Page 140 of Red River

Lake edged closer, peering at the baby with wide eyes.

"I thought all purple alphas had purple lines."

"I thought so too," I murmured, still in disbelief. "I’ve never seen lines like this before."

"Maybe it’s ‘cause you have red hair, Dad," Lake offered, his tone serious, though his eyes sparkled with curiosity. "But what’s important is that he’s cute and healthy, right?"

My dad nodded enthusiastically. "That’s right, Lake! Health is the most important thing. And… um, cuteness. There’s a lot of that flying around in this room." He winked. "And the color of a baby’s markings might not mean much at all. It could be just a variation of purple alphas. Who knows? With alien genes like ours, there are bound to be surprises!"

"He’s incredible," Archer said, his voice full of quiet awe. "Absolutely perfect. Beautiful just as he is."

He pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Thank you, River. You brought us a beautiful son."

We both gazed down at our newborn, completely enchanted.

A tiny tuft of hair sat on his head, rich and deep red—no doubt whose genes had won out there.

"I think my name suggestion fits best!" Lake announced, raising his tiny finger.

"Phoenix!"

I laughed. "That fiery, huh? Maybe it really is the best one!"

***

An hour later, the room had filled with a small crowd—all my sons, including Riley, who had traveled here for the birth. Everyone wanted to see their little new brother.

And there was someone else here—Sam, who had come to meet his first nephew.

He was kinda sheepish and sweet, doing everything he could to make up for what had happened.

But I wasn’t angry anymore—and hadn’t been for a long time. I was just way too happy for that and glad I had my friend back. And not just my friend—he was family now.

This time, when the guests came in, Archer was the one holding the baby, making sure each of them got a chance to come closer—but one at a time and carefully. I chuckled under my breath, remembering how it felt to be a first-time parent when that protective instinct kicked in so hard.

I felt great—nothing like I had just been through labor. And I couldn’t get enough of my dad being here for this moment in my life.

When I gave birth to Riley eighteen years ago, it was just me and Thomas. I had felt so alone, tired, and clueless, and I had missed Dad so much.

Every now and then, my gaze drifted toward him, and he would respond with a warm little wink.

"You’ve got so many grandkids now," I said with a smile. "This can’t even be that exciting for you anymore. In the past year and a half alone, a whole little crowd of them has been born!"

It was true—several of my brothers had already had their first children, and our family gatherings had basically turned into baby-care discussion centers.

Dad laughed. "Every one of my grandkids is important to me, and I cherish each of them. Your father and I—we started as just two people. And now look—an entire little army, born from us!"

Then, he shifted closer and wrapped an arm around me.

"But this little one is special to me," he murmured. "Because he's the first of yours that I get to see come into the world. My eldest son's child." His eyes glistened. "This means… so much to me, River."

I looked at him for a moment.

"And it means a lot to me that you're here. My life… feels complete now."

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Since our reunion, my dad and I had talked a lot. I had told him that I had let fear and pride rule me—that shame, believing I had made a mistake, had kept me from standing before him and admitting Thomas wasn’t the best choice for me. But my ego had kept me from listening. For years.

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