Chapter 1277: Protectors and the Protected

Soraya reached him next, one hand landing against his chest before her eyes travelled immediately toward his ponytail and then his face and the arresting gold in his eyes. Concern lasted approximately long enough to satisfy morality before fascination took over.

"I was freaking out," she admitted, touching one dark strand near his shoulder with open interest, "but I’m considerably more interested in this ponytail and whatever happened to your eyes. They’re so gorgeous."

Victoria, standing several steps away, folded her arms and gave Soraya an unimpressed look. "Of course you are. Everyone else worries about whether he’s injured, possessed or dying, and you notice the pretty parts."

Soraya slowly looked toward her.

Then she smiled. "Yet here I am doing what you can’t."

Before Victoria understood precisely which insult had been selected, Soraya caught Phei’s collar and kissed him. Phei’s eyes widened in delighted understanding.

Maddie immediately turned toward Victoria and so did Sierra.

The two women exchanged a look before Maddie’s brows rose pointedly. "Victoria."

Sierra’s smile became suspiciously pleasant. "We thought we had a deal about how you talk to our sisters Vic."

Victoria’s expression tightened then she looked away.

Phei watched the entire exchange with a crooked smile before glancing toward Melissa.

Melissa merely shrugged; whatever conspiracy his women were operating had apparently been deemed outside his clearance.

Reasonable.

Noor sat farther along the couches, quieter than usual.

Phei’s smile faded slightly the moment he properly looked at her.

He crossed the distance without asking anything first, bent down and kissed her softly. Noor smiled into his mouth, though the warmth in her skin told him what her expression had attempted to hide.

Phei pulled back and his palm settled against her cheek before a green-gold radiance awakened beneath his fingers and the Healing Touch moved through Noor with considerably more grace than it once had. Warm jade light braided itself with thin golden streams before sinking beneath her skin, travelling through her body like spring returning to land touched too early by winter. Wherever the sickness had gathered, the restorative essence found it without Phei needing to chase each weakness separately.

The faint heat beneath Noor’s skin eased, tension left her breathing and healthy color gradually returned to her face while the last threads of green-gold light vanished inside her.

Phei’s thumb stroked her cheek. "How long have you been sick, love?"

Noor leaned into his palm, her eyes already brighter. "Since this morning, but I knew you’d take care of it when you came back."

Phei smiled. "I have, haven’t I?"

While the final traces of Healing Touch settled inside her, another bond quietly joined the others within Phei.

Noor.

He felt her presence answer almost immediately.

Phei helped her settle more comfortably onto the couch, adjusting a cushion behind her while Roxanne watched from nearby with an amused expression that suggested she had noticed Phei’s newly intensified habit of treating everyone as breakable treasures.

He turned toward Roxanne’s mother.

"Mother-in-law." The woman barely had time to react before Phei took her hand and kissed the back of it with enough ceremonial charm to earn several snickers from the room.

His attention then moved toward Brian, Landon and David.

The three men had apparently found their own corner of relative peace amid a penthouse overrun by beautiful women, family secrets and enough accumulated emotional drama to make ordinary friendships flee the island.

Phei nodded toward them. "Thanks for keeping everyone safe while I was away."

Emily immediately pointed toward Landon. "Keeping everyone safe? He’s mostly been eating."

Every eye moved toward Landon who happened to be standing with a glass of wine in one hand and something from the table in the other.

Landon looked down at both pieces of evidence then back up although his face remained remarkably composed: "Maintaining morale requires calories."

David nearly choked on his drink.

Brian laughed.

Landon continued with the solemnity of a commander defending an ancient battlefield. "Also, someone needed to verify the food hadn’t been poisoned. I have personally risked myself repeatedly for this household."

Emily stared at him. "You went back for thirds."

"A thorough investigation."

Phei burst out laughing. "Promote him."

Emily threw her hands up. "You two deserve each other."

The lighter mood followed Phei as he greeted the others.

Rhea received a warm hug, Sharon smiled when Phei kissed her cheek, while Halsey gave him a measured look before allowing the same greeting with a small laugh when Brian pretended to look scandalized by it. Cherry came next, bright-eyed and already asking questions Phei promised to answer eventually<anno data-annotation-id="d1d6228a-2862-6667-c4e1-a8cd956aef40" data-title=".">.¹</anno>

Then he reached Savannah McRae.

David’s woman smiled politely as Phei greeted her, and his thoughts once again paused on the ridiculous elegance of her name.

’Savannah McRae... gods; some people were simply born sounding expensive and beautiful.’

Cassiopeia stood beside her. Phei’s attention changed the instant it reached her. Cassiopeia lowered her head slightly before speaking. "Master, Mother is on her way with Diana."

Phei nodded, then looked more closely at her face. "That’s good, but I want to know about you."

Cassiopeia blinked.

Phei stepped closer with his eyes narrowed faintly as he studied her expression. "Are you hiding your emotions right now?"

Something moved behind her eyes.

Tiny and Cassiopeia looked away.

Phei caught her chin gently before she could retreat completely, turning her face back toward him without force. His expression held no accusation, only the quiet insistence of someone who had begun learning just how often people around him believed silence counted as protection.

"You know you don’t have to do that with me."

Cassiopeia swallowed.

The room around them seemed to become quieter without anyone deliberately deciding to stop speaking. "I’m fine, Master."

Phei’s mouth curved faintly. "That wasn’t what I asked."

Her lashes lowered.

For several breaths, Cassiopeia said nothing. Then the careful composure around her mouth trembled just enough to reveal how much effort had gone into maintaining it.

Phei softened immediately; his hand moved from her chin to the side of her head and drew her gently against his chest.

Cassiopeia stiffened in surprise.

Then slowly relaxed. "You don’t have to tell me now," Phei murmured, stroking the back of her hair. "But don’t stand beside me hurting and think I won’t notice eventually."

Her fingers tightened slightly against his shirt. "Yes, Master."

Phei kissed her forehead before releasing her and then, finally, there was nowhere else in the room for his attention to go.

The warmth remained around him; Maddie’s laughter. Sierra’s smile. Melissa standing close enough that he could feel her without looking. His women gathered throughout the living room, the men relaxed nearby, conversations already threatening to begin again now that the initial relief of seeing him alive had settled.

Yet the far side of the room carried a different weight.

Elena stood there.

Beside her was the Goddess.

Phei looked at them.

Whatever humor remained upon his face disappeared so smoothly that the change itself became difficult to notice. His shoulders stayed loose. His breathing remained calm. Not a thread of Void-Ice rose around him, and not even Melissa, who had spent the last two days reading almost every shift in his expression, could immediately tell what moved beneath those profound amethyst-gold eyes.

Phei took one step toward them.

Then another.

The Goddess watched him approach.

Elena did not look away.

And Phei betrayed absolutely nothing of what was happening inside him.

****

A/N:Sorry guys, I have been releasing just two or three Chapters lately because these two days but I promise, I am cooking!

<annotations style="display: none;">Y’all remember Rhea, Brian’s woman, Sharon and Halsey are the other two of his three women (they do have names duh 🙄 No more calling them his two women anymore😂. You know Cherry, so...</annotations>