being exceptionally cute. That’s good enough for me."

River gave Lake a pointed look. "Still, you should thank Archer."

I could sense it right away—River didn’t want Lake getting too used to special treatment. He knew the boy had a way of effortlessly evoking that kind of reaction in people, charming them with his sweet looks. It happened almost automatically—one cute smile, and they would all swoon—but River wasn’t about to let it make Lake entitled. How did I know it? No idea!

"Thanks, Archer," Lake said.

"No problem. Let’s get back to the kitchen; it’s windy out here."

We went inside. Little Lake sat next to me at the table, his big green eyes locked onto my face. Then, out of nowhere, he asked:

"Are you going to be my new father? Van said it."

My gaze met River’s. It was a good question, asked with the sincerity and innocence of a child.

"Would you like that?"

Lake looked thoughtful. "You probably think I’m weird since my father just died recently, but yeah, I’d like that. Having a father is important. You could be my backup father."

"That’s a big responsibility. Do you think I’d be a suitable candidate?" I asked, trying to keep a solemn tone.

Lake tilted his head, studying me with comical seriousness. "You're really young; you look like you could be my brother… But you're also so big! Like fathers!"

"Maybe wait a bit before making up your mind?"

"Then how about you be my father just for a month? And after that, I’ll decide if you get the job!"

"Deal!"

I laughed, and we high-fived.

For a moment, the only sound in the kitchen was Lake trying to sip the last drop of milk from his glass. River watched him with pursed lips. For obvious reasons, this conversation seemed to make him uncomfortable. Then, he placed a small sandwich in front of his son, but the boy ignored it.

"Can I go see the hens now?"

"Lake, eat your breakfast first," River muttered.

"But…"

"What do you say we wait until your brothers arrive, and then I’ll show you my henhouse? The more, the merrier," I said, shifting the conversation slightly.

"Is it true that your chickens don't have names?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But I’m hoping you’ll help me come up with some."

"Yes! Small chicks are so cute!"

"Well, the ones I have are already older and laying eggs." I got up and opened the fridge. "Look, I have some fresh eggs from them."

"I loved boiled eggs!" Lake nearly bounced in his seat with excitement.

"And after the chicken tour, we have an appointment at school to get you enrolled—"

Just then, the doorbell rang. I rushed to open it for Oliver, who, as always, arrived at exactly 7 am.

Oliver knew he’d be meeting my new housemates today, so he brought small packages—a few gifts for the kids. He was a beta and didn’t have children of his own, just two nephews, so the prospect of having more company genuinely thrilled him. When we talked about it before, he’d said, "Good! It'll finally liven up the house!"

The older men stepped into the kitchen, and I gestured between him and River.

"River, let me introduce you to Oliver. Since I’ve been here, he’s been cooking and cleaning for me every day. He lives just a mile away, so—"

"Yeah, yeah, and today I even walked here because my car’s acting up," Oliver cut in with a grin, his wide, friendly face adorned with a few wrinkles.

River held out his hand with a shy but warm smile. Meanwhile, Lake stepped forward to shake Oliver’s hand as well, his expression hilariously serious.

Only after the handshake did he accept a small gift, blinking in surprise as he studied the older beta with a hint of suspicion. But Oliver had the kind, trustworthy presence of a good-hearted gentleman, instantly likable.

"Thanks…" Lake quickly unwrapped the package, revealing a cup with his name on it.

"That’s a really nice gift. Thank you so much," River said, but Oliver just waved him off with a smile.

"I figured, since you’re in a new home, having something personal might help." He glanced at Lake. "Check the other side—it says 'OmegaCat'!"

"OmegaCat! That’s awesome!"

"It reacts to temperature, too! The color changes when you pour something hot into it," Oliver explained.

They immediately tested it with warm water, and Lake was overjoyed.

Then Oliver turned to River.

"Do the kids have any allergies? I’ll start on breakfast."

River hesitated, clearly thrown off by Oliver jumping straight into work. "They don’t. But… I’ll help. It’ll be faster with this many mouths to feed."

