Chapter 1464: House of Dragon

His gaze moved past the boys toward the Moon Elf who stood farther back, calm despite the noisy chaos filling the dining room, while the Dragonkin beside him possessed the sort of imposing presence that required almost no conscious effort to become intimidating. Phei gave both men a small nod.

The Dragonkin and the Moon Elf returned it.

Whatever they had been doing with Brian, Landon and David had reached Phei’s ears, and he appreciated it more than a speech would have conveyed.

Phei finally turned toward Melissa. "Ready?"

Melissa smiled. "I was ready before your emergency meeting, your mysterious message to Jade and your attempt to emotionally torture the boys."

"It was thirty seconds."

"It was still emotional torture."

From across the table, Brian pointed toward Melissa. "Thank you!"

Phei gaze travelled across the enormous table and stopped him.

For all his eagerness to reach the hospital, something inside Phei suddenly resisted the idea of simply disappearing.

There were too many people here he had missed. Too many faces he had remembered through that long subjective year beneath the merciless cold of the Primordial Frozen Zone and many voices he had wanted to hear while surrounded by snow, beasts and killing.

Melissa remained beside him as he moved around the table, beginning with Mother—

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, allowing the gesture to linger long enough for her hand to rise naturally and touch his cheek before he moved onward. Roxanne received the same affection, her expression warming beneath it— since she wasn’t ready to tell Sierra yet, that was all they could do, while Dianna was already smiling before he even reached her.

Dravenna watched the entire procession with amused patience, apparently accepting that Phei saying goodbye had somehow become a journey around a small country.

Patricia tilted her face upward when he approached, and Phei kissed her forehead before moving toward Elena and Amber, giving each woman a moment of her own instead of reducing the affection to some hurried ritual.

Sierra caught his hand before he could leave her and squeezed his fingers. "Call if anything happens."

Phei smiled. "You say that like I’m the doctor."

"With your healing got going on around the house now, you’re going to become annoying enough to think you are."

"Fair." He kissed her forehead before moving toward Maddie, who accepted hers despite immediately asking: "Have you warned hospital security that the father can teleport through walls?"

"They’ll survive."

"That’s what everyone says before paperwork happens."

Phei laughed and flicked her forehead and moved on before she could somehow turn pregnancy into administrative catastrophe.

Delilah was awake again, though the softness around her eyes still carried the unmistakable look of someone whose body had recently informed her that remaining in bed would be a perfectly respectable life decision. Phei leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, earning a quiet smile that immediately encouraged several memories from earlier to begin making themselves inconvenient.

Valentina was considerably more awake than the beautiful unconscious heap he had last tucked beneath the sheets. When Phei bent toward her, she caught him by the collar before he reached her forehead and stole a proper kiss instead.

Phei drew back slightly. "That’s cheating."

"You’ll recover."

"I usually do."

The Goddess watched his approach with familiar amusement, and Phei kissed her forehead as well, fingertips brushing briefly along her cheek before he moved toward Soraya and Noor. Soraya smiled warmly when his lips touched her brow, while Noor watched him with the expression of someone who had already accepted that affection in this household arrived suddenly, aggressively and with very little interest in personal preparation.

Cassiopeia received a gentle pass of his fingers through her hair before Phei kissed above her brow.

Maya watched him approaching with enough awareness to know exactly why he was stopping again... Phei smiled: "Thank you. Again."

Maya’s face brightened immediately, the same warmth appearing that she had failed so spectacularly to hide earlier. "You already thanked me."

"I can do it twice."

He bent down and kissed her forehead.

Maya’s smile widened despite every attempt at looking composed, and Phei moved on before she could ramble herself into another argument about whether repeated gratitude was necessary.

Sienna waited next.

Phei stopped before her.

Her violet eyes immediately narrowed: "Behave."

His brows rose. "I haven’t done anything."

The expression she gave him suggested thought itself was becoming dangerous when performed by him. Phei smiled anyway, leaned down and placed a slow kiss against her forehead. Whatever irritation remained in Sienna softened despite herself, though she retained enough dignity to pretend it had not.

The Undead Queen watched from nearby with that strange mixture of comfortable familiarity toward Phei. Phei gave her a warm smile before moving onward.

