In the guest bathroom, Wonder checked herself in the mirror after putting on the things Amanda had brought for her. It was nothing fancy, just a pair of black leggings that were quite comfortable, and a purple T-shirt that was a little tight across the chest but other than that looked great.

In fact, she had never looked better, and that was without doing anything with her hair or even the benefit of eyeliner. Her black pencil was inside the purse that she’d left at the facility. Magnus was supposed to bring it with the rest of her things, but she would have to wait for him to catch Grud first because he wasn’t coming back until that was done.

Oh well, there was no rush. Amanda had supplied her with a whole wardrobe. There were about twice as many items in that suitcase than in Wonder’s closet back at the shelter.

Not only that, but everything was of such high quality that she would not have even known where to look for things like that, let alone afford to buy them. The cut of the simple garments and the feel of the fabrics were amazing.

The only reason she didn’t recognize the designers’ names was probably because they were known only to the rich and famous.

In contrast, her cheap sneakers looked even worse.

But that wasn’t her biggest problem. The thong panties Amanda had given her were a pain in the butt. Literally.

Why would anyone voluntarily submit to such torture?

At first, she hadn’t planned on wearing them, but after putting on the leggings she realized that Anandur’s boxer shorts were too bulky to wear under the tight-fitting pants.

They were so much more comfortable, though.

Wonder turned around and looked over her shoulder at her butt.

Shit on a stick. Without proper panties there was nothing to cover the separation line between her ass cheeks. It was on full display for everyone to see.

That wouldn’t do.

Syssi had been right about Amanda. There was a very wide gap between what Kian’s sister considered appropriate and what a decent woman felt comfortable in.

Then again, what was considered decent or indecent was subjective. Wonder didn’t wear bras. Maybe that was indecent too?

Kicking off her sneakers, she pulled down the leggings and the thong, put on the boxer shorts, and then spent a couple of minutes trying to pull the leggings over them without them getting all bunched up.

The first opportunity she got, she was going to buy a couple of bras and two or three packages of normal panties, instead of waiting for Magnus to bring her things over.

Ugh. He was going to pack her underwear. How awkward. For some reason, she hadn’t thought of that before. Maybe she should tell him to skip it? She could replace all of her panties for as little as twenty bucks.

But calling Magnus and telling him that would be just as awkward if not worse.

“Are you okay in there?” Syssi asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be right out.”

Wonder pushed her feet into the sneakers and opened the door. “How do I look?”

Amanda put a hand on her hip. “Why are you wearing boxer shorts under the leggings?”

Syssi giggled. “Because she doesn’t think floss should go you know where. Right, Wonder?”

It took a moment for Syssi’s meaning to sink in, and when it did, Wonder felt her ears heat up. “I’ve never worn a thong before. It’s very uncomfortable.”

Amanda waved a hand. “Nonsense. You get used to it. If you don't want unseemly panty lines, that’s the only way to go. Besides, it makes you feel sexy all day long.” She waggled her brows.

The heat spread from Wonder’s ears down to her cheeks. “I don’t want to feel like that all day. It’s distracting.”

Laughing, Syssi took her elbow. “Amanda is special. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Hold on!” Kian’s sister caught Wonder’s other elbow. “I want to do something about your hair.”

Wonder patted her thick braid, making sure all the strands were still tightly woven together. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Nothing, darling. But it will look so much better freed from that braid.”

Not wanting to offend Amanda, who as Kian’s sister was no doubt someone important, Wonder forced a smile. “Maybe some other time. I don’t want to keep Mister Kian waiting for too long.”

Amanda sighed, “It’s just Kian, without the Mister. But you’re right. We don’t want to upset the grouchy goat.”

Thank the gods.

“Hey!” Syssi pretended offense as she led Wonder out. “Don’t call my husband names.”

“I’m not. I’m calling my brother names.” Amanda followed behind them.

“Told you. She is special,” Syssi whispered loudly.

“I’m right behind you.”

“I know.”

