“I can’t believe Annani flew all night to see me.” Wonder applied peach lipstick and took a step back from the mirror to appraise her appearance.

She’d showered and washed her hair, styled it, put on the most flattering outfit she owned, and covered the dark bags under her eyes with lots of makeup. The redness she could do nothing about.

After crying herself to sleep, then again every time she’d woken up throughout the night, and also this morning in the shower, her eyes were all dried up and itchy. Hopefully, by the time they got to Kian’s house, they would be back to normal. Provided she didn’t succumb to tears once again.

“That’s because you mean a lot to her.” Anandur put his hands on her shoulders and looked at their reflection. “You were much more than a servant to her.”

“I know that. I overreacted yesterday because I was shocked and scared and didn’t know how to deal with who I used to be. I like the new me much better. Gulan was a nobody.”

“You were Annani’s companion. That’s an important position.”

“I guess.” She turned around and wrapped her arms around Anandur’s middle. “I love you. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”

“Same here. Wherever you go, I go. So don't worry about a thing. If Annani wants you in the sanctuary, that’s fine. I already asked Kian for a transfer, and I’m going to join the Guardian force there. Annani will have no problem with that. She is a romantic with a soft heart and would never stand in the way of love.”

“But what about your brother? You're going to miss him.”

“I will, but so what? I know he’s in good hands, and I no longer need to watch over him. Besides, we can come to visit.” He hooked a finger under her chin. “Everything is going to work out fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

She nodded. “Thanks for the pep talk. It helped.”

“I’m glad. Now let’s get moving. Annani is not known for her patience.”

Wonder rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

“Right. What was she like as a girl?” He closed the door behind them.

“Trouble. She would come up with the craziest of schemes and expect me to take part in them. I had no choice but to do what she told me to, but I was living in a constant state of fear. The princess could get away with anything, but the same wasn’t true for me. If we had gotten caught, I would’ve been blamed for not keeping her safe, and would’ve either been punished or fired or both.”

“Did you ever get caught?”

Wonder chuckled. “No. She was very thorough in planning her stunts.”

“Did you like her?”

“Are you kidding me?” She lifted her face to him. “I loved her. I worshiped the ground she walked on. There was no one like her, not even among the gods. She was like sunshine. Everyone wanted to bask in her presence.”

“Did she return your love?” Anandur asked quietly.

“She called me her best friend. But then she met Khiann, and I got replaced.”

“That’s a natural progression of things when people mature. He was her true-love mate.”

“I know.” Wonder sighed. “I knew it back then too, but I didn’t internalize it. Without experiencing this kind of love myself, I couldn’t understand how all-consuming it was, and I was somewhat resentful. I feel so guilty now. Poor Annani, she lost him so soon.”

Crap, she was tearing up again, including the chin quivering and the choking sensation in her throat.

“Quick.” Wonder waved a hand. “Distract me with something. I don’t want to start crying again.”

“Well.” He puffed out his chest. “I’m very pleased that you consider me your true-love mate.”

She had said that, hadn’t she? In a way.

“I don’t really know what the difference between love and true love is.”

He wrapped his arm around her. “They are one and the same. In the past,” he chuckled, “In your days, many of the matings were arranged, and not the natural outcome of two people falling in love and wanting to spend the rest of their very long immortal lives together. Many of those couples eventually grew to love each other. But it wasn’t the same as the all-consuming fire of falling in love with a person, and realizing that she is the one and only for you.”

That made sense. “I can’t think of being separated from you for more than a few hours.” Wonder touched her belly. “I get this uncomfortable feeling in here. It’s as if my body is telling me that it’s wrong to be away from you, and that I shouldn’t do it.”

He kissed the top of her head. “When immortals fall, they fall hard. And there is the addiction component. It’s a chemical thing that is the result of repeated venom bites, but I suspect that it works much faster on true-love couples.”

“Why would you think so?”

“Because I think I’m addicted to you, and it’s not supposed to work this fast on males.”

“I remember that Annani and Khiann couldn’t keep their hands off each other.” Her eyes misted again.

“Hey.” Anandur stopped and gripped her chin. “No more sad thoughts. Leave the past where it belongs and concentrate on the future, meaning you and me.” He dipped his head, at the last moment kissing her cheek instead of her lips. “Damn lipstick. I don’t know why you bother. Your lips are beautiful without any enhancements.”

“I wanted to look sophisticated, you know, like Amanda. Elegant clothes, makeup, hairdo. I don’t want Annani to think of me as a servant. I can’t go back to that role. It’s no longer who I am.”

Anandur shook his head. “Am I Kian’s servant?”

“No. You’re his bodyguard.”

“True, but if he sends me to get him coffee, I go. I basically do whatever he tells me to do. Does that make me his servant?”

“He’s your employer.”

“Yes, he is, and he is also the leader of this branch of the clan. But that’s not all he is to me, and I’m much more than an employee to him as well. We play different roles in different circumstances. During work hours I defer to him and treat him with respect. But off duty, we are best buddies, and I don’t hesitate to call him out on all his bullshit. Sometimes I even do it when I’m on the clock.”

She wished things could be as simple as Anandur was making them sound, but the truth was that the authority carried into personal life and a subordinate could never be real friends with a superior. There could be appreciation, admiration, and even love, but not real friendship.

“Do you want to tell me that off-duty you treat Kian exactly the same as your Guardian friends?”

“More or less.”

“In what way less?”

“When he’s acting like a sanctimonious prick, and I feel like punching him in his too pretty face, I don’t act on it. But that’s because he’s Annani’s son. Not because he’s my boss.”

Wonder shrugged. “Same difference. You always think of Kian as a superior, and that precludes real friendship.”

“I disagree.”

She shrugged. “Then we agree to disagree.”

“Is this our first official fight as a couple?”

“Oh, no!” Wonder affected a mock-horrified expression. “I didn’t hide the pillows!”