Oliver smiled warmly, his face crinkling with laugh lines. "Alright. I’ll handle the eggs and salad, and you can do the toast, okay?"

River nodded, visibly relieved. It was obvious he was used to doing everything himself, and this was almost like a glitch in the matrix—having someone else help.

They started off dividing the tasks fairly, but I watched as Oliver subtly took over, nudging River aside little by little. Before long, River was standing there, hands idle, chewing his lower lip as he stared at the bustling beta. I could almost physically feel his anxiety.

But he made an effort to stop himself from interfering, while keeping the conversation going.

He asked about Oliver’s house and family, and though it was clear he wasn’t used to this kind of situation, he seemed to also appreciate the beta’s cheerful, easygoing nature.

Watching them, I felt a sense of relief. The gray cloud of stress surrounding River wasn't something I could easily lift on my own. But Oliver's presence, with his positive energy, could help lighten the mood. He had a way of making things feel more manageable , and if anyone could aid River free himself from the overwhelming weight of responsibility he carried—it was someone like Oliver.

Suddenly, Aiden and Van appeared at the top of the stairs.

I could finally see them clearly in the daylight, and once again, I was struck by how handsome all the boys were—not that it was surprising, given River’s looks and how Thomas had been in his youth.

Aiden had curly auburn hair and big steel-blue eyes. He already had a robust frame for a nine-and-a-half-year-old. A few sunny freckles were scattered across his pleasant, friendly face with adorable dimples, and his smile was infectious.

Van was taller and more wiry—his love for climbing had clearly shaped his build. He had short strawberry-blond hair and slightly wistful, dark blue eyes. His facial features seemed strikingly symmetrical, almost perfect.

Both boys had inherited their dad’s fair, rosy complexion.

"I saw ducks!" Lake exclaimed. "And Archer's going to be my father, and he’ll show me the chicken coop, and I’m going to have a chicken that I can name!"

Aiden got excited. "What? I want my own chicken too! You said yesterday you’d buy more chicks! Can I have one, Archer?"

"Yes, we’ll buy more, and everyone who wants one can have a chick and name it."

River gazed at me uncertainly. "Archer, we don’t want to be a bother. Little chicks, it’s a lot of duties—"

"Taking care of animals is a great way for children to learn responsibility. I was planning to expand the chicken coop anyway. Oliver wanted to buy eggs from me, so it was in the plans regardless of your stay."

Oliver eagerly nodded.

"I’ll name mine OmegaHen!" Lake shouted.

"And I’ll name mine Spidey!" Aiden exclaimed, jumping closer to the table.

Van rolled his eyes. "Those are silly names! Mine will be called Exploding Death Star!"

"That’s a scary name for a chicken," Lake muttered, making a face.

Suddenly, he fell silent, his head turning to the side.

And there Igor stood on the stairs, looking at the happy group with a gloomy expression.

It was like someone had sucked all the air out of the room; the atmosphere changed instantly. His brothers immediately focused on their presents.

Igor, with clenched lips, walked down the stairs and approached River, completely ignoring Oliver’s cheerful greeting.

"I’d really like to know if you went to Archer’s room last night." His tone was cold, but there was simmering anger underneath.

River seemed shocked that Igor would ask so directly in front of everyone. He stared at his son, clearly unsure how to respond. But his silence probably only confirmed Igor’s suspicions.

Slowly, I stood up and walked over to them. "If you want to ask me something, Igor, ask me directly."

"Okay, alpha. Did you fuck my dad?"

All eyes turned to Igor, each expressing different emotions, but mostly shock at his choice of words. Only Oliver quickly looked away and returned to preparing breakfast.

"I suggest we continue this discussion outside, Igor. Let your brothers eat breakfast in peace."

"Answer me first!" His voice rose, and his jaw tightened.

"On the patio." And I walked calmly toward the exit.

Seeing me leave, Igor finally gave in, following me with a scowl. River hurried after him, making sure to close the door behind us, so the others couldn’t hear.

