My pulse quickens. This wasn’t how I imagined our encounter would go. Not by a long shot.
I debate whether I should say anything or wait for him to speak, but before my brain can cobble together some clever greeting, Argos lets out a happyyapand trots over to Des, forgetting all about me.
Des’s hard features soften as he bends down to pet the dog. “Good boy, Argos.”
Seeing someone as formidable as Des turn into a softy for a dog is unexpectedly… sexy.
Stop it, Darcie.
I clear my throat, forcing my brain to erase all sexy thoughts and break the ice. “Hi.”
Des glances at me, his hazel eyes meeting mine with that usual intensity.
“Hi.” He straightens, giving a faint nod before gesturing towards the dog. “I see you’ve met Argos.”
“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 reallymythicalabout 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’sdog, Argos?”