Page 104 of Red River

I scrolled quickly through the articles on my phone.

Frowning, I read in silence while Archer watched me intently. I felt him… in that strange, almost tangible way I had sensed before but kept pushing aside. Now, I finally understood what it was—why I could pick up on his emotions even when his face gave nothing away.

But now it was like we were connected by an even thicker, invisible current, and I could feel him more than ever.

Excitement. Hunger. A deep, restless yearning.

Slowly, I looked away from the screen and met his gaze.

"I can feel you now," I murmured. "Your emotions."

Archer’s lips quirked slightly. "Me too. It’s been happening for a while now… building up. But now—"

"They say True Mates share this… ‘Bond’ that’s almost telepathic," I added. "It lets them sense each other’s state of mind… even some thoughts during sex."

"Yeah, I heard. It’s called Emotional Telepathy—or justempathyfor short. The word’s basically been hijacked for this specific use," Archer said, tilting his head.

Then his eyes fixed on my face. "You found something."

I grinned. "Oh yeah, I did. And you can see it in my mind!"

Turning the screen toward him, I read aloud.

"If True Mates meet before both of their glands are fully matured, they won’t recognize each other. The Pull won’t activate—at least, not in 99% of cases. They’ll feel a strong connection, but they can separate and live apart, even though something will always draw them back together." I tapped the screen for more. "There’s a case here about two kids who met in preschool. Their families moved to opposite sides of the state, but the boys kept in touch online because they… had to. The urge. And then, when they met again as teens, once their glands matured, they realized they were True Mates all along."

Archer listened in silence for a moment. Then he let out a breath. "That explains so much… I never forgot about you."

"Neither did I," I admitted, my voice softening. "I wanted to see you again, but Thomas—"

"I know," Archer sighed. "He had me trapped too. The thought that I’d ruin your family… that I’d hurt your kids—"

A wave of emotions surged through me. I exhaled slowly, then reached out, brushing my fingers against his cheek.

"Fate brought us back together," I whispered. "And I feel… relieved. You know why?"

Archer’s lips twitched. "Because of the kiss?"

I laughed, shaking a playful finger at him. "You read my mind again, didn’t you?!"

"Sort of." He leaned in and planted a kiss on the sensitive skin of my freshly bitten gland. I shivered, but then he pulled back with a slight frown, once again seeming to read me.

"That first kiss… I still don’t feel great about it," I muttered. "I don’t want to give myself a pass for it, because of the TM thing."

Archer rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. "At least now we know there was something bigger behind it."

"Yeah."

"Another thing… I’ll finally be free of suppressants."

A thrill pierced me. He was right!

His Allure scent would be back—we’d be known, recognized by everyone as a mated pair. That thought sent another jolt of satisfaction through me. I hadn’t been mated for years—not since Thomas’s mark had started to fade after Lake was born, and I felt very… single because of it.

But the moment I thought about how others would perceive us now, a realization struck me.

"Archer… it’s time to break the news to someone who’s going to be shocked," I finished, grinning.

Archer smirked. "I already know who."

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