46. Rob

46

ROB

A fter Toven left to call the goddess's son, Rob sat in stunned silence, struggling to process the idea that not only were immortals real but that he was about to become one.

It felt like something out of a science fiction movie, and yet, this wasn't fiction.

"I'm so glad that Toven is here to make that call," Margo said. "Kian is a great guy, but talking to him is not easy. He's always so gruff and impatient."

A small smile played on Mia's lips. "He's a little grouchy, that's all, and his bark is worse than his bite. Nevertheless, everyone knows not to bother him on the weekend and interrupt his family time, so I'm also glad Toven is making the call. He is one of the few people who Kian is not going to bark at."

"I think that's admirable," Rob said. "The guy has his priorities straight." The words caught in his throat as memories of Lynda flooded his mind. He sighed heavily. "Unlike some people I know and wish I didn't."

The room fell silent, the weight of his unspoken pain hanging in the air.

It was startling how much insight he had gained in a few hours—things he had been aware of but had suppressed. Lynda had convinced him that she was interested in the same things he was, but it had all been a big lie. She didn't want a big family with lots of kids like he did. She wanted to travel and see the world with her flake of an ex-boyfriend.

Well, he was her ex no more. Now, he was her current boyfriend.

A humorless chuckle escaped Rob as a new thought occurred to him. He was sure that if he did a little research about the guy, he'd find that he had recently come into money. Lynda wouldn't have dropped him for a poor dude who couldn't support her lifestyle.

The sound of the sliding door opening pulled Rob from his brooding, and when he shifted his gaze to look at Toven re-entering the room, he was glad to see that the god seemed in a good mood.

His talk with the boss must have gone well.

"Kian is okay with whatever I suggest," Toven announced. "If you still want to start the process right away, you can come with us to the village. Mia and I will gladly host you in our house while you attempt the transition, and we will watch over you." He gave him a sad smile. "It would have been nice if you had a mate to sit by your side while you are transitioning, but I have faith that you will find your one and only sooner rather than later."

That was such a nice thing to say.

Rob blinked, touched by the words and by the offer. Toven barely knew him, and yet he was willing to open his home to him during what promised to be a life-altering experience. "That's so very kind of you," he said. "But I can stay with Margo. I don't want to impose."

Margo winced. "You can't because I don't live in the village. I can't."

He'd already forgotten what Toven had said about Margo not being able to come with him to the village. "Why can't you live there?"

"Because of Negal."

"Your boyfriend?" Understanding suddenly dawned. He hadn't met the guy yet, but after Toven's story, he assumed that Negal was immortal. Evidently, he'd been wrong. "Because he is human?"

Margo laughed. "Negal is a god."

Rob blanched. "How is that possible? Toven said that only he and the Clan Mother survived whatever happened to the other gods."

"Negal and his friends are new on Earth. They arrived not too long ago." Margo launched into an explanation about Negal and his friends, their mission on Earth, the evil Eternal King they were trying to fool, and the trackers embedded in their bodies. With each word, Rob felt his grip on reality slipping further away.

Slapping a hand over his eyes, he shook his head. "Stop. I can't take more of this. My brain is going to explode.

Margo chuckled. "I know how you feel. I felt the same way when I learned about this alternative reality. It's like falling down the rabbit hole."

Rob nodded emphatically. "Totally."

In the span of a few hours, the world as he knew it had been turned upside down. Immortals, gods, secret villages, and the evil master-of-the-galaxy dictator who did not know about Earthly gods and immortals and would destroy Earth to eliminate them. It was too much to absorb.

Toven's voice cut through Rob's swirling thoughts. "Mia and I would love to host you. It would be our pleasure."

Rob looked between Toven and Mia, seeing nothing but sincerity in their expressions. Despite the surreal nature of the situation, he felt a spark of hope reignite in his chest. After Lynda's crushing betrayal, the idea of starting a completely new life was intoxicating.

"Thank you," he said finally. "I can work from home, so that should be fine. I'll just need to call my boss and let him know that I won't be coming into the office for a while."

