The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 228

Dinner had ended, the clatter of dishes fading into the low hum of voices around the long table. The pack lingered, some speaking quietly, others lost in thought. Jasper sat apart, his shoulders tense, his gaze fixed on the table as though he could burn a hole through the wood.

Nikolas noticed first. He leaned forward, his voice steady but gentle. “Jasper… how are you holding up?”

Jasper’s jaw tightened. He didn’t look up. “I can’t believe it,” he muttered, his voice rough. “Sam. My own brother. Betraying us. Betraying me.” His voice cracked, anger and grief tangled together. “He was always my double. My other half. I can’t see why he would do it.”

Nikolas’s expression darkened, but his tone remained calm. “Have you spoken to him since we’ve been back?”

Jasper shook his head sharply, his fists clenching against the table. “No. I’m not sure I can face him yet. Not after what his actions caused.”

The silence that followed was heavy, pressing down on them all. Saphira reached across the table, her hand finding Jasper’s. Her touch was gentle. “No doubt he has a lot to pay for,” she said softly. “But what happened in there… it likely would have happened anyway. The Core was more powerful than we imagined. Even if we’d surprised them, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.”

Jasper’s eyes flicked to hers, raw and searching, as though he wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words.

“As much as it pains me to say,” Saphira continued, her voice steady, “Sam is still a traitor. But it isn’t his doing, the way it unfolded. That was the Core’s strength, not his betrayal.”

Jasper sat in silence for a long moment, his hand tightening around hers. His shoulders eased, just slightly, the tension loosening. “Thank you,” he murmured at last, his face softening before hardening again into its usual guarded expression.

Nikolas gave a small nod, his gaze lingering on Jasper with quiet respect. “You’ll find your way through this,” he said quietly. “And when you’re ready, you’ll face him.”

The table slowly emptied, the pack dispersing into the corridors, their voices fading into the hallway. Saphira rose, her hand brushing Nikolas’s as they stood together.

“Come,” she said quietly, her voice carrying both resolve and weariness. “We should go to the office. See who joins us.”

Nikolas nodded, and together, they left the dining hall.

The office was dimly lit, Saphira sat beside Nikolas at the long table, her fingers tracing the grain of the wood as they waited. The silence pressed down on her chest, heavy with anticipation.

The door creaked open. Asher stepped inside, Zafira close behind him. Saphira’s breath caught, she hadn’t expected Asher to come so soon, not after the grief that had locked him away.

“Asher,” she whispered, her voice soft with surprise, almost disbelief.

He gave a faint nod, his expression still shadowed but steadier than before. Zafira’s hand brushed his arm, a quiet gesture that kept him upright.

One by one, the others arrived, Jed, Raven, Finn, Amara, Jasper, and Talia. Each took their place around the table, their faces solemn but resolute. Finally, the door opened once more, and Circe entered, her silver hair catching the firelight. She moved with quiet confidence, her gaze sweeping the room before she sat.

The circle was complete.

Nikolas leaned forward. “We need to do what we intended. Take over the Matchmaker. We’ll go through all the documents we find, free anyone still inside, and offer them the choice to be matched, but without rules, without danger. From now on, it will be done right.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping across them, lingering on each face. “And if anyone doesn’t want to return to where they came from, they’ll be welcomed into the Arrax pack. We’ll need to expand housing, but as a team, as a pack, we’ll make it happen.”

Saphira straightened, her heart pounding, her voice firm but inviting. “Who wants to join us?”

There was no hesitation. One by one, they nodded, voices rising softly in agreement.

“All of us,” Jed said simply, his tone carrying the weight of certainty.

Saphira’s gaze lingered on Asher. She leaned forward, her voice gentle. “Are you ready for this?”

Asher’s eyes burned with quiet determination. His jaw tightened, but his words were confident. “Yes. It’s what my mum would want me to do.”

Emotion pricked at Saphira’s throat, but she held his gaze, pride and grief mingling in her chest.

Amara leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly together. “I’ve been training with the healers,” she said, her voice trembling but strong. “I can offer medical help. I’ll ask one of the others to come too.”

Jed nodded firmly, his expression resolute. “I’ll gather a few pack members to help. We’ll need strength as well as healing.”

The room filled with quiet murmurs of agreement.

Nikolas’s hand brushed hers beneath the table. “Then it’s decided. We leave after breakfast tomorrow.”

Saphira looked around the table, her chest tight.

The office was silent after the others had gone, the door closing softly behind them. Saphira sat back in her chair.

Saphira turned to Nikolas, her voice soft. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you,” she said, her fingers brushing lightly against the edge of the table. “For helping me through all of this.”

Nikolas’s gaze softened, his eyes catching hers in the firelight. “Saphira… you don’t need to thank me. Not now, not ever.”

Her chest tightened, emotion rising. She reached across the table, her hand finding his. “I know. But I need you to hear it. You’ve been my strength through all of this. And I don’t know how I would have stood without you.”

Nikolas rose from his chair, moving closer. He crouched beside her, his hand covering hers. “You’re stronger than you think. I’ve only reminded you of that.”

Saphira’s lips curved faintly, though her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Maybe. But you’ve carried me when I couldn’t carry myself.”

The silence stretched, filled with the crackle of the fire and the unspoken weight between them. Slowly, she leaned forward, her forehead resting against his.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with sincerity.

Nikolas’s hand slid to her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that escaped. “Always,” he murmured, the word a promise.

Their lips met softly, not rushed, but deep. The kiss was tender, carrying the weight of everything they had endured and the strength of what they still had to face.

When they parted, Saphira exhaled. “Tomorrow will be hard,” she said quietly. “Going back there.”

Nikolas nodded, his hand still resting against her cheek. “But we’ll face it together.”