Nick transitioning was one less thing to worry about, and Eva moving into the village before her baby's arrival was another.

Life was good.

He and Wonder were moving in together and starting their mated life, Brundar’s wounds were finally healing, and the clan was growing. Not by much, but any addition was a blessing.

The thing was, even an optimist like him knew that the calm was temporary. When things were going smoothly, something had to happen to mess them up.

Anandur could only hope that it wouldn’t be anything major, like Doomers discovering the village’s location and storming it in a way no one had predicted, circumventing all of the clan’s defenses.

Leaning toward Wonder’s ear, he whispered, “That prickling feeling I got in Luxor, did you experience anything like it during our vacation?”

Wonder looked at him over her shoulder. “Now that you mention it, I did. But it turned out to be nothing.”

Anandur tensed. “What was it?”

“When you went to buy us coffee at the airport, an old guy lightly brushed against my arm on his way to the table next to ours. I got that weird feeling for a moment, but it didn’t make any sense. He looked like he was in his eighties, stooped back, thick glasses, and a big belly. He sat right next to us the whole time. When you came with the coffees and didn’t react to his presence at all, I dismissed it.”

“You should have told me. I would’ve paid more attention.”

She shrugged. “I was sure it was nothing. But next time I’ll tell you when I sense something off about someone.”

“Please do.” He wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her back against his body.

An immortal could’ve put on a convincing disguise. Eva had done it successfully for years. But then he doubted an immortal could’ve been sitting right next to him without triggering his alarm. Not unless it was someone he knew and had been exposed to before.

Could it be that someone from the clan was spying on him?

Not likely. The only reason anyone would go to so much trouble would be revenge for one of his pranks. But none of them had been malicious enough to justify such an elaborate plot. Anandur couldn’t think of anyone who would put on prosthetics and follow them around the world just to get back at him.

“Thank the gods,” Wonder said as the aircraft’s door opened and they were let out.

At the passport checkpoint, she fidgeted a little, but their fake documentation didn’t raise any red flags. They retrieved their luggage, passed the customs without getting stopped, and headed up the ramp into the waiting area.

They found Okidu standing just outside the roped-off area with a broad smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

“For madam.” He bowed and handed it to Wonder. “You look lovelier than ever.”

Taken aback, she hesitated before taking the flowers, then put on a fake smile and snatched them from Okidu’s hands. “Thank you.”

Hadn’t she met the Odu before? That would explain her strange reaction to him. He looked too old to be an immortal, and she knew no humans were allowed in the village.

“Who sent the flowers, Okidu?” Anandur asked.

“Master Magnus asked me to stop by a florist and purchase a bouquet. There is a note from him.” The butler pulled a small envelope hidden inside the decorative wrapping.

Wonder lifted a pair of puzzled eyes to Anandur. “Do you know what this is all about? No one has ever sent me flowers before.”

That was something Anandur planned on fixing as soon as possible. If Wonder liked flowers, he would buy her a bouquet every time he was in town. “Probably congratulations. Magnus is an old-fashioned fellow.”

He waited until they were seated in the limo and the partition went up before explaining about the butler. “Okidu isn’t human. He isn’t an immortal either. He is a kind of hybrid creation of machine parts and flesh. That’s why he seemed so strange to you.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t that. He said that I looked lovelier than ever, but I’ve never met him before.”

“Think nothing of it. Okidu parrots what he hears on his British television shows. It’s probably a phrase he heard and repeated to you.”

Wonder didn’t look convinced. “Maybe. It’s strange, but although I’m sure I’ve never met Kian’s butler, he seems vaguely familiar. I have a feeling I know him from somewhere. Or maybe someone who looks like him.” She grimaced. “I don’t know why, but I had an immediate aversion to the guy.” She waved a hand. ”Or cyborg, or whatever.”

“That’s odd. I’ve never heard of anyone reacting to Okidu that way. Everyone likes him. He plays the jolly butler role so well that it’s easy to forget he’s only mimicking stuff he sees on the tube.”

Wonder shrugged. “Maybe that’s the problem. I don’t like the idea of servants. It bothers me when I see someone bend over backward for a person they consider their superior. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m very big on equality. I don’t like that women are discriminated against in some societies, and I don’t like places that have different classes of people. A person should be judged based on merit, not based on where he or she was born and to whom.”

“That’s my girl.” Anandur wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “A champion of freedom, justice, and equality.”

Her brows dipped, creating deep furrows between her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Not in a million years. I meant it as a compliment. Now tell me what Magnus wrote.”

“Okay.” She pulled the folded note out of the envelope, and as she read it, a big smile spread over her lovely face.

“What does it say?”

“He says that he’s already moved out and is very happy with his new roommates who are neat and tidy and don’t leave their boots in the living room. He wishes us best of luck and advises me to hide the pillows if we ever get into a fight.” She looked up at him. “Should I ask what is he talking about?”

Anandur humphed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You can do a thousand favors for a buddy, but does he remember that? Nay. But you kill one pillow…” He shook his head.

“What happened to the pillow?”

He’d better tell her or she’d keep bugging him until he fessed up. “Remember the night of our first kiss?”

“How can I forget?” She blushed and looked away. “I’m so sorry about that.”

He uncrossed his arms and wrapped one around her shoulders. “It’s in the past, lass. You’re mine now. Anyway, I was a tad upset, and I couldn’t sleep. I kept punching the pillow into the shape I thought would make it comfortable, but I used a little too much force. The thing exploded, and even though I vacuumed as much of the fallout as I could, Magnus and I have been chasing tiny feathers ever since.”