Page 146 of Red River

We were all hanging out on the patio—Archer was playing cards with Igor, Riley, and Van, while little Phoenix was peacefully napping in his carrier.

Lake and Aiden were off on a trip with Storm and Damien, who had taken them to a nearby amusement park.

After a while, Dad joined us, bringing some snacks. Then, out of nowhere, Snow appeared from the dimly lit garden. That was rare, for sure. He didn’t say a word—just sat down on the couch and started playing his harmonica.

The atmosphere was relaxed, and we were all enjoying ourselves.

But then, I suddenly heard a faint sound coming from Phoenix’s carrier. A chill ran down my spine. Almost instinctively, I raised my hands to my temples—and I wasn’t the only one. Everyone, except Snow, did the same, as if trying to rub away a strange pressure in their heads.

"What the hell is that?" Van muttered, looking around uneasily. "Feels like something’s drilling into my brain."

"I feel it too," Igor added.

I had no idea what was happening. It was as if some strange energy was filling my head, pulling me toward one specific place—the carrier where Phoenix was sleeping!

Confused, I got up and peeked inside. Phoenix’s eyes were open, and he was squirming, waving his little hands like he was uncomfortable. And somehow… I just knew his diaper was full. But how?

The moment I reached down and touched him, the weird pressure in our heads vanished.

I picked him up, still stunned. "What was that? The second I touched him, it stopped!" I looked around at everyone, searching for answers.

Dad was rubbing his temples too, and Archer, along with the others, was staring at Phoenix in shock. They also must have felt it suddenly disappear.

"Was that… Phoenix?" I asked, my voice trailing off. "What just happened?"

Nobody had an answer—except for one person.

Snow stood up slowly, setting his harmonica aside, and walked over to me. I watched him with wide eyes, unsure of what he was about to say. The seriousness on his classically handsome, almost Viking-like face sent a prickle of unease down my spine.

"Phoenix is a special child," he said softly.

That alone was enough to make everyone stare. Snow was the quietest person in our entire family—when he spoke, you listened. Even the kids, who rarely heard his voice, were paying close attention.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Was that… that weird pressure in our heads because of him?"

Snow nodded.

"Is this some kind of… special ability?"

"Yes. Powerful telepathy. It’s just beginning to awaken," he explained calmly.

Archer stood up and joined us.

"Telepathy?" he repeated. "Not like the empathetic bond between True Mates, right? You meanrealtelepathy—reading actual thoughts of strangers?"

Snow nodded again.

I felt my stomach tighten. "Is this… dangerous? Does something like this happen often? Is it normal?" I asked, my voice a little more anxious than I’d like.

"Phoenix is the first," Snow said. "You need to protect him. There will be people who take an interest in his abilities—people who shouldn’t know what he can do."

Everyone froze, staring at Snow as if he had just dropped a bomb. Which, well… he kind of had. My mouth hung open in shock.

"What do we do?" Archer asked, going straight for the pragmatic approach, his brows furrowing. "How do we protect him?"

Snow’s strange, pale-violet eyes met his. "Don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything. Phoenix will be safe. We’ll make sure of it."

A cautious wave of relief washed over me. For some reason, if there was anyone I could trust to know what he was talking about, it was Snow.

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