Page 80 of Red River

Of course, Archer was completely at ease—just like I should have expected. But not me. Nope. Always looking for problems even when there weren’t any.

Two people stepped out of the car, and at first glance, they looked like a beta and an omega, which surprised me—I was sure Jan was an alpha. But as we got closer, I caught the unmistakable scent of a mated alpha coming from the dark blond-haired man, despite his height falling within a beta’s range.

"River, this is my cousin Jan—maybe you remember him from years ago—and his husband, Day."

I reached out to shake Jan’s hand. He had changed so much since the last time I saw him.

In some ways, Jan looked a lot like Archer. They both had blond hair—though Archer’s was a little lighter, while Jan’s had more of a golden-brown hue. Their facial features were similar, too. Both were undeniably handsome, but in different ways—Archer had strong, striking features, a classically ruggedkind of attractiveness. Meanwhile, Jan was also handsome, but in a more refined, almost model-like way. He had a certain prettiness to him, much softer than Archer.

His eyes were a warm golden color, while Archer’s were crystal blue. But despite their differences, the family resemblance was definitely there.

Of course, I didn’t dare ask why Jan was the height of a typical beta even though he was clearly an alpha—that would have been way out of line. Something obviously had to have happened in the time since I last saw him, but it wasn’t my business.

Jan’s husband, Day, was pregnant, his stomach gently rounded.

He had a completely different look from Jan, who was jacked—Day was slim and delicate, with narrow shoulders and a slender, triangular face. His large gray eyes were striking, and his long, wavy brown hair framed his features beautifully.

They both looked about twenty-five, but I knew better. Since they were True Mates, their original ages weren’t obvious anymore. Archer had told me there was actually an eight-year gap between them, but the magic of their bond had evened it out, making them both look like they were in their early twenties.

Jan kept a protective arm around Day’s slim shoulders, and the way he kept glancing at him—full of pure love and tenderness—was honestly heartwarming to see.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind of introductions and explanations. Even Igor, to my surprise, behaved himself. He actually sat at the table with us and didn’t make any snide remarks about Jan’s height.

No one asked about my relationship with Archer, either—which was a relief. Instead, I focused on helping Oliver set the table, a role I was very happy to take on. Meanwhile, Archer and Jan chatted about Jan’s fruit tree nursery and his brothers.

Their conversation wasn’t particularly interesting to me. Soon they switched topics to one of Archer’s college friends—some guy named Gabriel—and a well-known public figure: Blue Lowen, the head of Malden Pharmaceuticals. They got really into the discussion, but I had no clue what they were talking about, so I just made sure everyone got their food and that the kids didn’t completely destroy the table.

At one point, Aiden turned to Jan and asked, "Are you guys True Mates?"

Jan laughed and nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, we are!"

"How did you know?" Aiden asked, full of childlike curiosity.

Jan smiled. "I actually went to a marriage contract fair, and that’s where I first saw Day. There was this matchmaker guy there who wouldn’t stop trying to set us up. At first, I wasn’t sure, but eventually, he got through to me."

I immediately noticed Archer tense up slightly. He shot Jan a look, like he was trying to warn him about something. But Jan didn’t seem to notice—he just kept talking.

"That matchmaker was a purple alpha. He had this incredible ability—he could actually see if people were True Mates and gauge the strength of their mateship."

My kids practically gasped in awe.

"I would love to find a perfect mate!" Lake exclaimed.

"I wish I could meet someone like that too!" Aiden said, scratching his chin. "It’d be amazing to have a True Mate."

"Oh, it is amazing," Jan admitted with a wide grin. "There’s nothing better! You don’t get sick, you age backward till you’re in your twenties, and you live way longer than regular people. But, of course, there are some downsides. Can you guess what they are?"

He gazed around at my sons, waiting for their answers.

Igor looked up from his plate, where he was busy devouring yet another cutlet, and muttered, "I know. If one of you dies, the other dies too."

"That’s true." Jan nodded, unfazed by Igor’s grim tone. "But True Mates aren’t easy to kill. We can heal each other, even from life-threatening injuries—"

"Through sex," Igor said flatly, giving Jan a challenging look.

Jan just chuckled, clearly not embarrassed. He glanced over at Day, whose cheeks were slightly flushed—though that could’ve just been the pregnancy.

"What does ‘healing through sex’ mean?" Lake asked curiously.

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