The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 169

Saphira moved quickly down the corridor, at the far end, Ruby’s cell sat in isolation, tucked into the coldest corner of the building. The air grew heavier as she approached, pressing against her skin like fog.

She paused at the door.

Inside, Ruby was curled on the bench, knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her hair hung in tangled strands, her face pale and hollow. The usual spark in her eyes, defiance, arrogance, that sharp edge, was gone. What remained was quiet. Diminished.

Saphira unlocked the cell with a sharp click. The door creaked open, the sound echoing down the corridor.

Ruby looked up slowly, blinking as if surfacing from deep water. Her voice was hoarse, wary. “What are you doing here?”

Saphira stepped inside, her tone calm but firm. “Do you want to see your father?”

Ruby’s eyes widened, her body stiffening. “He’s here?”

“Yes,” Saphira said. “Come.”

For a moment, Ruby didn’t move. Her fingers twitched against her knees. Then, without hesitation, she stood. Her movements were stiff, unsteady, but determined.

Saphira watched her carefully. *Good. I didn’t want to use force, but I would’ve.*

They walked back together, Ruby trailing slightly behind, her steps uneven and silent. Saphira didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. Her mind was already bracing for what came next, her pulse steady but alert.

When they reached Lupus’ cell, Nikolas, Jed, and Raven were still inside, waiting. The tension in the room was palpable, like a storm about to break.

Saphira gestured toward the door. “Go in first.”

Ruby didn’t hesitate. She stepped inside and ran straight to Lupus.

“Dad!” she cried, her voice cracking as she threw her arms around him.

Lupus stiffened, his body rigid. Then, slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. His face remained unreadable, but his grip was firm, possessive.

Saphira resumed her place beside Nikolas, arms folded, her gaze sharp and unwavering.

Ruby pulled back slightly, her voice trembling. “Where’s Mum?”

Lupus looked up, locking eyes with Saphira. His face hardened, jaw clenched. “*She* killed her.”

Ruby froze. Her arms dropped. “What?”

Saphira didn’t flinch. “Yes. I did. And you’ll be next if he doesn’t answer our question.”

Ruby’s face shifted, shock giving way to fear as silent tears fell. Her breath hitched, and she turned slowly to Saphira, eyes wide and glistening. “What question?”

Nikolas stepped forward, voice steady and cold. “We want to know the extent of the poison the Elders have created for each supernatural species. And who has access to it.”

Ruby turned to Lupus, her voice cracking. “Tell them.”

Lupus looked at her, something flickering in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.

Ruby’s voice rose, her hands clenched at her sides. “Is it worth my life? Is it?”

Lupus finally spoke, his voice low and strained. “If I tell them… the Elders will come for us.”

Ruby stepped back, her hands trembling. Her face twisted with disbelief. “Coward.”

She turned to Saphira and Nikolas, her jaw clenched, eyes streaming. “I’ll tell you. But I want to be let free if I do.”

Saphira’s eyes didn’t leave Ruby’s face. The girl stood stiffly, her jaw set, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, like a candle guttering in a draft. Saphira didn’t speak aloud. Instead, she reached out through the quiet tether of their mind-link, her thoughts brushing against Nikolas’s with practiced ease. *“What do you suggest?”*

Nikolas’s voice came back steady and low in her mind. *“We can’t let her go now. Not yet. But maybe we bargain, a safe keep until we finish what we need to. No details. Then she walks.”*

Saphira gave the smallest nod, her jaw tightening. *“Agreed.”*

She glanced at Raven, who still held the pressure spell on Lupus. It had eased, but not vanished, just enough to keep him uncomfortable. His shoulders were hunched, his breath shallow, sweat beading at his temple. He was watching everything, calculating.

Saphira turned back to Ruby, who stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, trying to look braver than she felt. Her fingers twitched slightly at her sides.

“We can’t let you go now,” Saphira said, her voice calm but edged with steel. “But if you give us the information, and it checks out, once we’ve done what we need to… you’ll be released.”

Ruby hesitated. Her brows drew together, lips parting slightly. “That’s not good enough.”

Nikolas stepped forward, his tone measured, his posture relaxed but commanding. “You’ll receive better treatment. We’ll move you to a private room. A proper bed. A bathroom. You’ll be monitored, but you’ll be comfortable. Until the time comes.”

Ruby’s eyes flicked to Lupus, searching for something, guidance, reassurance, maybe even permission. But he was already shaking his head.

“Don’t,” he said, voice low and sharp. “It doesn’t matter what they promise. The Elders will come for you. They always do.”

Nikolas didn’t flinch. “It’s your choice. Your fate is in your hands, comfort and freedom, or death.”

Ruby stared at Lupus for a long moment. Her fingers trembled at her sides, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Then, slowly, she turned her back on him, fully facing Saphira and Nikolas.

“Yes,” she said, her voice quieter now. “The Elders have created multiple blends. One for pure bloods. And one for every mixed species possibility. They’re tailored. Precise. Designed to target the exact weaknesses of each hybrid.”

Saphira kept her expression neutral, but her stomach twisted. *They’ve gone that far? They’ve mapped out every possible combination?*

Nikolas’s voice was quiet, but there was a new edge to it. “Has it been distributed? Or is it just the Silvermoon pack and the Elders that have access to it?”

Ruby nodded grimly. “They have it to eliminate pure blooded in a mixed pack. But recently, they gave it to the Matchmaker. It’s a tool now. Once someone’s scanned into the system, if they’re themselves cross-species… they’re marked. And given the poison.”

Saphira’s breath caught. She turned to Nikolas, eyes wide. He looked to Jed, whose face had gone pale, his jaw clenched.

Lupus scoffed. “Are you stupid,” he spat at Ruby. “You think they won’t find you now? You think they won’t punish you?”

Then he turned to Saphira and Nikolas, his voice curling into a sneer. “Do you see now? You won’t stop it. It’s bigger than you. Your time is coming.”

Saphira stepped forward, her gaze sharp as a blade. “We’ll see,” she said coldly. “But if anyone’s time is coming, it’s yours.”

She turned and walked out of the cell, her boots striking the stone with finality, each step echoing like a closing door.

Behind her, she heard Nikolas’s voice, calm and clear. “Jed, accompany Ruby back to her cell. We’ll get her new accommodation sorted.”

Then, to Ruby, more gently, “That’s helpful, someone will come get you soon.”

Moments later, Nikolas joined her in the corridor. He didn’t speak, but his presence beside her was steady, calming her. Together, they walked away, leaving Raven and Jed to finish what needed finishing. And behind them, the truth they’d uncovered settled like a storm on the horizon.