Page 28 of Red River

From what I’d heard, Thomas lost his father (by the way, Igor’s namesake) when he was eighteen. His glands were fully mature, and he wasn’t required to have a guardian, but he still struggled, having to work and drop out of school to support his younger brother. Maybe that’s why he thought Igor could handle it too?

"Boys, it's time to start unpacking your things. It's already half past eight. Not much time before bed, and it would be a shame to sleep on your suitcases. You have your toothbrushes and pajamas, so head upstairs and get to work!" River urged them.

The kids didn’t need much encouragement; they were eager to set up their rooms, and Igor followed them silently.

River loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and then turned to face me.

Only then did we look at each other, and a moment of silence fell between us.

"You didn't cut your hair. Last time I saw you, you had plans to."

He blinked uncertainly and cleared his throat. "I—I changed my mind."

"Because of me?"

He didn’t answer, biting his lip. I could tell he had no idea how to respond, but I suspected it was true.

I glanced at the pot of stew next to River.

"Would you like some?" he asked quickly.

"No, I ate just before you arrived." I slowly shifted my gaze back to him. "You should have some. You look really run down."

"I don’t know if I can eat anything," River whispered.

I took a step toward him. "You always had such a pleasing figure—soft curves, round hips. You weren’t chubby, just healthy, juicy—"

"Do I look ugly to you now?" he asked nervously, pressing his hands to his hips as if to check how thin they were.

"That’s impossible. But I’d like you to eat. I want you to be healthy and vibrant, like before."

He slowly nodded and served himself a portion. "Maybe you could join me… for company?"

I snorted with amusement. "River, I already ate," I repeated. "I eat a set number of meals a day—that’s what best suits my metabolism."

His hands moved nervously as he sat down. "That’s the complete opposite of Thomas. I could never get him to cut down on calories. He’d give the boys candy bars and snacks. I tried to fight it, but he always said kids deserved a treat—and so did he."

"Developing bad eating habits isn’t the best ‘treat’. It adds up over time."

"I completely agree. In my home, we ate healthily. My dad had a vegetable garden, and we never gorged on candy or fast food. But that’s how it was at Thomas’s family house. He wasn’t ripped when we met—more like a teddy bear. But over the years, he really gained weight. Morbid obesity. A lot of belly fat, the worst for the heart."

"Hmmm. Is a teddy bear your type of alpha? Some omegas like dad bods. It makes them feel safe."

River blushed suddenly. "No… If I had to choose, I’d prefer sculpted abs, but he just didn’t have them. I came to terms with it."

River slowly raised his eyes from his plate, his gaze resting on my stomach. I could hear his heart racing loud and clear.

"Are you checking if I have abs? Should I show you?"

He nearly choked on his stew. "I… no way, I wouldn’t ask you to do that. It’s rude."

"But you want to see. Tell the truth."

There was a moment of silence. River played with his spoon, dipping it into his portion and pulling it out again.

"Yes," he whispered so quietly only an alpha’s ears could hear. To any beta, it would have been just the movement of his lips.

Amused by the situation, I slowly lifted my shirt. River’s eyes shot up, locked onto my abdomen—then immediately dropped back to his plate like startled prey.

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