Page 33 of The Immortal’s One (Bound to the Immortals #1)

“I have.” Argos trots back to me and nudges the hand resting on my thigh. I laugh, sitting back on my heels and resuming the steady, soothing motion of petting his neck. “He’s very sweet.”

Des crosses his arms, a reluctant smirk tugging at his lips. “Yes, well, Argos is not the fearsome guard dog he was intended to be.”

As he finishes the sentence, Argos lays down at my feet and inches forward, resting his head on my lap. My heart melts.

“He likes you.” Des chuckles oddly, as if he’s unsure whether to be amused or bothered.

I keep my eyes on the dog, scratching behind his ears, willing my heart to stop fluttering at the sound of his laugh. “I always wanted a dog, but Dad and I traveled too much to get one.”

“Dogs can be a lot of work, but nothing beats their companionship.”

I smile, petting Argos’s head. He lets out a happy huff, relaxing further. “How long have you had him?”

Des pauses.

I look up.

A flicker of something I can’t quite place crosses his face before he answers. “About eighty years.”

My jaw drops. “ What!? ”

Des’s lips twitch. “Argos is not a typical dog.”

No shit. “Well, what kind of dog is he?”

Des lifts one shoulder. “The mythical kind, I suppose.”

Of course, he is.

I squint down at Argos, who still lays happily in my lap, his eyes half-closed as I resume scratching behind his ears. “Are you saying Argos is a mythical creature?”

“There’s nothing really mythical about Argos, but humans might consider him one of their ‘mythical creatures,’ yes.” Des rocks back on his heels. His attention focuses on my hand petting his dog. “There are many rare and exotic animals humans don’t know exist.”

I try to wrap my head around the idea. “How is that possible these days?”

Des leans against the tree next to him and shrugs. “Creatures like Argos are rare and tend to live in places untouched by mortals. Some even resemble animals that humans are already familiar with. Like Argos, here.”

Argos lifts his head at the sound of his name, giving Des a sidelong glance before laying back down in my lap, content.

I run my fingers through his fur.

“Wait…” A thought pops into my head, and I glance up. “His name is Argos. As in… Odysseus’s dog, Argos?”

Des’s smile is more genuine this time. “You’ve read The Odyssey ?”

I grin at the surprise in his voice. “It’s a pretty common book assigned in school. It was also one of my dad’s favorite stories to read to me at bedtime.”

I don’t know what possessed me to share that with Des, but warmth spreads through my chest at the memory of those nights, curled up in my twin-sized bed as Dad read to me.

He thought the lengthy epic would lull me to sleep.

And it did … until I got too interested in the story to want to fall asleep.

Des raises an eyebrow, his expression tinged with mild approval. “I suppose that is not that surprising, considering your father is a historian. ”

I lower my gaze back to Argos, hoping to hide how my cheeks flush. “Yeah… I guess not.”

Silence settles between us, but it’s not uncomfortable. There’s a peacefulness to it, with the cool breeze ruffling the leaves and the distant sounds of the forest surrounding us. I’m starting to relax, to feel like this conversation might be… normal.

Then Des speaks again, his voice lower, more serious. “I don’t believe I’ve ever apologized.”

My hand that’s petting Argos stills. I tilt my head up. “Apologize? For what?”

“For the misunderstanding that led to all of this.” He waves a hand at the surrounding forest. “For the role I played in upending your life.”

I’m quick to shake my head. “None of this is your fault. If anything, you’re the only one who actually tried to help me get home.” I hesitate, then add, “You don’t want me here, either.”

Which reminds me of what I came out here to ask you…

I want to ask about reincarnation. I want to know why Des thinks his siblings believe I am one of his reincarnated soulmates when he denies it.

But while my mind creates the words, they refuse to roll off my tongue.

Des’s gaze grows distant for a moment, then he clears his throat and shakes his head. “Regardless, however misguided my siblings may be, they claim to do all this for my benefit. I’m sorry that you’re caught up in it.”

I chew the inside of my cheek, struggling to say what I need to say.

Just do it, you coward!

“I had an interesting conversation with Eshe and Bella earlier today,” I blurt. My cheeks flush with embarrassment, but I hold his gaze.

He lets out a low snort. “I’m not surprised. What did they tell you?”

I lick my lips, suddenly dry. “Well… um… you see… they?—”

“I assume it was about the ball?” Des interrupts, his tone suddenly more guarded. “Trust me, I’m working on a way to get us out of it.”