Igor shot River a disdainful glance.

"I saw you last night, coming out of his room in just a T-shirt, your hair down. There’s no point in lying; I know what scent I smelled. It’s only been a month since my father died!"

River’s face turned red, clearly feeling shame, but I also saw anger building in him.

"Igor, whatever is between me and Archer is none of your business."

"It is!" Igor shouted. "You forgot about my father so quickly! How could you?! Jumping into bed with another alpha so soon… it’s just whorish!"

I stepped toward him, speaking firmly. "Don’t raise your voice at your dad, and show him respect. If you have complaints, direct them at me."

"Oh, I have complaints, you bastard! How dare you? We just got here, and on the first day, you’re fucking my dad? Some hospitality!"

I opened my mouth to respond, but River suddenly stepped forward, his lips trembling, his eyes wet.

"You know what? I already betrayed your father once, Igor. I kissed Archer when he was your age."

I blinked in astonishment, somewhat shocked that River actually said that. Why? To make Igor even angrier or to distract him from what happened last night?

Unfortunately, the effect was unexpected. Igor let out a sound that was a mix of a growl and a groan, then lunged at me, trying to punch me in the face.

River whimpered, but my years of training kicked in. I blocked his punch with my forearm, then another, and another as he tried to rain blows on me, but they were clumsy and lacked real force.

"If you want to throw a strong punch, you need to learn the basics of technique—" I started.

"Shut up!" he yelled, trying to hit me again, even kicking with his foot, but I stopped it with my shin.

River stood there, pale and in shock, pressed against the glass doors of the patio. All his kids ran to the door, watching Igor’s inept attack on me.

"You’ll hurt yourself punching with your thumbs tucked under your index and middle fingers," I said, keeping my voice neutral, staying calm while he kept swinging at me.

"Shut up, shut up! You bastard!"

"Effective punches don’t come just from the arm alone, Igor. For a punch to have real power, you need to use your whole body, twist your hips—"

Igor ignored me and kept trying to break through my guard. Finally, I’d had enough.

One of his sloppy punches gave me the perfect opening. I grabbed his arm and pulled him past me, but I didn’t let him fall. I caught him by the neck and twisted him into a chokehold from behind.

I pressed his body against mine to immobilize him. He struggled in vain; my forearm restricted his movements and made it hard for him to breathe.

"Are you done? Can we talk like adults now, or are you going to make a fool of yourself?"

"I hate you!" Igor yelled, still trying to break free, but his lanky body was no match for me.

"I appreciate your honesty. At least we know where we stand. I can hold you here, but how long can you keep this up?"

"Igor," River groaned painfully. "Please, what are you doing? Archer is our host, and you’re being rude and ungrateful!"

"You already paid him for his hospitality!"

"No, Igor. I went to his room to pay him, but he refused."

Silence fell. Igor panted for a moment, still running on adrenaline, but his strength was waning. Eventually, he slumped slightly in my hold, and a sound like a sob escaped his throat.

"Why, Dad?! Why are you doing this to Father? He loved you!"

River’s eyes filled with tears. "Igor, your father is gone. Archer has offered to help. He is your guardian. Thanks to him, you can stay with us. You won’t be taken away—"

"Why did you kiss him when Father was still alive?"

Now was my time to interject.

"I kissed him, Igor. Your dad had reservations. I wanted my first kiss with him. I always liked him, and he was my brother Sam’s best friend. It was my initiative, not your dad’s."

"You forced him, held him? Did he struggle?"

River squeezed his eyes shut.

"I didn’t struggle. But it happened once, Igor. It never happened again, and I know it was wrong, unfair to your father. But I also want you to know, I’ve always liked Archer, when he was a kid, he even proposed to me. Now we’re free, and if something happens, we won’t hurt anyone."

"Really? A kid proposed to you? That sounds just silly, Dad! What about respecting Father, your actual husband, not an imaginary one? Of illegal age!"

