Page 147 of Red River

"Damn, you scared the hell out of us," I muttered, exhaling. "But if you say there’s a way to protect him, and you know what to do, then I’m all ears."

"We’ll follow your instructions," Archer added solemnly.

Snow nodded.

"Is he already in danger?" I had to ask.

This time my brother shook his head. "Not yet. It’s still developing. But in a few years, we’ll need to take some precautions."

That was—without a doubt—the longest conversation I had ever had with Snow. And that fact alone told me how serious this was. He never spoke unless it was absolutely necessary.

Then, with a small nod, he took a step back, turned, and quietly disappeared into the darkness of the garden, heading toward his house.

The rest of us remained on the patio, still a little tense. I stood there, holding little Phoenix in my arms, trying to process everything.

"Well, that was one hell of a revelation," I muttered, pressing a quick kiss to the top of Phoenix’s little red-haired head.

"The important thing is that Snow knows how to keep Phoenix safe," my dad said as he stood up and walked over to me. He looked down at my son’s tiny face—Phoenix was still blinking groggily, trying to take in his surroundings. His diaper definitely needed changing. "We can completely trust Snow," Dad added firmly.

"I'll go take care of the… load real quick," I mumbled, motioning toward Phoenix's little bum.

I did it extra fast and came back to the patio, where everyone was still discussing what had just happened. My thoughts were spinning too.

Phoenix was scanning the group with his eyes, now much more lively. He was almost five weeks old now and starting to take in more of the world around him, noticing details, showing curiosity about what was happening.

"That was seriously eerie, but also dope," Van said, sounding genuinely impressed. "Uncle Snow is something else. But damn, Phoenix having a talent like that? That’s freaking awesome!"

I figured Igor would jump in with the same enthusiasm, but when I glanced at him, something seemed… off. His expression was tense, and he looked deep in thought, like something was bothering him.

"Yeah, Snow is super mysterious," I admitted, smiling at Van. "Archer and I have some digging to do—see if anything like this has ever been documented before."

"I already started," Archer said, holding up his phone. "But the only thing I found so far was an article about some scientist working for Malden Pharmaceuticals. He was theorizing about the increasing presence of alien genes in the population—especially in families with True Mates’ children. And Phoenix? He’s the grandson of True Mates and the son of a True Mate pair."

Phoenix let out a soft baby gurgle.

And suddenly—clear as day—I knew what he wanted.

A mental image flashed in my head… of my nipple!

Judging by everyone else’s slightly horrified expressions, they saw it too.

"Oh, come on!" I muttered, eyeing my little son. "You can’t be serious!"

Why was Phoenix sending these images to everyone?! Damn, I really hoped he’d figure out how to direct them only to me because—seriously—this was mortifying.

"I’m gonna go feed him!" I blurted out, desperate to cut the awkwardness. I gestured toward a small bench near the greenhouse.

I wasn’t one of those omegas who felt comfortable nursing in public—I liked a little peace and privacy. But with Phoenix’s brand-new, wide-broadcasting telepathic abilities? Yeah, privacy was kinda meaningless now.

Archer watched me closely. "You okay, River?" He could absolutely tell I was a little—okay, a lot—anxious.

I let out a sharp exhale. "This is a lot. First, I was freaking out about him being a red alpha—whatever the hell that even means. And now this? It’s just one shocking revelation after another. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind a break. Just some time to, you know…" I coughed. "Enjoy normal life."

Dad smiled warmly. "Don’t worry. It’ll all make sense soon. Just trust what Snow says—I know everything’s going to be fine. No need to stress over things before they even happen."

Stressing over things before they happened? Yeah, that was basically my entire personality.

But for now, I just nodded and carried Phoenix over to the bench.

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