Page 123 of Red River

ARCHER

Over the next few weeks, things in our house settled down even more. Igor really stepped up as an older brother again—and my job as his guardian, which used to take some effort, became a piece of cake.

At school, Igor started making a name for himself. He joined a few extracurricular sports activities, including jogging and swimming, made new friends, and even earned the respect of his coaches.

We also had a visit from Riley, who was surprised to see how well his brothers were getting along now—working out and playing together like a real team.

Riley was different from the rest of his brothers—more guarded, more closed off. It was hard to tell what he was really thinking.

Despite being an omega, he had a more beta-like appearance, and he even admitted that he’d thought about using his ambiguous look to his advantage. There were prestigious talent development courses, training camps, and masterclass retreats that were only available to betas as part of the beta-empowering policy. Riley had even considered trying to qualify for one of them, using suppressants to mask his scent, but River talked him out of it—though Riley still seemed a little disappointed.

Riley had inherited features that made him resemble his uncle, Winter—River’s only beta brother. He had light blond hair, though with subtle strawberry highlights, strikingly pale blue eyes, and a more aloof, almost cold expression compared to his siblings. River admitted to me that, for a long time, they all thought Riley might be a beta or even an alpha—his secondary gender hadn’t manifested until he was almost seventeen, a rare case of late subgender reveal. He had sharp, sculpted features that made him undeniably handsome, and even though he turned out to be an omega, he still had a gender-neutral look, further emphasized by his 5’10" height. Meanwhile, his dad and granddad had much softer, more traditionally omega-like features.

Riley stayed with us for a few days, and I set up one of the empty rooms for him. He seemed genuinely surprised that there was a place just for him. The sheer size of the house really caught him off guard.

When it came to his attitude toward me, we had no issues. Riley was respectful, well-mannered, and kind. I could see that he was pleased to see his dad looking as if he had literally come back to life. One time, I overheard him talking to River, saying he was shocked at how much younger and more energetic he seemed.

During that first week after the heat, quite a lot had happened.

River had a conversation with Oliver’s brother—Milo and Avery’s dad—and he agreed to have Avery come over for violin lessons. River was quietly but deeply happy about it.

Soon, Riley headed back to campus, wanting to prepare for an important recital.

By the end of the second week after River’s heat, Oliver had more news. He told us that he’d finally spoken to his cousin, who was happy to offer River a trial run at the preschool,where he could spend time with the kids and introduce them to music. And so River taught them about rhythm and melody, showed them simple instruments, and let them play the triangle, maracas, drums, and xylophone. The kids loved it, and before long, the preschool offered River a permanent position. Now, he visited them a few times a week.

I could see how much joy it brought River—even though he called it more of a hobby, it was like new life had been poured into him. And I was glad he’d finally broken free from that miserable online consultant job while still earning some money, which was important to him.

One afternoon, about a month after River’s heat, I took a short post-lunch nap. When I woke up, I walked to the window and smiled in satisfaction. Outside, Igor was with his brothers, setting up the training mats near the biggest climbing wall.

Everyone was busy—soon, Igor was holding target pads while Van practiced his punches. Next to them, Milo held another set of pads as Aiden worked on his strikes. The only ones not training were Lake and little Avery, who were playing nearby. Avery was only five, but from a distance, he and Lake looked almost the same height. They swung on the tire swings, laughing together.

After a while, they all took a short break, and the younger boys ran to the house for some refreshments. That left Igor and Milo alone, and with some surprise, I noticed a peculiar scene.

At one point, they stood by the climbing wall, backs against it as they talked. Then, suddenly, Milo turned slightly, placed a hand on Igor’s chest, and slowly leaned in. Igor mirrored the movement, just as hesitantly. And then… they kissed! It was short and shy, but still—a kiss. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

A moment later, both boys returned to their training, the energy between them lighter, more playful.

Just then, I heard River walk up beside me, but he was too late to catch what had just happened.

I had the news of the kiss right on the tip of my tongue, but… oh well. I decided to hold on to this secret a little longer. I still remembered what it was like to be barely sixteen—having parents involved in matters like this wouldn’t be ideal.

River, however, looked strangely excited, like he was about to burst, but he managed to keep it together. He watched Igor and Milo for a moment, observing their training with quiet amazement.

"Your plan worked perfectly, Archer." He motioned toward Igor. "I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting this… but it’s kind of amazing. Igor’s doing so great. And that’s because of you."

I shrugged. "Sometimes, the best way to learn how to follow is by being in charge for a while. It makes you see both sides of things."

He gave me a thoughtful look.

"How is it that, at your age, you already have everything figured out? And I’m the one who’s supposed to have more life experience."

I smiled. "River, I think it just comes down to personality. Yours is different from mine, and that’s okay. We balance each other out."

River tilted his head. "I’m so happy you’re a natural leader. It puts me at ease. That was never a role I wanted to take on. It’s stressful—more of a burden than a reward for me."

"Well, everything has its ups and downs, River."

"That’s for sure." He let out a small, hesitant laugh.

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