The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 182

The next morning, the air in the pack house carried a restless energy. Saphira had barely finished her tea when Amara appeared in the doorway, her expression taut with urgency.

“We’ve had a breakthrough,” Amara said, her voice low but quick. “With the antidotes. You should come.”

Saphira exchanged a glance with Nikolas, her pulse quickening. Without a word, they followed Amara through the corridors and out into the crisp morning air, heading toward the pack hospital.

The hospital’s lab smelled faintly of herbs and metal. A long table stood at the centre, lined with vials that shimmered in varying hues: pale gold, deep violet, iridescent green. The head doctor and two healers stood to the side.

Saphira stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the vials. “Are these… the antidotes?”

Amara nodded, a flicker of pride softening her features. “Yes. The first batch, anyway.”

The head doctor gestured to the vials. “We started with the most toxic ingredient we know of. We tripled its potency and built the antidote around that. We’ve also created mixed ones for each kind of supernatural. But…” She hesitated, her hands folding together. “The problem is testing. Without the actual poison, we can’t know for certain if they’ll work.”

Saphira’s brows drew together. “So you’re working blind.”

“In part,” the doctor admitted. “We know the ingredients, but we don’t know what else they might add. That’s the gap.”

Nikolas’s voice cut in, steady but edged. “Have you added blood to them?”

The doctor blinked. “No.”

Nikolas’s jaw tightened. “Then how can you be sure they’ll work? It took both mine and Saphira’s blood to save Anastasia. Without it...”

“I know,” the doctor interrupted gently. “But we can’t risk mixing the wrong blood into the antidotes. It could make things worse for whoever needs it. The only safe option is to add blood when it’s needed. Trial and error.”

Saphira’s stomach twisted. “That’s risky. Too risky.” She turned to Nikolas, searching his face.

He met her gaze, his expression grim. “She’s right.”

Amara stepped forward, her voice calm but resolute. “It’s all we can do for now. Until we have the real poison to test against, this is the best chance we have.”

Silence stretched for a beat, the weight of the truth pressing down on them. Finally, Nikolas exhaled, his shoulders squaring. “Then it’s what we need to do.”

He inclined his head to the doctor and Amara. “Thank you. Keep working, keep modifying. But for now, this first batch will have to be enough.”

The doctor nodded, relief flickering in her eyes. “We’ll continue refining. You’ll have more soon.”

Saphira and Nikolas left the lab together, the door closing softly behind them.

“It’s so risky,” she said quietly, her arms wrapping around herself. “Leaving it to chance like that. We could lose someone because of it.”

Nikolas reached for her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “The doctors are good, Saphira. We have to trust them.”

She let out a long sigh, her shoulders sagging. “I don’t like it. Not one bit. But… I’ll let it go. For now. And hope.”

Nikolas squeezed her hand, his voice gentler now. “That’s all we can do. Hope and prepare.” He glanced toward the window, where the morning light spilled across the trees. “Come on. Let’s head to training. Everyone should be ready and waiting for us.”

Saphira drew in a steadying breath, forcing the knot in her chest to loosen. She nodded, her jaw set.

Saphira walked at Nikolas’s side, her boots brushing through the grass. Ahead, four figures waited, Anastasia, Zafira, Asher, and Jed, clustered near the edge of the clearing.

“Morning,” Jed called, lifting a hand in greeting.

“Good to see you both,” Asher added, his arm brushing against Zafira’s.

Zafira offered a small smile, though her eyes flicked nervously between them. “Hi.”

Anastasia’s sharp gaze softened as she inclined her head. “You’re late,” she teased lightly, though the corners of her mouth curved.

Saphira returned the smile, warmth threading through her chest. “Not by much.”

Nikolas stepped forward. “Today we’ll continue with partial shifting and mental strengthening. But starting tomorrow, we’ll spend the day duelling. Be ready, things are going to kick up a notch.”

He let his gaze sweep across the group before adding, “The only person with an excuse is Anastasia.”

Anastasia’s head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. “No. I need to be ready. No favours.”

Saphira frowned, stepping closer, her arms folding across her chest. “You’re still recovering. You don’t need to push yourself like that.”

“I’ll be fine,” Anastasia countered, her tone firm, her chin lifting in defiance. “I won’t be left behind.”

Saphira opened her mouth to argue again, but Anastasia cut her off, her voice brisk. “What’s first, Nikolas?”

Nikolas’s lips twitched, but he didn’t press the matter. “Same process as yesterday. Focus on partial shifting, then build on your bond mentally. Push further this time. More control, more precision.”

They spread out across the clearing; the air soon filled with the sound of steady breathing as bodies began to shift.

Those who had managed it the day before slipped into partial forms quickly, claws and fangs flashing before they pushed further, experimenting with shifting different areas.

Anastasia, despite Saphira’s worry, managed her partial shift with steady control, her eyes glowing faintly as she held it longer than the day before. Saphira watched her closely, torn between admiration and unease.

One by one, each of them succeeded and soon the clearing was alive with the hum of shifting energy. Laughter broke out between grunts of effort, the group buzzing with excitement that it hadn’t taken long for them all to reach this point.

Hours slipped away unnoticed, the sun climbing high and then beginning its descent. Sweat glistened on foreheads, breaths came heavier, but progress was undeniable. The clearing pulsed with a sense of shared triumph.

At last, Nikolas lifted a hand. “That’s enough for today.” His voice carried the weight of command, but also pride. “Well done. You’ve all improved. Get some good rest tonight, we start first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Jed said, clapping Asher on the back as they turned to leave, both of them still grinning.

“See you tomorrow,” Anastasia added, her tone brisk but her eyes bright with determination.

Zafira lingered a moment, offering Saphira a small, grateful smile before following the others.

Soon, the clearing was quiet again, the last light of the sun spilling gold across the grass. Saphira stayed where she was, waiting as Nikolas moved to stand beside her. Together, they turned toward the pack house, the silence between them comfortable, though Saphira’s mind was already racing ahead to tomorrow.

The path back to the pack house was quiet, the last streaks of sunset fading into indigo. The grass brushed against Saphira’s boots, and the cool air carried the faint scent of pine and woodsmoke. Beside her, Nikolas’s stride matched hers, steady and sure. For a while, neither of them spoke, the silence between them companionable, almost intimate.

Then Nikolas’s voice broke it, low and steady, carrying a weight that immediately set her on edge.