Page 122 of Red River

Another pause, while I blinked in disbelief.

Then Igor nodded, his voice quieter but insistent. "I’ll hold you to that. See you soon, Riley."

A strong, unexpected warmth rushed through me. No way—Igor had been talking to Riley!

When he turned and saw me standing a few feet away, his face flushed slightly.

"What’s up, Dad?"

I hesitated. "I, uh… I overheard part of your conversation." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I wasn’t expecting that. But it’s… really nice to hear. I didn’t know you were talking to Riley again. Did you two make up?"

Igor shrugged lightly. "I wanted to apologize for being such an asshole. Luckily, he forgave me. He said he wants to come here in a week and a half to meet Archer. He’s so happy you guys are perfect mates."

I grinned, then added carefully, "I heard you were giving Archer a pretty… glowing recommendation."

Igor shrugged again, looking off to the side like it wasn’t a big deal.

"He earned it." Then he looked me straight in the eyes. "You made the right choice, Dad. And I’m… I’m glad we came here."

A lump formed in my throat. In just a few quick steps, I closed the distance between us and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Son, you have no idea how much it means to hear you say that." My voice broke slightly. "These last two months have been hard." I pulled back a bit, looking him in the eye. "I felt like I was losing you. Like I lost our bond. And that I was just being selfish. But now I see… you’ve grown. For real. You went through something huge—the kind of maturity you were hoping to get fromMusth. But in the end, you got there in a completely different way. Coming here helped you properly grow up. At a natural pace."

Igor let out a breath, and after a moment, said with quiet weight, "Dad, I’m so sorry for what I did back at the old house—for locking you in that room, for taking your phone. I never should’ve done that. I feel awful. Sometimes, I can’t stop thinking about it." Igor’s voice wavered slightly. "I don’t want to tarnish our father’s memory, but I also don’t want to be blind to his mistakes—the same ones he began planting in me."

I felt a slight shiver run through me. "Your father isn’t here anymore to defend himself, so I don’t want to dwell on his faults either. But I’m glad you’re seeing things from a wider perspective now."

Silence settled between us as we held each other’s gaze.

"I’m really, really glad you’re here with us, Igor," I said finally. "That the enforcers didn’t… take you away." I made a frantic gesture with my hand and shook my head. "These last few days have been a real test of character, and you stepped up. Oliver gave you a verbal medal for how well you managed the situation. You were a great leader for your brothers, kept everything running smoothly. So maybe…" I hesitated before adding, "Perhaps your father wasn’t wrong after all?"

Igor stiffened slightly. "What do you mean?"

"He said you’d make a great leader, Igor. He noticed something in you. And now I also think he was actually right. He saw the seed of it in you—even if you had to take a different path to get there."

Igor was quiet for a moment, then said, "Archer taught me something important. A good leader doesn’t need to use force." He exhaled. "I just stuck to that, and… it worked."

"Absolutely."

For a moment, we stood there, saying nothing, each deep in thought.

"Are our troubles over, Igor?" I asked quietly. "I’m a bit afraid to believe it."

A rueful grimace flickered across his face. "I hope. But I won’t lie—I still miss him. Despite everything that happened, everything he did—or didn’t do—I loved him, Dad."

A wave of emotions made me avert my eyes, my gaze landing on the lake and the small islet in the distance.

"I know you felt like I moved on too fast. And trust me, I was just as puzzled by how it was possible. Your father was my High Mate, after all—maybe on the lower end of HM compatibility, but still. I firmly believe Fate had a hand in bringing Archer into my life. And our True Mate bond just pulled us—"

Something shifted in Igor’s expression, like a thought had struck him, bringing out strong emotions. "There might be more at work here than you think," he murmured.

"What do you mean?"

Igor furrowed his brows and lowered his head. "It doesn’t matter. Not now that it has all gone in the right direction. I just wanted you to know… I’m happy you found your fated mate. And he’s a good guy. I’m not blind—I saw how much you suffered, how overworked you were, how stressed. And now… you even look different. More…" He searched for the perfect word. "More radiant?"

"Thank you." I grinned. "I’ll probably always be a ball of nerves—it’s just who I am. But you’re right. He calms me, and I can finally enjoy my life more. And you… you’re an integral part of that life. You always will be."

Igor nodded solemnly and let me hug him one more time.

---