Page 143 of Red River

"Our family is something else, huh?" I let out a shaky laugh. "Fa, you have no idea how happy I am to finally be part of it again."

"River, you were always part of it… We were all waiting for you. You complete us."

Tears streamed down my face. "Thank you for everything, Fa—for every lesson and for your love. I needed to grow to truly appreciate it in the end."

"Oh, River, I love you so much, son."

"And I love you!"

"So much love, I’m starting to get jealous!" Archer’s voice came from the doorway, his usual smirk in place, with Igor standing by his side.

Father stood up and faced him. His approach to Archer was a bit different from my dad’s—more rooted in mutual respect, with a peculiar… brotherhood vibe. Almost as if my father didn’t see him as his son-in-law but as a peer.

"Take good care of my son… he’s a treasure!"

Archer grinned and winked. "I’ve known that since I was six."

"You are all welcome to come to our house for the winter break," Father said, putting his other hand on Igor’s shoulder too. "We would love for River to spend some time with his brothers. They waited patiently through the end of his pregnancy, but now they’re going to be even more insistent that you both visit us for more than just a dinner!"

"I’m sure it can be done. Winter break is the perfect time for a family reunion."

***

The next morning, I was lying in bed with little Phoenix, gazing lovingly at his tiny, adorable face, completely captivated by his striking golden eyes. I knew that color ran in Archer’s family—Jan had golden eyes too—but Phoenix took it to another level. His shade was almost fiery.

I stared at my youngest with a dopey smile, amazed by the fact that this child was the very embodiment of my love with Archer. Then, I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

Igor stepped in, holding a printed-out piece of paper. I raised an eyebrow at him—he looked way too serious.

"What’s that? A congratulations letter for giving you a new baby brother?" I joked, chuckling silly.

Igor rolled his eyes. "Very funny. But actually… yeah, kinda."

"Wait… what?"

He smirked mischievously, then leaned over, peeking at his new little brother.

"He’s awesome! I always wanted a purple alpha brother to take down all my enemies," he said with a wink. "I guess a red alpha will do, too!"

I let out a laugh. "Oh, wishful thinking, kid. I had a purple alpha brother myself, and I can’t say he ever took down a single one of my enemies for me"

Igor planted his hands on his hips, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "Dad! He was a little kid when you ran away from home! He never got the chance!"

I snickered. "You’re so serious today, and here I am trying to crack jokes with my fierce son—who, by the way, doesn’t need anyone to fight his battles. You’re doing just fine on your own."

And that was true. Igor had already debuted in a Muay Thai tournament—and won his first two matches. Everyone said he had a real knack for it.

"Alright, enough jokes, Dad," he muttered, sitting down carefully beside me and placing the printed-out sheet at the edge of my nest. "Take this. It's… money. A bank transfer receipt."

My fingers skimmed over the paper, and I blinked in confusion. "Money?"

"Yep. You’re with your True Mate now. You’ll be around for a long time, staying young and strong. I know you want to focus on family right now, but with so many years ahead of you, maybe… you’ll want to do something for yourself too—something you’ve always dreamed of but never had the chance to do, because my father took that from you."

I stared at him, stunned. "What are you talking about? And what money?"

"You can major in Music Education online at the college Riley attends. Anyone can enroll—I checked. This money… I earned it from my videos. It’s enough to cover the full tuition."

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