The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 207

Evening draped itself over the pack, the last light filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the bedroom walls. Saphira stood near the window, arms folded, her gaze fixed on the horizon but not really seeing it. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

Behind her, Nikolas sat on the edge of the bed, undoing his boots. He paused, sensing the stillness in her posture. “You’re thinking,” he said gently.

She didn’t turn. “I want to see Lupus.”

Nikolas looked up. “Now?”

She nodded once. “Before dinner. I need to confront him. And then decide on what to do and tell him.”

He stood, crossing the room to her. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Saphira finally turned to face him. Her eyes were calm, but there was a tightness in her jaw. “No. This is something I have to do alone.”

Nikolas searched her face, then gave a small nod. “Alright. I’ll meet you in the dining room. Save you a seat.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips. “Okay.”

He leaned in and kissed her, his hand brushing her cheek. She kissed him back, letting the warmth of him settle the storm inside her chest. Then she stepped away, her fingers trailing from his, and slipped out the door.

The walk to the cells was quiet. Her heart beat steadily, but her stomach was tight. She needed to be strong and confident, not to let herself hesitate or show weakness.

When she reached the cells, the guards stepped aside without a word.

She entered Lupus’s cell.

He sat on the bench, shackled at the wrists and ankles, posture relaxed but eyes sharp. When he saw her, his lip curled into a sneer.

“Well,” he drawled. “The little mistake returns.”

Saphira didn’t flinch. “I want to talk about Silvermoon. About what you let them do to me after Connor disappeared.”

Lupus leaned back, expression mocking. “You deserved discipline and that’s how we dish out punishment as a pack.”

“Silver whips,” she said, voice flat. “You let them use silver whips on me, even after knowing I didn’t shift and wouldn’t heal.”

He shrugged. “They were within their rights. And after what you did, the scars would serve as a good reminder to stay in place.”

Saphira stepped closer, her voice low and sharp. “And what about how you treated me growing up? The isolation. The punishments. The way you made me feel like I was poison.”

Lupus’s eyes narrowed. “You were a burden. I didn’t want you. You were never supposed to be mine.”

Her throat tightened, but she didn’t look away. “Then why take me from my mother? Why tell her I was dead?”

His smile turned cruel. “Because she was weak. And you were mean to be a wolf, but you turned into a disgrace. You should never have been born.”

The words hit like a slap, but Saphira stood her ground. Her voice was quiet, but it cut like a blade. “You know what, you don’t make any sense. You took me because I should have been a wolf, but you never treated me right. Would things have been different if I had shifted?”

Lupus smirked. “No. Wolf or not, I regret ever taking you, I should have just killed you when you were born.”

Saphira looked at Lupus closely, his words settling in. “I’ve decided.”

Lupus blinked. “Decided what?”

“You’ll be bound from your wolf. Permanently. You’ll live as a human. Alone. If you ever come back, or if I ever see you again, I will kill you myself.”

His face twisted in rage. “You can’t do that. It’s not fair. You’re stripping me of everything. My birthright. My power. You think that’s justice?”

Saphira’s voice was ice. “I think it’s mercy.”

He lunged forward, chains clanking, eyes wild. “You’re no better than the Elders!”

She turned her back on him, her voice calm and final. “No. I’m what comes after.”

And she walked out, the door closing behind her with a final, echoing click.

Saphira walked slowly back to the pack house, her footsteps soft, the echo of Lupus’s words still lodged in her chest like splinters. She’d expected cruelty, had braced for it, but hearing it aloud, so casually, so venomously, still left a hollow ache beneath her ribs.

She kept her shoulders straight, her expression composed, but inside, something trembled. Not fear. Not even grief. Just the quiet, aching weight of being unwanted for so long.

The dining hall glowed with warmth, lanternlight flickering across stone walls and wooden beams. The constant chatter of conversation filled the space. The pack was scattered across tables, plates half-filled, voices subdued but present. A few heads turned as she entered, Raven gave her a small nod, Amara’s eyes flickered with concern, but no one called out. No one intruded.

Nikolas was already seated near the far end, a place saved beside him. He looked up the moment she stepped in, his gaze locking onto hers like a tether.

She crossed the room without a word, slid into the seat beside him.

He didn’t speak. Just reached under the table and took her hand.

Saphira let him. Her fingers curled around his instinctively, grateful for the steadiness of his touch. His thumb brushed slow circles over her knuckles.

“How did it go?” he asked softly.

She stared at her plate for a moment, the food still had some steam rising from it, Nikolas must have only just gotten it for her. Then she turned to him. “He said I was a mistake. That he should’ve killed me.”

Nikolas’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak. He just held her hand a little tighter.

“I told him he’d be bound,” she continued. “Stripped of his wolf. Left to live as a human. Alone. And if I ever saw him again…” She swallowed. “I said I’d kill him.”

Nikolas nodded slowly. “Good.”

Saphira blinked. “You think so?”

He turned to her fully, his voice low but certain. “I think the other option was good, but I am happy you went with this option. Especially after what he said, there is no remorse there. And the most important part is you didn’t let him break you.”

She looked down at their joined hands. “I went in with full intention to isolate him with Ruby, but after what he said and the way he looked at me... Something inside told me he deserved the worst, and to live with it. Like he tried to do to me.”

“If you feel it is right in your gut,” he said. “Then that’s what matters.”

She leaned into him slightly, her shoulder brushing his. “I’m glad you saved me a seat and got me some food.”

He smiled, soft and private. “I always will.”

Dinner passed slowly. The food was warm, but she barely tasted it. She didn’t speak much, but she didn’t need to. Nikolas stayed close, his presence a quiet shield, his hand never far from hers.

And for the first time since leaving the cells, Saphira felt her lungs expand fully. The weight in her chest didn’t vanish, but it shifted. Became something she could carry.