It seemed like the sisters-in-law were good friends, and their easy banter was fun except when Wonder was the target of it.

Would they accept her as a friend too?

It would be nice. She was starting to warm to Amanda. The woman was still intimidating, but a little less so, and she meant well. Wonder didn’t even mind Amanda’s proposed makeover as long as she got to hang out with the two of them again.

As they stepped outside, Anandur got up, but Wonder didn’t think he did it for her. It was probably out of respect for Syssi and Amanda.

“Do you feel better now?” he asked.

“Much. Thank you.”

“You look nice.”

Wonder couldn’t help but glance down at her ugly sneakers. “Thank you.”

“Come, sit over here, Wonder.” Kian waved her to the chair across from him.

“Does anyone want a cappuccino?” Syssi asked.

“I do.” Amanda raised a finger.

“Wonder, what about you?”

It felt incredibly awkward to be served by the boss’s wife. But Wonder was thirsty, and besides, refusing might offend Syssi. “I would love some, thank you.”

“Awesome.” Syssi clapped her hands.

All along, Wonder could feel Kian’s intense eyes on her.

“Anandur tells me you don’t remember anything about your life before the coma,” he said.

“That’s correct.”

“No recollection whatsoever?”

“None, sir.”

He grimaced, apparently not liking the honorific. “But you did know that you’re an immortal?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

She shrugged. “It was like knowing that I’m a female. It was a fact. Later, I started doubting it, trying to explain my fast healing as just an anomaly. But when I found Grud, I knew right away that he was an immortal too. The same happened with Mordan and Shaveh and then Anandur.”

“How did you know that they were immortal?”

Wonder rubbed her hand over the back of her head. “I got that prickling sensation, as if all the small hairs back there stood up.”

Kian and Anandur exchanged glances, with Kian’s expression saying ‘I told you so,’ and Anandur’s turning sour.

“That’s an odd reaction for an immortal female.” Kian lifted a pack of cigarettes off the coffee table and pulled one out. “The prickling sensation you’re describing is something immortal males feel when they encounter another immortal male they don’t know. It’s a warning mechanism. But I’ve never heard of a female getting the same reaction.”

Wonder’s face flushed with heat. As if she needed more proof that she was a freak. Not only was she strong like a male, she also had the same instincts. Next thing she knew she would start growing facial hair.

“Your fangs do not elongate, do they, darling?” Amanda asked.

Wonder shook her head.

Amanda crossed her arms over her chest. “Bummer. I always wanted to have real fangs like the guys.”

Someone kill me now.

“Wonder is a natural born warrior,” Syssi came to her defense. “That’s why she was gifted with special abilities that are usually reserved only for males. Right, Wonder?”

“I don’t want to be a warrior.”

“Why not? I think it’s awesome that you’re a formidable fighter. And you chose Wonder Woman as your name. That can’t be a coincidence.”

Wonder lifted her eyes to Syssi, who other than Anandur seemed to be the nicest of the bunch. “But it was a coincidence. I had no idea what Wonder meant. It just sounded nice, and the kids who thought I was her were smiling, so I thought it was a good name.”

“What would you like to do?” Kian asked.

Picking at the end of her braid, Wonder twisted the strands around her fingers. “I don’t know yet. I don’t have any education, so there isn’t much I can do other than manual labor or security. But that’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Kian nodded. “Perfectly understandable. But if you could get an education, what would you like to study?”

“I don’t know enough to even know that. Right now all I can think of is a teacher. I like kids. But you don’t have any here. Could I teach human kids?”

“One day there will be.” Syssi’s voice quivered a little. “Callie, Brundar’s mate, is studying to become a teacher. You can ask her about it.”

“I didn’t even go to high school.”

“Not a problem,” Amanda said. “We can put you in a homeschooling program, and you’ll breeze through it.”

“That’s a great idea,” Syssi said. “I’ll get right on it tomorrow. You can get a GED. It’s a high-school equivalency certificate.”

“What do I need to do to get it?”

“Study and then pass the test,” Amanda said. “No biggie.”