The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 234

A couple of weeks had passed, and the Matchmaker was no longer a place of fear, but a living system that thrived under the pack’s guidance. Each week, members rotated in and out, warriors, healers, pack members, ensuring the Matchmaker was always staffed yet no one was overburdened. The rhythm had become second nature, a week at the Matchmaker, a couple of weeks at home, each rotation balanced so the pack remained whole.

Those who entered the Matchmaker were greeted not with chains, but with choice. The spell Raven and Circe had woven shimmered at the entrance, a veil of light that revealed whether someone carried the bond of a mate. If their mate was within the hall, the spell guided them together, pairing them with certainty and dignity.

But if the bond stretched beyond its walls, the system did not end there. Raven and Circe had built a second network, witches and trackers working together to follow the threads of fate outside.

It was no longer about confinement. It was about connection.

Saphira and Nikolas stood together near the pack’s courtyard, watching children chase each other without a care in the world, their laughter carrying on the evening air. Jasper approached, his steps deliberate, his expression taut with resolve.

“Nikolas. Saphira.” His voice carried a weight that silenced the air around them. “I want to speak to Sam. I’m ready now. But… I’d like you both there. As witnesses.”

Saphira’s breath caught. She had seen Jasper wrestle with this decision for weeks; the conflict etched into his every gesture. Now, his eyes held something different, determination, and the ache of unfinished truth.

Nikolas studied him for a long moment. “You’re certain?”

Jasper nodded, his jaw tight. “I’ve carried this long enough. I need to face him. Whatever comes of it.”

Saphira stepped closer, her voice gentle. “Then we’ll stand with you. You won’t face him alone.”

Relief flickered across Jasper’s face, though his shoulders remained tense. “Thank you. I don’t trust myself to keep steady without someone there to hold the line.”

Nikolas inclined his head. “We’ll go now.”

Together, the three of them left the courtyard. The path to the cells was quieter, the air heavier. Saphira’s heart thudded as they approached the building, they reached the iron door. Behind it, Sam waited, contained, but not forgotten.

Jasper paused, his hand hovering near the latch, his breath uneven. “I don’t know what I’ll say,” he admitted, his voice raw. “But I know I have to say something.”

Saphira placed a hand on his arm. “Speak from truth. Whatever you carry, let it out. We’ll be here.”

Nikolas’s presence was steady at Jasper’s side. “Open the door when you’re ready. We’ll stand with you.”

Jasper drew in a deep breath, his eyes closing for a moment before he pushed the latch. The door creaked open, shadows spilling into the corridor.

And together, they stepped inside.

The cell was dim, the air heavy with silence. Sam sat hunched against the wall, his head lifting as the iron door creaked open. His eyes widened when he saw Jasper enter, flanked by Saphira and Nikolas.

“Jasper…” Sam’s voice cracked, desperate. He scrambled to his feet, his hands trembling. “You came. I… I’ve been waiting. Please, just listen. I made a mistake. I was wrong. I thought I was doing what was best, but I see now… I see what I’ve lost.”

Jasper’s jaw tightened, his breath sharp. He stood just inside the doorway, his posture rigid, every muscle taut with restraint. “A mistake?” His voice was low, dangerous. “You betrayed me. You betrayed all of us. That wasn’t a mistake, Sam. That was a choice.”

Sam stepped forward, his hands outstretched as if reaching for something already gone. “I was blinded. I thought power would make me strong, make us strong. But I see now it only destroyed everything. Please, Jasper… I’m your brother.”

Jasper’s eyes burned, his voice breaking with fury and grief. “No. You were my brother. But not anymore. I cannot forgive you. You are no longer blood to me.”

Sam flinched, his face crumpling. “Don’t say that. Please. I can change. I’ll prove it. Just give me a chance.”

Jasper shook his head, his voice firm, unyielding. “You cannot stay here. Not in the Arrax pack. You’ve poisoned too much, hurt too many. You have to leave.”

Sam dropped to his knees, his voice raw with desperation. “Don’t cast me out. I’ll do anything. I’ll serve, I’ll repent, I’ll crawl if I have to. Just don’t send me away.”

Jasper’s breath shuddered, but his resolve did not falter. “Begging won’t change what you’ve done. You made your choice, and now I make mine. You are not my brother. You are not loyal to this pack. You will be banished, and you will not return.”

Sam’s sobs echoed against the stone walls, his hands clutching at the floor as if he could anchor himself to the place he was being torn from. “Jasper… please…”

But Jasper’s eyes were cold, his voice final. “It’s over. The day you turned on us, my brother died.”

Saphira’s chest ached at the sight, but she remained steady, her hand brushing Nikolas’s arm as Jasper turned away.

The door closed behind Jasper, his footsteps fading. Sam remained on the floor, his sobs ragged, his body shaking. Slowly, his gaze lifted to Nikolas, desperation etched into every line of his face.

“Please,” Sam begged, his voice hoarse. “Nikolas… you’re our leader. You can change this. Give me a chance. I’ll prove myself. I’ll do anything.”

Nikolas’s expression hardened, his jaw set like stone. He stepped closer, his presence filling the chamber. “No, Sam. Jasper’s decision stands. You betrayed him, and you betrayed this pack. You’re lucky we aren’t stripping your vampire side away from you for what you’ve done.”

Sam’s breath hitched, his eyes wide with fear. “Don’t… please, don’t take that from me. It is all I have left.”

Nikolas’s voice was cold, resolute. “You will be escorted from the pack later today. That is mercy enough. If you try and return, I will kill you.”

Sam’s shoulders collapsed, his sobs breaking into silence.

Nikolas turned, his hand taking Saphira’s as they stepped back into the corridor. “It’s finished. He’ll leave, and the pack will be free of him.”

And together, they walked away, leaving Sam behind in the shadows, his pleas unanswered, his fate sealed.