The Origin Elf inclined her head when he approached... he only inclined his head slightly at, while the Flower Elf smiled openly enough to earn another comment from Maddie somewhere behind him. Seraphine and the female Demon were included in the slow goodbye, as were Catrina and the others scattered along the great table.

Vic lifted one hand before Phei could become too affectionate. "Remember, I’m not one of them."

Phei laughed. "Who said you’re."

Nastya pointed toward her. "She says that because she’s terrified you’ll forget one morning."

Vic looked offended. "I am not terrified."

"Concerned, then."

"With this table," Phei said, glancing along its absurd length, "I might forget my own name before I forget that."

Nastya snorted. "You probably already have."

Lydia immediately raised both hands when Phei’s gaze reached her. "Same disclaimer?"

Phei stared between all three women. "Do you have a union now?"

"We’re considering forming one."

"Good benefits?"

"Protection from unsolicited forehead kisses, apparently."

Phei laughed and graciously kissed Lydia’s hair which she closed her eyes and busked into.

Emily had barely looked up throughout most of the goodbyes; her phone remained held in both hands, some anime was still playing across the screen while breakfast, supernatural family chaos and half a dozen different conversations existed around her as little more than background noise.

Phei walked behind her chair.

Emily sensed him approaching and immediately tilted the phone away.

Too late... Phei leaned down until his mouth rested near her ear and murmured, "If you’re free from your anime tonight—" Emily’s eyes widened, the video stopped instantly while her head snapped toward him with enough speed that Phei nearly laughed before she locked the phone, placed it facedown upon the table and nodded several times in rapid succession.

"I’m free!"

Phei stared at her. "You don’t even know what I was going to ask."

"I’m still free."

Phei laughed, cupped her cheek and kissed her lips before straightening. "Goodbye, beautiful."

Emily’s face brightened so violently that Catrina immediately began laughing beside her.

Yuki was next, welcoming Phei with a beautiful smile as he leaned down to kiss her, her fingers lingered affectionately around his hand before she finally released him. Elena received her own kiss moments later, drawing him close for a brief embrace and smiling warmly when he whispered something affectionate against her ear.

Phei finally reached the smallest member of the breakfast empire.

Dragon Lady remained beside Soraya, still surrounded by enough meat to suggest she had personally negotiated control over the penthouse kitchens. Phei crouched beside her chair, she stopped chewing and turned her silver-white eyes toward him.

Phei ran his fingers gently through her hair before caressing the side of her face with his thumb: "I’ll be back." She leaned slightly into his palm before returning her attention to the enormous breakfast awaiting destruction.

Phei stood again, and Eira drifted closer almost automatically. He looked toward her and asked, "Coming?"

The fairy shook her head. "I’ll stay."

Phei lifted an eyebrow.

The answer was unusual enough that his expression must have revealed the thought, because Eira immediately rolled her eyes. "What? Must I follow you every single time you leave the house?"

"Historically, yes."

"Go enjoy the appointment with Melissa. I’ll remain here." Her expression softened after the complaint, ancient amusement giving way to something warmer as she added, "And tell me everything when you come back."

Phei smiled and extended one finger toward her. "Deal."

Eira landed briefly upon his hand, wrapped both tiny hands around his finger and squeezed before releasing him again.

Only then did Phei finally allow himself to look across the entire table one last time.

Mother, Roxanne, Dianna, Dravenna, Patricia, the Goddess, Elena, Amber, Sierra, Sienna, Maddie, Delilah, Valentina, Yuki, Elena Maya, Cassiopeia, Soraya, Noor, Emily, Catrina, Lydia, Vic, Nastya, Consort, the Undead Queen, Dragon Lady, Eira, the Elves, Seraphine, the Demon, Brian, Landon and David, with Cherry, Rhea, Sharon, Halsey and Savannah surrounding them, while Tatsuya and Endymion remained among the sprawling household.

People had entered Phei’s life through blood and love, rescue and friendship, battle and loyalty, forced bonds, ancient circumstances and accidents so bizarre that trying to draw a proper family tree would probably require its own Realm.

His family had become enormous, loud, messy and complicated beyond reason.

Phei fucking loved it.

Melissa’s hand slipped gently into his.

He turned toward her.

She smiled.

"Hospital?" he asked quietly, and Melissa squeezed his fingers before answering, "Hospital."

Phei tightened his hand around hers and turned toward the exit.

***

A/N:Are you guys ready? Chaos ahead!