The fact that I kept Igor in a loose chokehold had an unexpected effect; my energy somehow influenced him. I felt a kind of resignation and even slight submission in his body.

"How long should I mourn before I can get involved with another man?"

"Surely more than a month! You two were High Mates, but now, straight from his bed, you’re landing in Archer’s?"

River squeezed his eyes shut—I could see he was on the edge, fighting with himself and… losing.

Suddenly, bitter words burst from his mouth, "Straight from his bed? You have no idea what you’re talking about! Do you know that your father and I haven’t slept together for the last seven years?! Ever since Lake was born! Not even during my heats!"

Igor froze, and I have to admit, so did I. We both looked at River, whose face was red, tears streaming down his cheeks. He must have really reached his limit; his hands were trembling, his whole body extremely tense.

"I’m not even mated to him!"

River pulled his collar, showing us pale, smooth glands—no markings. After seven years, they had faded completely from the surface.

Igor stared at this, speechless.

River continued, "Your father left me without help, even during my heats. You’re old enough to understand how vulnerable omegas are then. I suffered, so I eventually started taking heat blockers, which made me feel terrible and depressed for months!"

River pressed his hands to his eyes and muttered, "God, I can’t believe I’m even discussing this with you!"

Then he looked at Igor again, his eyes red.

"But because you came up with this whole ‘alpha coup’ nonsense, now we’re in this mess. It ends here, Igor! We’re not discussing it again. Your father is dead, and I’m still mourning him—but not as a lover."

I was surprised by how decisive River sounded, given that he was usually meek and non-confrontational. Had he finally had enough, too? Seven years of dealing with it all alone had obviously built up a lot of frustration in him.

"You took heat blockers?" I had to ask. "I’ve heard they have serious side effects."

River blinked and lowered his head, a painful grimace appearing on his face.

"It’s better than the alternative. Yes, I was miserable, nauseous, my head was killing me, but I had to fight through it alone. Even before Lake was born, Thomas weighed six hundred pounds, had mobility problems, and was in constant joint pain. By the time he died, he weighed almost a thousand pounds. Every effort was torture for him."

I knew Thomas was morbidly obese, but I didn’t know the exact number. Even though alphas had very thick bones and the strength of gorillas, that weight would still be debilitating. How did they travel with him, get him to the hospital, or take him to doctor’s appointments? How did he run his company? It was hard to imagine.

Looking at River, I realized what his life must have been like—doing most things himself, worrying every day. I admired him for managing to get through the situation while working and raising children at the same time.

"You’re very strong, River. Not many people could manage all that," I said quietly.

Igor was silent, his head bowed.

River's eyes locked with mine, and there was something in them—this strange vulnerability of his, this need to experience change, a relief. I wanted to give it to him… so much. But I knew it would take a bit more time.

It was a good moment to release Igor. I removed my arms from around his neck, and he quickly stepped forward, turning toward me and glaring with bitterness.

"Igor, I’m your guardian now. You’re living in my house, and I’d like us to try to get along. If you want to fight me, go ahead, but you can also try working out with me. And if you want, I can teach you how to do it the right and safe way."

Igor stayed silent, just looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"One more thing. I won't hurt your dad, that’s a promise. He’s suffered enough, and I won’t add to it. I just want what’s best for your family."

"So I should pretend like nothing happened? My father died, and from one day to the next, I should smile, say please and thank you, and act like everything’s fine?"

"No. But I also don’t want you to deepen it—the misery. At some point, you have to start healing from this pain."

His eyes swept over my face. "For the rest of my family, it’s already happening. They’re happy with the chickens, the mugs, the pool. And Dad is all over a new guy—less than a month after Father died. But I’m the strange one here?"

Now, he turned toward River, his expression growing even more spiteful.

"Tell me, Dad! Is it me? Am I the horrible kid ruining everything? How shocking that a month after my father's death, I still can't be happy about a new room!" His voice was full of grief and despair.

River shook his head slightly, his eyes growing wetter.