"What do you do?" Toven asked.

"I'm a programmer," Rob replied.

A smile spread across Toven's face. "If you are not too attached to your current job, there is plenty of work for you in the village. Skilled tech people are in high demand, and you'll be working with cutting-edge technology."

"I bet." A thrill ran through him at the prospect of working on alien tech.

It was strange how quickly he was adapting to this new reality, but he supposed shock had a way of making even the most outlandish situations seem plausible.

"What about our parents?" Margo asked. "They need to know that the wedding is off."

Rob felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him at the thought of dealing with his mother. "I can't do that right now," he admitted. "It's still too raw."

"I'll handle it." Margo cast him a sympathetic look. "Are you sure that you don't want to go home to pack a bag? I can do it for you if you want. You can wait in the car while I collect your things."

For a moment, he considered her offer but then shook his head. "It's a fresh start, right? There is nothing in that house that I feel attached to. I'd rather buy everything new."

The furniture and everything else in there had been purchased by Lynda. She hadn't even consulted him about any of it.

She could keep it.

He didn't want to ever again set eyes on any of that stuff. Fortunately, the house was leased, not purchased, and the lease was expiring in four months. He would pay the monthly payments, and once the lease expired, Lynda's new boyfriend could foot the bill or get a new place for her and her stuff.

The reality of his situation hit him anew. He was about to leave everything behind—his home, his job, the life he had built with Lynda. It should have terrified him, but instead, he felt a tremendous sense of liberation.

"When do we leave?" he asked, the eagerness in his voice surprising him.

"We can go whenever you're ready," Mia said. "But there's no rush. We want you to be sure about this decision."

Rob appreciated the consideration, but he had made up his mind. "I'd like to go as soon as possible. The longer I stay, the more I'll overthink things. And right now, moving forward feels right."

Toven nodded approvingly. "That's a good instinct. Sometimes, when faced with life-changing decisions, it's best to trust your instincts."

Rob winced. "Please don't say that. My gut hasn't been doing its job too well. Just this morning, I was planning a wedding and looking forward to a future with Lynda. Now, here I am, preparing to leave that life behind and embark on a journey to become immortal."

The word still felt foreign in his mind, like something out of a fantasy novel.

Margo leaned over and put a hand on his arm. "Are you sure that you're okay? I know this is a lot to process."

Turning to his sister, he was struck by how much she had been carrying on her shoulders and keeping inside. Knowing about this secret world, going through her own transition, all while watching him plan a life with someone she knew wasn't right for him, must have been so difficult for her.

"I'm okay," he said, surprising himself with how true the words felt. "It's overwhelming, but it also feels right. I feel like everything that's happened today, as painful as it's been, led to this moment."

Margo's eyes welled with tears, and she pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, and I'm sorry I didn't have the guts to tell you sooner."

Rob hugged her back, feeling a sense of peace settle over him. "It's okay. I understand why you couldn't."

"I'm glad, and don't worry about Mom and Dad and all the mess with the wedding. I'll clean it up and deal with Lynda." She leaned away and smiled. "Now that I don't need to walk on eggshells around her for your sake, it's going to be fun."

He grinned. "Do your worst."

Her smirk was evil. "Oh, I will."

"Shall we get going?" Toven asked.

Rob nodded, standing up. "Yes."

Margo escorted them to the door and hugged him once more. "I will come to visit you in the village. I can't bring Negal with me, but I want to see the place."

"I will come to get you and Frankie," Mia said.

Mia and Margo hugged, and then they were off, riding the elevator to the parking level.

Rob felt a mix of emotions swirling within him—fear, excitement, sadness, hope. But underlying it all was a sense of rightness, a feeling that he was exactly where he was meant to be.

The future, which had seemed so bleak just hours ago, now stretched before him, filled with possibilities he had never dared to imagine.

He was leaving behind the world he had always known and heading toward a future that promised immortality, adventure, and perhaps, if he was lucky, a love that would stand the test of time.