The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 214

The room was quiet, wrapped in the soft hush of moonlight spilling through the curtains. Most of the pack had gone to sleep hours ago, leaving only the distant rustle of wind through the trees and the steady rhythm of Nikolas’s breath beside her.

Saphira lay curled against him, her head resting on his shoulder, one hand tracing slow, absent-minded patterns across his chest. His arm was draped around her waist, solid and warm.

Nikolas’s voice broke the silence, low and rough with sleep. “It’s wild, isn’t it? How much has shifted in just one day.”

She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “I know. The bond. The training. Raven’s spells. It’s like something cracked open and everything started pouring out.”

He turned slightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Imagine what we’ll be able to do in a year. Five. Ten.”

She smiled, but it was faint, more reflex than feeling. Her fingers stilled against his skin.

Nikolas felt the change and tilted his head, concern flickering in his eyes. “What is it?”

Saphira hesitated, then looked up at him, her voice soft and uncertain. “What if we don’t have years? What if something happens at the Matchmaker? We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

The words hung between them, heavier than the quiet.

Nikolas exhaled slowly, his thumb brushing gently over her cheek. “We don’t,” he said honestly. “But we also don’t know what’s coming. Not all unknowns are bad. We’ll be ready.”

“I hope so,” she murmured. “Can I borrow some of your optimism?”

He chuckled, the sound low and warm. “I’m worried too, Saphira. Of course, I am. But there’s no point in drowning in it. What will be… will be.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into him, her breath catching slightly.

He pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’m not losing you. And you’re not losing me.”

Saphira wrapped her arms around him, holding tight. The fear didn’t vanish, but it softened, dulled by the steadiness of his voice and the warmth of his promise.

They kissed, slow and deep, a quiet tether in the dark.

And when they finally settled beneath the blankets, limbs entwined, hearts syncing with each breath, sleep came gently. Not as escape, but as mercy.

The clearing was cold, the kind of cold that bit at fingers and made your breath curl in the air like smoke. Frost clung to the grass in delicate webs, crunching underfoot as Saphira and Nikolas stepped into the open. The sun was still low, casting long shadows through the trees, and the sky above was a pale, washed-out blue.

Saphira tugged her jacket tighter around her ribs, exhaling slowly as her boots sank into the frozen ground. Her muscles ached faintly from the day before, but it was a good ache, earned, not endured.

Jed, Asher, Zafira, and Anastasia were already there, scattered across the clearing. Jed was rolling out his shoulders, jaw tight with focus. Asher was crouched low, stretching his legs, his breath steady and rhythmic. Zafira stood with her arms crossed, watching the treeline like it might move. Anastasia paced in slow, deliberate circles, her eyes half-lidded, already halfway into her shift.

There was no ceremony. No barking orders. Just the quiet rhythm of people who knew what needed doing.

Nikolas raised a hand in greeting. “Morning.”

Jed smirked without looking up. “Look who finally decided to join the living.”

Saphira rolled her eyes. “We’re not late. You’re just aggressively punctual.”

Zafira grinned, brushing frost off her sleeves. “We figured we’d get a head start. It’s going to be a long one.”

Asher’s eyes were already glowing faintly, the tips of his claws visible. “You two ready to sync up?”

Nikolas glanced at Saphira, a quiet smile tugging at his mouth. “Let’s find out.”

They spread out, giving each other space. The clearing was ringed by trees, the ground solid beneath their boots. Saphira closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The cold stung her lungs, but beneath it, she felt the familiar warmth of Vaelora stirring.

She didn’t force the shift. She invited it.

Beside her, Nikolas’s energy flared. Vorthar was already awake, his presence like heat radiating off stone.

They started slow, half-shifted, easing into the rhythm. Claws extended, eyes sharpened, senses tuned. They moved through warm-up drills: footwork, short bursts of speed, defensive pivots. Jed and Asher led the first round, their dragons weaving through the trees in tight formation, wings brushing branches, tails slicing through the air.

Saphira and Nikolas followed, their rhythm tighter than the day before. When she pivoted, he was already adjusting. When he surged forward, she was right behind him.

Zafira and Anastasia joined in, adding layers to the pattern. The clearing became a living current, dragons and humans moving in sync, testing each other, pushing limits. There were no shouted commands, no rigid formations. Just breath, motion, and trust.

They shifted fully for the second round.

Wings unfurled. Scales shimmered. The air filled with the sound of beating wings and the low rumble of dragon breath. They took to the sky in pairs, practicing aerial manoeuvres, tight spirals, sudden dives, coordinated strikes. Saphira and Nikolas flew as if tethered by instinct. When Vaelora banked, Vorthar was already there. When one flared their wings, the other adjusted without hesitation.

They practiced evasive manoeuvres next, dodging imaginary threats, weaving between trees, diving low and pulling up just before the ground. It was exhausting, exhilarating. Every muscle burned. Every breath came sharp.

After nearly two hours, they landed hard, steam rising from their bodies in the cold air. Wings folded. Scales faded. Human forms returned, breathless and flushed.

Jed wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “You two are sharper today.”

Nikolas nodded, catching his breath. “We’re getting there.”

Saphira looked around the clearing, her pulse still humming with energy. “This feels right. Like we’re finally moving as one.”

Asher rolled his shoulders, his dragon form fading back. “Good. Because this afternoon, we are bringing in the rest of the pack.”

Zafira nodded. “They’ll see it too. Feel it. Learn how to move with it.”

Anastasia added quietly, “And trust it.”

Nikolas glanced at Saphira, his voice low. “We’re building something here.”

She met his gaze. “Then let’s keep building.”

They didn’t rest long. As the sun climbed higher, they rose again, dragons and humans, bonded and breathless, preparing not just for battle, but for something bigger.