"Igor, I don’t expect you to jump for joy, but I do expect one thing. Respect Archer, because he gave us a helping hand, and you didn’t even say ‘hello’ to him. That’s not how your father raised you!"

"Maybe not. So I’m saying it now: hello! But if I have to show respect, you need to respect me—"

River winced. "Respect? You didn’t exactly respect me as your parent, Igor. Would your father be proud that you took my phone and locked me in a room? And still—not a single word of apology from you!"

Igor clenched his jaw. "You don’t understand. I was just trying to take care of this family."

"And who will take care of you?"

Igor blinked, before shouting, "I don’t need care!"

"Really? The alpha boot camps are full of boys who said exactly the same thing."

The silence was heavy.

Then Igor snapped, "Fine! I’ll keep my mouth shut, but don’t expect me to join my brothers in their joyful adoration of Archer!"

"Like I said, I only expect basic respect."

Igor turned, yanked the door open, and stormed into the house. He walked past his brothers, who stared at him with wide eyes, and headed upstairs without grabbing anything to eat.

River was shaking, but followed him inside.

Oliver, who had just finished making breakfast, set a plate on the table and looked at me questioningly.

"Should I take this plate up to him? Let him cool off?"

"No. In this house, we all eat at the same table. If Igor wants to eat, he needs to come down here. Rule number one."

Oliver tilted his head. As a beta, he probably didn’t understand this the same way I did. "The kid’s hurting."

I turned my eyes toward him, and our gazes met.

"The plate stays downstairs."

Oliver immediately looked away—an instinctive behavior for betas. They avoided the alpha's gaze; it was in their nature.

River stayed silent, not commenting. I could see his hands were still shaking. The other boys watched us over their plates, but to my surprise, I didn’t sense any disapproval from them. Instead, they seemed relieved, like they needed someone to restore order.

Soon, they were talking about the lake, swimming to the small islet visible in the distance, and making a trip to the dense forest on the other side.

It felt like they were tired of Igor’s erratic attempts to dominate, which they didn’t accept. River, however, was a more difficult case. He stood by the kitchen counter for a moment.

"River, join us. This breakfast is too good to let it go cold," I said.

He did, and although I could see he had trouble eating, he finished his portion.

"Now, boys! In my house, everyone exercises. I have a gym, but for you, there’s not much equipment. At your age, you should mostly be doing bodyweight exercises. So, after school, we’ll do short warm-ups, runs, some squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and stretching."

Van looked up at me with excitement. "Cool! I always thought our family didn’t work out enough. And I could use more stretching; it’s good for bouldering. I want to learn how to do a full split!"

"I can give you some pointers." I winked.

"Can you do a split?!" Van’s eyes went wide.

"Van, I’ve practiced martial arts since I was thirteen. I wouldn’t do high kicks without it."

"Wow! So cool!" Van exclaimed, staring at me almost with admiration.

But then something flickered across his face, and he leaned in slightly, almost conspiratorially. "Will Igor be exercising too?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

To lighten the mood, I smiled. "He better! Since he’s the oldest, he’ll be jogging with me every day at 6:30 am."

Aiden chuckled. "Good luck with that. Igor hates exercising! He always skipped PE, and when our dad wanted to send him to corrective exercise classes because his back was getting round from sitting at the computer, he’d hide in the bathroom and play on his phone."

River looked at him. "Really? I thought he liked those classes!"

Aiden puffed out his chest, pleased to know something the rest didn't. "Yeah, he even filmed some of his videos then. He says his most popular short, where he eats house spiders and lets them crawl on his face, was shot when he was skipping those classes."

River grumbled something, clearly irritated, and sighed deeply.

"Don't worry, I have my methods. When I was a kid, Family Services took me from my dad and sent me to my alpha father's house. He found a way to combat my dislike for exercise and pretty much… everything else. I was a real mess when they brought me in, but my father… you could say he saved my life. My dad tried to give me drugs when I was just five."

River knew my story, and I saw sympathy in his eyes. The boys looked at me in surprise.

"Why did your dad do that?" asked Lake.

