Page 145 of Red River

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Ever since Rain and Kay’s wedding, we hadn’t visited my parents’ house for more than a day.

That was mostly because, during my pregnancy, I had a deep, instinctive aversion to traveling. Instead, I loved nesting—building my safe space, coming up with new ways to decorate, adding colors, modifying shapes. The idea of leaving home felt almost unbearable, so in the months leading up to my due date,my parents were the ones making the trips to visit us. We would only stop by for short lunches or dinners.

My brothers, however, kept complaining that they hadn’t gotten to spend enough time with me. Eventually, Archer and I decided to visit for a whole week, even though Phoenix was barely over a month old. But since my nesting instinct had finally eased up, I felt like I could handle being away from home.

Since it was winter break, Riley was able to join us too, coming home straight from campus. So, we basically descended on my parents’ place as a whole pack.

The house was crowded and lively, but Archer quickly established some order. All the kids trained with him—even without an obstacle course, they could practice martial arts and go jogging together.

I spent most of my time at home with Phoenix, talking a lot with my parents. We shared stories from the past, and I told them a lot about my sons' childhood.

My parents were starving for those details—they wanted to know everything about their grandkids’ toddler years, all the little moments they had missed. I felt guilty that they hadn’t been part of those memories, so I made up for it by indulging them with every funny or heartwarming story I could think of. They could listen for hours.

On my parents’ huge property, at two opposite corners, stood two other houses—one belonging to Snow and the other to Bay.

Both were technically ‘mobile tiny houses’, but they weren’t all that tiny. I knew both of them were planning some changes soon, preparing to expand their places to make them more adaptable for a larger family.

Bay had bought his house years ago, when he was still in college, with money from his concerts. He wanted some privacybut, for whatever reason, didn’t want to move far from our parents’ home.

Snow, on the other hand, had lived in our parents’ basement forever. But some time ago, after getting together with his partner, he finally got his own big ‘tiny’ house model.

There was one more secret fan of those tiny houses—someone who sometimes wandered around them, admiring their compact and modern design. Igor.

At sixteen, he was just two years away from adulthood, and I already knew exactly what I was going to get him for his eighteenth birthday: his own tiny house on the edge of Archer’s property.

Archer was already making preparations to section off a small part of his land in Igor’s name. We both wanted him to have his own space, but we also loved the idea of him staying close. I couldn’t imagine ever being separated from my wonderful son (yes, the dad heart speaking!).

This idea came to me when I noticed him staring at the houses and commenting on how cool they were. Still, Igor’s curiosity about my brothers’ properties was never fully satisfied—he hardly ever got a peek inside.

Those uncles of his were never the overly family-gathering types, and both of their partners were even shyer, so they didn’t often drop by for casual chats on the—now usually crowded—patio. And they definitely weren’t the type to invite us over for tea.

Snow, especially, with his unique personality, kept to himself even more.

During the visit, I got to know my brothers' loved ones just a bit, and honestly, I sometimes had trouble believing the crazy (and sometimes downright sensational) stories of how they met and ended up together. It was always something straight out of a horror story, a fantasy novel, or maybe a crime drama. I madesure my kids didn’t overhear those tales—they would’ve totally blown their minds.

In the meantime, my other brothers visited, staying for a few days here and there.

My youngest brother, Sun, was on a trip to Europe, which I regretted because I longed to get to know him better. Also, Winter couldn’t come since he was in the final stages of a big work project, but Storm arrived with his boyfriend, Damien, a young student—an adorable omega with hair almost the same shade as mine, though more pinkish in hue.

Rain also came with his husband, Kay, who was far along in his pregnancy. They brought Kay’s son with them, little two-year-old Ray, a kid from Kay’s previous marriage. The boy was a ball of energy and pure joy. Lake loved playing with him, leading him around by the hand through the house and garden.

Skye and Soren also showed up with their six-month-old baby, Silver. That reunion was especially emotional—Skye was the only one in the family still actively playing the violin, and being around him brought back vivid memories of when he was little and would sneak into my room to listen to me play.

I have to admit, I was a little overwhelmed being around two such stunning guys like Kay and Soren. Both were tall, black-haired beauties, though in different ways—Kay had a classic elegance, while Soren had a sharp, almost edgy kind of attractiveness. Maybe not everyone’s type, but undeniably striking. His features were feline and sensual. Their kids seemed to have inherited their dads’ breathtaking looks—both boys had those thick, dark lashes I always envied on brunets, while I was stuck with my auburn ones.

At first, both Kay and Soren seemed a bit distant, almost aloof. But the more we talked, the more I realized they were actually sensitive and, deep down, kind of sweet. What I enjoyed the most was how completely in love they were withmy brothers. Watching them together, I saw just how perfectly Fate had matched these True Mates. Their relationships were harmonious, like puzzle pieces seamlessly fitting. Seeing my brothers so happy made me pause and reflect—it was kind of unbelievable.

In a world where True Mates were incredibly rare (only about 5% of the population ever found theirs), so many people in my family had somehow found their perfect mate!

On a few occasions, I was tempted to ask more about how Snow was doing it—how exactly his magic was responsible for this astonishing stroke of luck.

Our family was practically a statistical anomaly—a whole cluster of True Mate pairs. And not just us, but even a few of our cousins had found theirs. It was almost too magical. But I kept my mouth shut. Inviting Snow into a conversation was a challenge anyway, and maybe some mysteries were better left hidden.

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One day during our stay at my parents’ house, something unusual happened.

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