The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 171

Nikolas leaned forward, his voice low but resolute. “We shouldn’t delay in bringing this to the others. We need to discuss it now, while it’s fresh.”

Saphira tilted her head slightly. “I agree. I can try to mind-link them all, it’ll be quicker than sending someone.”

Jed looked up from his notes, brows lifting. “You sure you’re up for that?”

Saphira nodded, then paused. “Should I include Zafira?”

Nikolas and Jed exchanged a glance. Jed’s brow furrowed, his mouth tightening. “I don’t know. She’s… fragile right now.”

Nikolas exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe give her the option. Let her choose.”

Saphira nodded slowly. “Yeah. That feels right.”

She closed her eyes, clearing her mind in the quiet hum of the room. Her breath slowed, her awareness stretching outward like threads of light. She reached inward, toward the familiar constellation of minds, Asher, Finn, Amara, Jasper, Sam, Talia… and Zafira.

*“Come to the office,”* she sent gently. *“We need to discuss something important. Information we’ve just learned.”*

Then, to Zafira alone: *“Only if you feel up to it. No pressure.”*

The responses came quickly. *“On our way.”, “Be there soon.”, “Got it.”*

Zafira’s thread remained quiet. Still. Saphira lingered on it for a moment, then let it go.

She opened her eyes and looked to Nikolas, Jed, and Raven. “Everyone’s coming. Except Zafira. I didn’t get anything back.”

Nikolas nodded, his expression unreadable. “She might still be processing.”

They moved to the large table, the one they always used for war room discussions. Saphira took her usual seat at the head, her posture straight but tense. Nikolas settled to her right, Jed and Raven across. The room filled slowly, the quiet punctuated by footsteps and murmured greetings.

Finn arrived first along with Amara, followed by Jasper, then Sam and Talia. Asher entered last, his expression soft, his eyes shadowed.

“Zafira didn’t want to leave the room,” he said quietly, settling beside Jed.

Saphira nodded. “That’s okay.”

Once everyone was seated, Nikolas stood. His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. “We’ve just come from interrogating Lupus and Ruby. What we learned changes everything.”

He paced slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. “The Elders have full control of the Matchmaker system. It’s not a partnership, it’s a takeover. They’ve weaponized it. The poison blends they’ve created are already embedded in the system. Anyone flagged as cross-species is marked. And eliminated.”

A ripple of shock moved through the room. Amara’s hand flew to her mouth. Jasper leaned forward, eyes narrowed, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.

“We need samples,” Nikolas continued. “To create an antidote. But getting them will be risky. We know the Elders have them. So do Silvermoon. And the Matchmaker.”

Jasper frowned. “So along with that, our new plan needs to be to stop the Matchmaker first.”

Finn shook his head, his voice tight. “How would that work? The Matchmaker’s huge. If the Elders are controlling it, they could call in backup. Depending on how many packs are aligned with them… we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Silence fell. The weight of the truth pressed in like a storm cloud.

Saphira leaned forward, her voice steady but low. “Finn’s right. The Matchmaker is too big. And we don’t know who inside would fight for us. They could spin it any way they want. But if we go for the Elders first, take out the ones pulling the strings, then the Matchmaker loses its leverage.”

Raven nodded slowly, her fingers drumming against the table. “Cut off the head. Then deal with the limbs.”

They all sat in silence, the enormity of the task settling in. Saphira looked around the table, at the faces she trusted most. The weight of leadership pressed against her chest, but she didn’t shrink from it.

*This is going to be the hardest thing we’ve ever done.*

Saphira sat upright, her hands clasped loosely in front of her. “I think trying to get samples of the poison at this stage will be near on impossible,” she said, her tone blunt but not unkind. “They’ll be guarded. Hidden. And if the Elders know we’re looking, they’ll bury them deeper. Maybe even shift locations entirely.”

Saphira’s stomach tightened. *Of course they would. They’re already ten steps ahead.*

Nikolas nodded, his jaw tight, fingers tapping once against the table before curling into a fist. “Agreed. Our best bet right now is to work with what we know. The strongest ingredient used to take down each supernatural, then we counter it tenfold. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.”

He looked around the table, his gaze steady and sharp. “We need this. And we need plenty of it before we even think about taking on the Elders. They’ll have the poison. And their strength. We can’t afford to be caught unprepared.”

Jasper leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression thoughtful. “Then we all need to be at our best. No weak links. No hesitation. If we’re going to face them, we need to be sharper than we’ve ever been.”

Nikolas straightened, his voice gaining momentum. “We up the training. Everyone who can train, will. That includes all of us. No exceptions.”

Saphira nodded, her mind already scanning the pack’s strengths and gaps. *We’ll need to push hard. Harder than ever. No room for comfort. No room for fear.*

“We’ll ask the witches and doctors to work together,” Nikolas continued. “Start experimenting. See what they can create to counter the poison. And the witches need to train too. Their magic might be the difference between survival and extinction.”

Raven raised a hand, her expression focused. “I’ll sort the training schedule. Coordinate with the doctors. I’ll help wherever I’m needed.”

Nikolas gave her a grateful look, his voice softer. “Thank you. For this. For everything lately.”

Raven shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. “It’s second nature.”

Nikolas turned to the rest of the group, his tone shifting again. “I want each of you to take lead on your kind. But also work together. Learn how to fight alongside other species. We need to be unified. Efficient. No silos. No ego.”

Heads nodded around the table. Jed, Raven, Finn, Amara, Jasper, Sam, Talia, Asher, all of them absorbing the weight of what was being asked. No one spoke, but the resolve in their eyes was clear.

“That’s all for now,” Nikolas said. “Start straight away. If anything comes up, bring it to me.”

A chorus of affirmations followed. Then chairs scraped back, quiet goodbyes were exchanged, and one by one, the room emptied. The door closed softly behind the last of them.

Saphira remained seated, watching the space where they’d all been. Her fingers loosened, then curled again. Nikolas moved beside her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

She turned to him, her voice low. “This is going to be tough.”

Nikolas met her gaze, his expression steady, unwavering. “Yeah, it will. But it’ll be worth it. Every step.”

Saphira turned to Nikolas, her voice low but firm, though her fingers curled slightly against her thigh. “I need to speak to Finn. About the deal we made with Ruby.”