The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 61

Saphira sat beside Zafira’s bed, her fingers absently tracing patterns against the fabric of her sleeve, lost in thought.

Her dragon was still. Present, but settled, watching, not restless, but attentive.

She had been here for a while now, keeping vigil, waiting for any sign of change, any sign that Zafira was stirring again.

Then there was movement. A slight twitch in Zafira’s fingers. snd a faint shift in her breathing.

Saphira sat up straighter, her pulse quickening.

Zafira’s eyelids fluttered open.

Her gaze was unfocused at first, darting around the room, searching, confused.

Saphira reacted instantly, leaning forward, voice soft but firm.

“You’re okay,” she murmured, offering a reassuring smile, careful not to startle her. “You’re safe. Just take it easy.”

Zafira blinked, her expression tense, uncertainty threading through her features.

She tried to move but Saphira was fast and ready. She placed a gentle hand on Zafira’s arm, stopping her before she could strain herself further.

“Easy,” she soothed. “You’ve been through a lot, you need rest and to take it easy.”

Zafira’s brows knit together, frustration flickering through her eyes.

Saphira hesitated, she wasn’t ready to tell Zafira the truth about her and Nikolas, not yet. Not when she had just woken up, when everything was already overwhelming.

So instead, “I’m Finn’s sister,” she said, her tone casual and friendly, her grip light but reassuring.

Zafira didn’t react immediately, just watched her, brows still furrowed, but the tension in her shoulders eased slightly.

Saphira offered another small smile. “I’ll call a doctor to check on you, alright?”

Zafira blinked once, then slowly nodded.

Saphira felt a ripple, deep within her mind, within her dragon, she felt it. A subtle shift.

Not a physical presence, not something she could fully define, but there.

Her dragon was calming Zafira’s.

Saphira didn’t understand how, but she knew, she felt it.

A quiet, steadying hum in the back of her thoughts.

Not forceful.

Not demanding.

Just there.

And the strangest part?

Zafira relaxed under it.

As if on some level she felt it too.

Saphira swallowed, pushing the thought aside for now.

Because Zafira was awake.

And that was what mattered. For now. For this moment.

Saphira rose from her seat, casting a quick glance at Zafira before stepping toward the door. She hesitated for a fraction of a second, uncertain whether leaving her side, even momentarily, was the right call, but she needed to get the doctor.

Slipping into the hallway, she caught sight of a passing nurse and flagged them down. “Could you send the doctor in? Zafira’s awake.”

The nurse nodded briskly, disappearing down the corridor.

Saphira returned to her seat, keeping her composure calm beside Zafira.

The doctor arrived quickly, moving with a controlled efficiency as he checked Zafira’s vitals again. He pressed fingers lightly to her wrist, monitoring her pulse, then adjusted the monitors beside her bed.

“She’s doing good,” he reassured Saphira as he finished his assessment. “She just needs time to adjust, but everything looks as it should.”

Saphira exhaled slowly, nodding.

As the doctor stepped away, the door creaked open again, revealing Finn.

The shift in Zafira was instant.

Her gaze snapped toward him, her expression flickering from hazy confusion to something lighter. Her posture relaxed, not completely, but enough.

Finn smiled, relief flashing in his eyes as he strode toward her bedside, sitting down without hesitation.

“You’re home,” he murmured, his voice carrying warmth, reassurance.

Zafira didn’t speak, but the way her shoulders eased, the way her eyes softened, she felt it.

Finn reached for her hand, his grip gentle.

Then, after a beat, he turned slightly toward Saphira.

“This is Saphira,” he said, his tone deliberately simple, easing her into the moment. “She’s my sister, from my old pack.”

Zafira’s gaze flickered between them, brows knitting slightly.

“When you’re feeling better, I’ll explain everything,” Finn promised.

Zafira blinked, searching his face, and then finally gave the faintest nod.

Saphira sat beside Zafira’s bed, her gaze flickering between her and Finn as they helped her adjust, easing her into a more comfortable position against the pillows.

Finn grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table, offering it carefully, steadying the cup as Zafira reached for it with weak fingers.

“Slow,” he murmured, his voice carrying quiet reassurance.

Zafira obeyed, taking small, measured sips, her breathing still uneven but stronger than before.

Saphira watched closely, observing the way Zafira’s movements became slightly smoother, how her gaze sharpened with every passing second.

She was gaining strength.

Bit by bit.

Finn set the cup down, watching her carefully, his eyes scanning her face for any hint of response.

“You’re doing good,” he told her softly.

Zafira blinked, her expression unreadable but attentive.

Finn exhaled slowly, then leaned forward slightly, his posture shifting as he spoke.

“I found my mate,” he admitted, his voice dipping.

Zafira’s brows twitched slightly, a flicker of curiosity passing through her features.

“When you’re better, I’ll introduce you,” Finn continued, his voice warm, carrying an unspoken promise that things would return to normal.

Zafira nodded in agreement, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. A soft, familiar smile pulled at her lips, a small but important gesture.

Then her expression shifted.

The warmth faded, replaced by a look of thought that washed over her features as she glanced around the room.

Something flickered in her eyes. A quiet panic.

She tried to speak.

Her lips parted, but nothing came out.

Saphira stiffened, immediately picking up on the frustration building inside Zafira. The way her fingers curled slightly into the blanket, the way her breath turned uneven, her brows drawing together as she fought against the silence forced upon her.

Finn mirrored the concern, his hands twitching at his sides, unsure what to do, or how to help.

Saphira inhaled, thinking quickly. “Paper and pen?” she suggested.

Finn nodded once, sharply, before turning and disappearing into the hallway, moving quickly to find something she could use.

Saphira exhaled slowly, focusing back on Zafira, trying to keep her calm despite the tension thick in the air.

Then something shifted in the back of her mind.

A voice.

*‘Anastasia.’*

It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t intrusive, but it was there.

Saphira blinked, her spine straightening slightly.

She hadn’t imagined that.

She knew she hadn’t imagined that.

Her dragon stirred faintly, a familiar hum pressing against her senses.

Saphira hesitated, then asked carefully, “Are you looking for Anastasia?”

Zafira’s gaze flickered to her, confusion flashing across her features.

Saphira could tell she didn’t understand how she knew.

“The other dragon you were with,” she clarified gently.

A beat.

Zafira nodded, the tension melting from her face, her shoulders relaxing as relief flooded through her.

“She’s safe,” Saphira assured her. “She is awake too, just in another room with her son.”

Zafira let out a long, controlled breath, exhaling slowly, deliberately like she was releasing something she had been holding onto for too long.