My questions about reincarnation are put aside as I focus on this new piece of information. “Wait, what ball?”

His jaw tightens. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

He rubs a hand over his face and releases an exhausted sigh. “The Council is throwing a ball for the holidays.”

I blink. “Immortals celebrate the holidays?”

Des drops his hand. His lips twist. “Immortals take advantage of any excuse to drink in excess and make fools of themselves.”

Some humans are the same.

I purse my lips. “What does a ball have to do with me? And why are you trying to get us out of it?”

An apology flickers across his face, but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. “The Council plans to announce you as my One at the ball.”

The words punch the air from my lungs. I gasp, “ What ?”

They can’t do that. Making a public statement like that will lock in the target already on my back. I’ll end up just like Des’s soulmates from the past.

Horror. Fear. Dread. They all churn in my gut, making me want to vomit.

Des begins to pace the small clearing and continues, “I’ve repeatedly told the Council they’re mistaken, that you are not my One . But my fellow Originals won’t listen.” He shakes his head, frustration palpable in every line of his posture. “They want to parade us in front of the lesser Immortals.”

My mind races. “Why would they want to do that?”

“I imagine they want my brothers and me to show off our power—to dissuade the rebels from continuing their misguided attempts to overthrow the Council. Or maybe they’re trying to provoke the rebellion into attacking at the ball. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised by either.”

My hands start to tremble against Argos’s fur. Being announced at a ball goes against my very simple plan of getting out of the rebellion's notice and out of danger.

No. This won’t happen. I refuse.

“You’ll just find a way to get me out of going to the ball.” Determination strengthens my declaration. “If not, then you can openly contradict any announcement anyone tries to make, right then and there.”

I’ll admit, it’s not a very detailed plan, but it’s all I can think of at the moment.

Des glances at me with a rueful smile, but there’s something else in his gaze that sends a nervous flutter through my stomach. He turns away before I can figure it out.

“We could do both of those things,” he says with a slow nod. “But… I have another idea as well.”

I curl my fingers into Argos’s fur. “What is it?”

His hazel eyes lock with mine. Intent. Resolute. “The ball could be an opportunity for both of us to get what we want.”

Anticipation sends a shiver down my spine.

Argos lifts his head and nudges my hand. I loosen my grip and resume petting him, but my attention locks on Des. “Explain. ”

He scans the forest. When his gaze returns to mine, the intensity makes my hands tremble.

“I only have a semblance of a plan.” His voice is low and thoughtful. “But if I can find a way to prove to the others that you are not my One at the ball, would you be willing to play your part?”

Despite the whirlwind of questions in my mind, I don’t hesitate. “If it means I get to go back to my normal life, then of course.”

His expression softens just the slightest bit, but his tone remains serious. “Good. For now, will you go along with the preparations for the ball?”

I take a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Des’s lips draw into a smile so full of warmth that it practically lights up the whole forest. The vision of the incredibly handsome Immortal looking so happy catches me off guard. I won’t lie; I swoon a little bit.

“That’s great,” he says, his voice lighter now. “In the meantime, I’ll work on a plan that keeps you safe while getting us out of this mess with my fellow Originals. I’ll let you know what I come up with.”

Still mesmerized by his captivating smile, all I can do is croak out, “Sounds good.”

He uncrosses his arms and shoves his hands in his pockets. He looks down at the ground, still smiling. Then, he bends down and picks something up off the ground.

“You dropped this.” He straightens and holds something out toward me.

My phone!

My heartbeat stalls.

No !

I just got it back. I’m still waiting to hear from Dad about his scans. I can’t let Des take it from me.

Argos jumps to his paws as I scramble to stand. I reach forward and snatch the phone from Des’s hand, clutching it to my chest like I’m Gollum and it’s my precious.

Des takes in my actions with a furrowed brow. “What’s wrong?”

It hits me then that Des handed me my phone.

Why would he do that if he planned to take it away?

It doesn’t matter. I can’t risk losing my only connection to the outside world. My grip tightens. The hard case digs into my palm.

Des continues to look at me, bewildered. Argos trots to his side, giving me an equally puzzled stare.

“You…” I shift my feet, self-conscious. “You’re not going to take my phone away?”

“Why would I do that?” His lips curl into a sly smirk that makes my heart skip a beat. “I’m the one who gave it back to you in the first place.”