"Maybe because he drank and took drugs himself. Luckily, good people intervened before it was too late. Training is what helped me, and I believe in its benefits for the mind and in inspiring discipline."

The younger boys stared at me for a moment, gaping, so I decided to change the mood. I was pretty sure Thomas never encouraged them to exercise, so it was all way too abstract for them.

"So, shall we check out the chicken coop? I see you've finished eating. Put the plates in the dishwasher, and let's go!"

I got the impression that River usually cleaned up after them, given how awkwardly they loaded the plates into the dishwasher, but I wasn't going to add to River's workload. He watched me the whole time, biting his lip.

I headed for the patio doors, but when I turned back, I saw River looking at Igor's plate. He glanced up at me, seemingly embarrassed that I'd caught him. I shook my head slightly. He swallowed and followed us outside.

We soon reached the chicken coop, where I showed them my chickens: three silkies, one black and two white, and two Polish crested chickens, one golden-laced and one silver-laced.

"They're beautiful! Look at those crests!"

"Can we pet them?"

"How old are they?"

"Do they lay many eggs?"

I was bombarded with questions and happily answered them. I also promised them that by the end of the week, we'd get some new chicks to increase our flock. The boys came up with names for the current chickens: Spidey, OmegaHen, Chili, Draco, and King, though they had a hard time agreeing on them.

River remained silent the whole time, fidgeting with the end of his braid.

When we returned to the house, it was time to take the kids to enroll them in school.

"Van, call Igor. We'll all go in my Jeep," I instructed.

Van bit his lip but obediently went upstairs. He was gone for a good five minutes, and I was worried he wouldn't bring Igor back, but then he appeared with a scowl on his face.

"I'm hungry!" Igor announced, standing by the table.

"The food Oliver made for you has been waiting for half an hour."

Igor glanced at Oliver, who was watching him with a gentle smile, and muttered, "Thanks."

"No problem, enjoy."

Igor devoured his portion in a few minutes, and we all headed to my car. River brought their documents along.

On the way, the younger kids kept talking about the chickens and expanding the coop. At one point, Aiden looked at the sulking Igor and said, "You better get ready—starting tomorrow morning at 6:30, it's jogging time!"

Igor scoffed. "We'll see how Archer makes me do it!"

Van chuckled. "I'll bet my best water bottle he'll succeed."

"We'll see who wins. That bottle with the hologram? It's gonna be mine."

"If you lose, you'll post some of my best bouldering videos on your channel and give a shoutout to my channel."

"Deal."

I sighed lightly but didn't say anything. River was sitting next to me in the passenger seat, but he turned around and said, "Training will do you good. You look like a beanpole. If you want to be an alpha, start working on looking like one."

Igor blushed slightly but didn’t say a word. I could see that hit home. He stared persistently out the window, his expression vacant.

Since I had announced our visit, we handled the formalities pretty quickly, and then we headed to the supermarket.

The boys wandered around the store somewhat aimlessly, but River, who also had a list from Oliver, diligently scanned the shelves. He didn’t say much and seemed deep in thought.

I noticed the younger boys had tossed a few candy bars into the cart. When they weren’t looking, I pulled them out and showed them to River.

"We shouldn’t buy these. The boys might have a tendency to gain weight, like their father, and it teaches them bad habits at such a young age."

River blushed a little, I could tell he was quite embarrassed.

"I agree! I never buy them candy bars. It’s Thomas who used to give them these, saying, ‘Kids should enjoy life’. I argued that it’s just refined sugar and low-quality fats, but he rolled his eyes and said, ‘You’ve been reading too many of those crazy eco-friendly parenting blogs.’"

I watched him for a moment, then scratched my chin and muttered, "Sometimes I wonder if you two were really High Mates."

