The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 60

Not long after Zafira had woken, she was back asleep, her breathing slow and even, her body still recovering from the strain of everything she had endured.

Jed had joined them just before she drifted off again, his relief evident in the way he barely let go of her hand. Finn, Amara, and Raven had gathered in the waiting room, unable to sleep, waiting for any update on her condition.

The night stretched on, long and silent, with only the occasional presence of a doctor coming in to check her vitals.

Saphira sat beside Zafira’s bed, shifting occasionally, trying to ease the stiffness settling into her limbs. Sleep came in short intervals, fractured and restless. Every movement in the room jolted her awake, her mind too alert, too wired to fully surrender to exhaustion.

Nikolas was the same.

Jed too.

None of them truly slept, not with the weight of uncertainty pressing down on them.

A soft click of the door opening snapped Saphira from the haze of half-sleep. She blinked, rubbing the heel of her hand against her eyes before looking toward the entrance.

Nikolas stepped inside, his posture slightly heavier than usual, but his grip steady around the three to-go coffee cups in his hands.

“Here,” he murmured, his voice lower than usual, edged with quiet exhaustion. “Thought we could all do with it.” He handed her one of the cups, the warmth of it soothing against her cold fingers.

She curled both hands around it instantly, inhaling the familiar scent, letting it settle something inside her.

Nikolas handed the second cup to Jed, who had just stirred, stretching out his shoulders before taking the offered drink.

“I’ve updated everyone,” Nikolas said as he sat down beside Saphira, rolling his shoulders slightly before taking a sip of his own coffee. “Told them to go home for now. There isn’t anything they can do here.”

Saphira nodded slowly, her fingers flexing against the cup, absorbing the heat.

“Good idea,” Jed murmured, his voice raw from sleep deprivation but carrying an edge of agreement.

Saphira kept her gaze on the steam curling from the surface of her drink, her mind already circling around what came next.

*Will Nikolas tell me to go home too?*

She didn’t want to argue, didn’t want to make this about her. But she needed to stay.

*I need to be here.*

She swallowed, bracing herself, waiting for him to say it. But he didn’t, he didn’t so much as hint that she should leave.

Relief washed over her, though she kept her expression neutral, taking a slow sip of her coffee, letting the warmth push away the remaining exhaustion.

She wasn’t going anywhere.

It wasn’t long before another doctor entered the room, moving with calm precision as he assessed Zafira, checking her vitals, scanning the monitors with quiet focus.

Saphira shifted slightly in her chair, watching closely, waiting for any sign, any subtle shift in the doctor’s expression that might hint at something new.

Beside her, Jed straightened, his voice familiar and steady as he asked, “Any update?”

He asked it every time a doctor entered, the same words, the same thread of expectation laced within them.

The doctor finished filling out his forms before offering a reassuring nod. “Her vitals are improving, but she still needs rest. She will wake again, don’t worry.”

Jed exhaled slowly, his tension easing just slightly. “Thanks, Doc.”

Once the doctor left, silence settled thick between them again.

It wasn’t the comforting kind, it was too heavy, too uncertain, stretching into something uncomfortable.

Saphira shifted again, rubbing her thumb absentmindedly against her palm. She hated this waiting, hated how helpless it felt.

A knock at the door, pulled their gazes away from Zafira.

She glanced up as Raven signaled for Nikolas and Jed, standing in the hallway, her expression tight with something unreadable.

Nikolas stood, casting a quick look at Saphira. “I’ll be back in a second.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

Jed followed him out, leaving Saphira alone with Zafira, the stillness pressing in once more.

Her gaze drifted toward the hallway, watching as Nikolas, Jed, and Raven spoke in hushed tones. She couldn’t hear the words, but she could see it, the tension in their postures, the sharp lines in Raven’s face.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t good news.

Minutes passed before Nikolas returned, stepping back into the room, his movements slightly more rigid than before.

Saphira straightened, her pulse ticking up slightly. “Everything okay?”

Nikolas ran a hand over his jaw, his gaze flickering between Zafira, Jed, and Saphira before settling on her.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “There’s commotion at the east border, and it involves Damon.”

Saphira frowned, inhaling slowly, trying to read the tension in his voice.

“They need assistance and requested me and Jed.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Then you need to go.”

Nikolas glanced toward Zafira’s still form, hesitation flickering across his features.

“I’ll stay with her,” Saphira continued, standing and placing a gentle hand on his arm, steadying him. “You can send Finn, or someone else close to her, to stay with me while you’re gone. That way she will have a familiar face if she wakes again.”

He exhaled sharply, his fingers curling slightly before releasing. “I feel bad leaving her when she might wake at any moment.”

Saphira squeezed his arm lightly, her voice softer but firm. “You still have a pack to run.”

He held her gaze for a long moment, searching, before finally nodding.

“You’re right,” he murmured. “Thank you.”

Without warning he leaned down, pressing a brief, firm kiss to her lips, something grateful and resolute in the gesture.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised. “I’ll see if Finn can sit with you.”

Saphira watched as he turned, moving toward the door, his pace quickening instantly as he stepped into the hallway, Jed falling in stride beside him.

Whatever was happening, whatever had pulled him away, it was urgent. And even though she hated watching him leave, hated the uncertainty of not knowing, she understood.

She just hoped it wasn't something really bad, but she had a bad feeling.