The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 162

Pain seared through Saphira’s body, claws raking her back, teeth sinking deep into her shoulder, hot breath snarling against her ear. The weight of Silvermoon wolves crushed her to the ground, pinning her in the dirt. Her limbs thrashed, but there were too many. Her vision blurred with smoke and blood, the copper tang of it thick in her mouth.

Somewhere beyond the chaos, she heard Nikolas’s roar, raw and panicked. The thunder of paws, the clash of bodies. Her pack was trying to reach her, but they were blocked, tangled in the fray. She could feel their desperation like a pulse in the air.

*‘Vaelora,’* she gasped inwardly, her breath choking. *‘Help me.’*

The dragon stirred within her, ancient and furious. *‘I’m here,’* Vaelora whispered, her voice like thunder rolling through Saphira’s bones. *‘Let’s show them what weakness truly looks like.’*

Heat ignited in her chest, spreading outward like wildfire. Her skin shimmered, bones shifting, wings unfurling beneath the weight of her attackers. She roared as she shifted, the sound tearing through the battlefield like a war cry. Her scales flared with molten light, and Vaelora surged through her.

Together, they unleashed it.

Wind exploded outward from her body, a shockwave so powerful it cracked the earth beneath her. The wolves were flung back like rag dolls, some slammed into trees with sickening crunches, others into jagged stone. Bones snapped. Necks twisted. Arms bent at impossible angles. Even the Arrax pack was pushed back, stumbling from the blast, but unharmed.

The battlefield fell into stunned silence.

Saphira stood in the centre, wings flared wide, her chest heaving. Her eyes blazed gold, her scales still glowing faintly with residual heat. She roared again, the sound shaking the sky, echoing through the trees, a warning to any Silvermoon wolf still standing.

*Come closer,* her presence thundered, *and you’ll meet the same fate.*

Then, slowly, she shifted back. Her body folded into human form, breath ragged, blood streaking her arms and face. Her boots crunched over broken stone and fallen bodies as she stormed toward Lupus and Cassandra, her gaze locked on them.

She stopped just short, her voice sharp and cutting. “Who ordered them to attack me?”

Lupus looked stunned, his mouth slightly open, as if the words wouldn’t come. Cassandra’s eyes were wide, disbelief flickering across her face. They hadn’t expected her to survive. They certainly hadn’t expected this.

“I told them to stop,” Lupus said, voice hoarse. “To leave, I swear.”

Cassandra’s lips curled into a sneer. “I interjected,” she said, unapologetic. “Told them to attack. Told them to kill.”

Saphira’s jaw tightened. Her breath came slow and deliberate. “Wrong move.”

She half-shifted, her arm and hand transforming, scales rippling over skin, claws extending with a hiss. She reached forward and grabbed Cassandra’s throat with her clawed hand, lifting her clean off the ground. Cassandra’s boots kicked against the dirt, her hands clawing at Saphira’s wrist.

“You think you’re all mighty,” Saphira said, voice low and venomous. “Important. But you’re nothing. Just a tagalong. I kept you alive for leverage. For Ruby. But now I see, I don’t need you.”

Cassandra’s lips twisted, her voice strained. “What are you going to do?”

Saphira smiled, slow and cold. “Remove the weakest link.”

She hesitated, her grip tightening. Then she reached out through the mind-link. *“Nikolas. Do we need Cassandra for information?”*

*“No,”* he replied instantly, his voice grim. *“Lupus is the only one we need.”*

*“Thank you.”*

Saphira turned her head slightly, her eyes locking on Lupus. “This is what happens when you don’t play by the rules.”

She turned back to Cassandra, her voice dropping to a whisper. “This is for Connor.”

Her claw tightened.

Cassandra’s body jerked once, then went limp. Her eyes widened in shock, then dulled. Saphira released her, and she crumpled to the ground like a broken marionette.

The battlefield held its breath.

Saphira stood over her, blood on her hands, wind still stirring around her like a storm waiting to rise again. Her gaze swept the field, daring anyone to move.

Let them try again, she thought, her heart pounding. *Let them see what happens when you strike a dragon and expect her to stay down.*

The battlefield was quiet now, save for the soft groans of the wounded and the rustle of ash drifting on the wind. The remaining Silvermoon wolves, those still conscious, still breathing, looked around at the devastation. Their eyes flicked to Cassandra’s lifeless body, then to Saphira, who stood tall and blood streaked, her gaze unwavering.

One by one, they sank to their knees.

Some shifted back into human form, trembling. Others remained in wolf form, heads bowed low, tails tucked. There weren’t many left. Just a handful. But their surrender was complete.

Saphira’s breath hitched, the tension in her chest loosening. She turned, searching and found Nikolas watching her. His expression was unreadable for a moment, then softened into something radiant. Adoration. Awe. Love.

He crossed the distance between them in three strides and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. His voice was a whisper against her ear. “I love you.”

Saphira closed her eyes, her arms tightening around him. “I love you too,” she whispered back, her voice thick with emotion.

Nikolas pulled back slightly, brushing a strand of blood-matted hair from her face. Then he turned to Jed, his voice shifting into command. “Take Lupus and the rest of the Silvermoon survivors into the cells. No exceptions.”

Jed nodded, already moving. Jasper, Sam, and a few warriors joined him, spreading out to gather the surrendered wolves. Jed reached Lupus, who was still frozen in place, Raven beside him, her spell shimmering faintly around his body.

As Jed grabbed Lupus’s arm, the older man twisted, trying to speak. “Saphira...”

She didn’t even turn. Her gaze remained fixed on the horizon, her jaw set. You had your chance.

Jed dragged him away, Raven walking beside them, her eyes sharp, her magic steady.

Nikolas turned to the rest of the Arrax pack, raising his voice. “Thank you. All of you. You fought bravely. Now rest. Help those who need it. There’s a triage service set up in the dining room, go.”

There was a ripple of movement. Wolves shifted back, vampires sheathed their blades. They moved slowly, supporting the injured, guiding them away from the battlefield and toward the heart of the pack.

Saphira exhaled, her body aching, her soul heavy. She leaned into Nikolas for a moment, then pulled back suddenly, eyes wide. “Anastasia.”

Nikolas’s expression sharpened. “She’s getting help. Come on.”

Together, they turned from the battlefield, walking side by side through the smoke and silence, heading back to the pack, to find her.