Page 125 of Red River

He lifted his head. Only then did I notice he was holding something small in his hand, clutched so tightly that it was impossible to tell what it was.

His other hand still tugged at the wall of the nest.

"Ineedyou to know that I don’t want to make that same mistake. I don’t want to putpressureon you to be some perfect alpha—"

I moved closer, sitting beside him. Gently, I pulled his hand away from the nest, stopping him before he could tear it completely.

"Take it easy, River," I said softly. "I appreciate that you’re giving me space to fail. But I think… this time, you’ve ended up with someone different from Thomas. The thing is—he was pretending to live the way you imagined. I actually do live this way. That means I won’t have to push myself to be something I’m not."

River’s eyes were almost crazily focused on my face, like he was drinking in my words, and I smiled with some melancholy.

"I won’t have to stuff down my failures with candy bars and triple portions of food. I’ve always had my structure, River. My discipline, my way of doing things. You’re stepping into something that’s already built. You don’t have to change me."

River's face was now more pensive, as if his mind were wandering through places that didn’t necessarily make immediate sense.

"Sam told me something interesting about you—that guys on campus called you a conservative prick or a house tyrant who wants to put omegas in the kitchen. But funny enough… you freed me from the kitchen. You even encouraged me to get a new job! They were so wrong about you…"

I snickered. "Well, maybe because I already knew exactly who I was and what I wanted. And they… were still searching."

"I tried to change Thomas," River whispered. "But that approach is always doomed to fail. It just has to already be there… like it is withyou."

Suddenly, he showed me what he was holding—his fingers opened.

"Archer, I started this convo for a reason. I’m pregnant."

With a soft smile, I took the small plastic strip from his hand. Of course, I already knew—I had sensed his changing, vanilla-saturated scent—but I didn't want to spoil his joy, the moment of announcing this.

"I remember when I found out I was pregnant with Lake. I felt a wave of fear then—about our family’s future. But now—"

River lightly tapped with one finger the strip lying on my hand and smiled sheepishly.

"Now I can’t wait to expand my family, Archer. And I can’t believe I feel it so… carelessly. There’s no fear anymore, Archer. I trust you in a way I never trusted Thomas." He let out a loud breath. "Thank you… for this gift. For letting me just be happy about our child."

Then he put his palm over the strip I held, and smiled lovingly.

"And I thank you for the gift… of happiness," I said solemnly. "You brought life into my emptiness. On every level, in every way, River."

A lonely tear appeared on his face, and he averted his gaze, something flashing in his eyes.

I studied him for a moment before asking, "River, have you thought about… reconnecting with your family? Pregnancy could be the perfect moment. This child could be a bridge—a new beginning for all of you."

River flinched slightly but didn’t respond.

After a brief pause, I asked, "Do you still carry resentment toward your parents? Do you feel like they let you down? That when you ran away… you weren’t really runningtoThomas, but awayfromthem?"

This time, River stiffened, like I’d touched a nerve. His fingers twitched toward the nest, but I kept his hand in mine, steady.

"Maybe I partially blame them for it," he admitted. "Consciously, I do appreciate how much they loved us, how gentle and understanding they were. Even if they weren’t great at setting boundaries, they did the best they could in a way that made sense to them. It’s just…"

I lifted his palm slightly, giving it a small encouraging toss in the air before letting it fall back into my grasp.

"Say it, River."

"My brothers were strong characters—pushy, combative, or kinda… unbothered, like Snow. But me? Did they care how I felt? A nervous and sensitive kid like I was—the one constantly trampled over."

There was a brief pause while I played gently with his slender fingers, and River stared at this movement with a serious face.

Then he raised his eyes to me. "How are my brothers doing? Their careers?"

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