River shrugged lightly. "I’ve thought about that too, believe me. High Mates are on a spectrum, with genetic compatibility ranging from 75 to 99%. Half Mates can be between 40 and 75. Sometimes I think we were closer to the lower end, but other times, I wonder if I just told myself that because I couldn’t really connect with Thomas during his last years. The truth is, we shared more traits than I’d like to admit—especially when it came to avoiding tough situations and making difficult decisions. I saw problems, but just didn’t have the energy to face them. Thomas was the same way. We kind of had a negative synergy."

"My philosophy’s a bit different. Maybe you and I aren’t High Mates, but I still hope we can work things out," I said curtly.

River blinked, and I realized that bringing up our compatibility bothered him. He pressed his lips together and looked away.

"Do you think we’re incompatible? Is that why you use suppressants?"

We walked slowly along the spice aisle, and I took my time responding, watching as he picked out a few bags of green peppercorns and chili powder.

"I don’t know. When I first saw you, I really liked you, but you know how it is with childhood crushes. Sometimes, I was attracted to omegas who weren’t pheromonally compatible with me at all—I just liked how they looked. So it’s hard to judge based on appearance alone."

"You don’t want to take the risk?" River didn’t look at me as he said it, his face showing a little disappointment.

We were now walking along the canned food aisle.

"To be honest, I don’t. I don’t need to know. I never knew the compatibility with any of my exes, and I think I’d rather stay in the dark now too."

My voice sounded firmer and colder than I intended, like I wanted to shut down the conversation. And, in fact, I did.

For some reason, the topic of compatibility annoyed me just a little. As a kid, I imagined River and I were True Mates, but knowing we had ended up living apart and had forgotten each other for years pretty much ruled that out.

Hoping we were High Mates or even Half Mates wasn’t something I wanted to base my actions and plans on. I chose River, and I didn’t want to think about whether nature was on our side. It was enough that I liked him, and that was all I needed to know.

Soon, we finished shopping and headed to the checkout.

"Where’s my candy bar?" Aiden was rummaging through the pile of groceries.

"It turned into a carrot. In my house, all candy bars turn into healthy food. It’s a special kind of magic—nothing unhealthy can get in," I said, tilting my head and smiling sarcastically.

Aiden pouted, but I found an unexpected ally in Van, who muttered under his breath, "If you want a big belly like Father’s, candy bars are the way to go!"

Everyone glanced at him, and Aiden made a sulky face, but it was Igor, standing nearby, who suddenly snapped, "Don’t insult our father, beta!"

Van’s face went pale. "Stop calling me a beta! Nothing’s set in stone yet!"

Obviously, being a beta in Thomas’s house was considered something negative. It seemed like Igor used the term when he wanted to humiliate or punish Van.

"Besides, better to be a beta than a loser alpha!" Van shot back.

Igor lunged at him, but… I was quicker. I slid between them in a flash, blocking Igor’s fist, which was inches away from Van’s face.

"Guys, we’re in a store. Act like the well-behaved kids I know you can be," I said calmly.

The cashier gave us a sideways glance while ringing up our items.

River’s face was red as a beet, clearly taking the boys’ behavior personally—like it was a reflection of his poor performance in raising them.

Igor’s glare was murderous as he looked at Van. When we got to the car, I saw him shove past Van without a word as they climbed into the backseat, nearly knocking him over.

"Get it together, boys!" River hissed. "What kind of behavior is that? How does this look—not just in front of Archer but also in front of strangers? Public fights? Come on! It’s begging for Family Services to come check us out!"

"Then he shouldn’t slander our father! All I hear is what a bad businessman he was, how fat he was, and that he didn’t fulfill his… marital duties. And what else? That he taught us to stuff our faces? Give the man a break—he’s dead!"

The entire ride home, none of us said a word, each for different reasons. All those accusations against Thomas were pretty accurate. Of course, Igor didn’t see it that way, but the truth was, we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, especially when they can’t defend themselves.

However, that didn’t change the fact that I couldn’t let bad habits take root in the children. Their father had died from complications related to obesity, and they might be genetically predisposed.

The only responsible thing to do was to teach them healthy habits, no matter how much I sympathized with their loss. It all came down to making choices, understanding consequences, and the kids had to start learning that.