Page 46 of Red River

I sighed lightly but didn't say anything. River was sitting next to me in the passenger seat, but he turned around and said, "Training will do you good. You look like a beanpole. If you want to be an alpha, start working on looking like one."

Igor blushed slightly but didn’t say a word. I could see that hit home. He stared persistently out the window, his expression vacant.

Since I had announced our visit, we handled the formalities pretty quickly, and then we headed to the supermarket.

The boys wandered around the store somewhat aimlessly, but River, who also had a list from Oliver, diligently scanned the shelves. He didn’t say much and seemed deep in thought.

I noticed the younger boys had tossed a few candy bars into the cart. When they weren’t looking, I pulled them out and showed them to River.

"We shouldn’t buy these. The boys might have a tendency to gain weight, like their father, and it teaches them bad habits at such a young age."

River blushed a little, I could tell he was quite embarrassed.

"I agree! I never buy them candy bars. It’s Thomas who used to give them these, saying, ‘Kids should enjoy life’. I argued that it’s just refined sugar and low-quality fats, but he rolled his eyes and said, ‘You’ve been reading too many of those crazy eco-friendly parenting blogs.’"

I watched him for a moment, then scratched my chin and muttered, "Sometimes I wonder if you two were really High Mates."

River shrugged lightly. "I’ve thought about that too, believe me. High Mates are on a spectrum, with genetic compatibility ranging from 75 to 99%. Half Mates can be between 40 and 75. Sometimes I think we were closer to the lower end, but other times, I wonder if I just told myself that because I couldn’t really connect with Thomas during his last years. Thetruth is, we shared more traits than I’d like to admit—especially when it came to avoiding tough situations and making difficult decisions. I saw problems, but just didn’t have the energy to face them. Thomas was the same way. We kind of had a negative synergy."

"My philosophy’s a bit different. Maybe you and I aren’t High Mates, but I still hope we can work things out," I said curtly.

River blinked, and I realized that bringing up our compatibility bothered him. He pressed his lips together and looked away.

"Do you think we’re incompatible? Is that why you use suppressants?"

We walked slowly along the spice aisle, and I took my time responding, watching as he picked out a few bags of green peppercorns and chili powder.

"I don’t know. When I first saw you, I really liked you, but you know how it is with childhood crushes. Sometimes, I was attracted to omegas who weren’t pheromonally compatible with me at all—I just liked how they looked. So it’s hard to judge based on appearance alone."

"You don’t want to take the risk?" River didn’t look at me as he said it, his face showing a little disappointment.

We were now walking along the canned food aisle.

"To be honest, I don’t. I don’t need to know. I never knew the compatibility with any of my exes, and I think I’d rather stay in the dark now too."

My voice sounded firmer and colder than I intended, like I wanted to shut down the conversation. And, in fact, I did.

For some reason, the topic of compatibility annoyed me just a little. As a kid, I imagined River and I were True Mates, but knowing we had ended up living apart and had forgotten each other for years pretty much ruled that out.

Hoping we were High Mates or even Half Mates wasn’t something I wanted to base my actions and plans on. I chose River, and I didn’t want to think about whether nature was on our side. It was enough that I liked him, and that was all I needed to know.

Soon, we finished shopping and headed to the checkout.

"Where’s my candy bar?" Aiden was rummaging through the pile of groceries.

"It turned into a carrot. In my house, all candy bars turn into healthy food. It’s a special kind of magic—nothing unhealthy can get in," I said, tilting my head and smiling sarcastically.

Aiden pouted, but I found an unexpected ally in Van, who muttered under his breath, "If you want a big belly like Father’s, candy bars are the way to go!"

Everyone glanced at him, and Aiden made a sulky face, but it was Igor, standing nearby, who suddenly snapped, "Don’t insult our father, beta!"

Van’s face went pale. "Stop calling me a beta! Nothing’s set in stone yet!"

Obviously, being a beta in Thomas’s house was considered something negative. It seemed like Igor used the term when he wanted to humiliate or punish Van.

"Besides, better to be a beta than a loser alpha!" Van shot back.

Igor lunged at him, but… I was quicker. I slid between them in a flash, blocking Igor’s fist, which was inches away from Van’s face.

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