Saphira had never felt inore powerless. All she could do was scream, her voice rave with desperation, as tears red her vision, Kim Kadar penkez Souly understood when her feelings for Niks had deepened into something uneliskable, But standing here now, watching the this a few Niks‘ chained, helpless form, she knew without question she would sacrifice anything to save him,


    The Elder stepped into position, his expression calm, almost amused, as he gazed down at the restrained dragon.


    “Not so powerful now, are we?” he murmured, his voice like ice. “It’s about time you were taken down for good. We hired the Matchmaker to take you never let you leave, and they failed.” A cold smile curled at the edges of his lips. “I won’t.”


    Saphira’s breath hitched, a violent surge of panic ripping through her as she saw his arms tense, the golden de gleaming under the moonlight at started his strike<b>. </b>


    She screamed.


    A sound of pure agony raw, frantic, the kind that ripped through the soul.


    And then–everything slowed.


    Time itself seemed to fracture, stretching, twisting.


    A pulse.


    It tore through her body, a force so powerful it shattered something unseen around her<b>, </b>exploding outward. The golden sword–the weapon meant to end Niks<b>–</b>was flung from the Elder’s grasp, sent flying into the darkness.


    A sudden, searing heat spread through her, wrapping around her limbs<b>, </b>her chest, her very core.


    Pain. Fire. It was unlike anything she had ever felt–something ancient, something inevitable.


    Saphira gasped, barely able to breathe as she staggered–no, not staggered. Changed.


    Her gaze snapped downward.


    ck. Two gleaming, shimmering ck ws.


    Her pulse thundered in her ears<b>. </b>


    She was a dragon.


    The realization crashed through her, overwhelming, impossible, undeniable. She had transformed.


    And now–she wasn’t powerless. Not anymore.


    Saphira let out a deafening roar into the night sky, her voice raw with newfound strength as time snapped back into motion. The power that had surged through her–the force that had changed her–still pulsed within her veins, unfamiliar yet intoxicating.


    Then her gaze met Niks<b>‘</b><b>.</b>)


    That single moment, that unspoken connection, was all it took.


    The mate bond ignited between them, shimmering gold tendrils swirling in the air, visible only to them. The energy linked them, wrapping around their souls, drawing them together in a way that was irreversible–unchangeable.


    And as it snapped into <b>ce</b><b>, </b>fully formed, Saphira felt it.


    Power.


    <b>CHAPTER </b>35


    <b>A </b>force she had never <b>imagined</b>, rushing through her like a storm, shifting her instt, sharpening everything she bawa’t kunne hole to Whal


    But Niks <b>did</b>.


    The Elder took a step back, his white eyes widening, lear creeping into the edges of his voice. “That’s not possible,” he hissait, watching bee <b>hàn </b>thà hà shattered the very foundation of the world he controlled.


    Saphira narrowed her gaze, taking a slow, deliberate step forward. He faltered, the confidence he had wielded moments ago cracking jas <b>slightly </b>


    She turned to Niks, uncertainty flickering in her mind what now? She had the power, but she didn’t yet know what to do with it.


    Then, his voice filled her mind–steady, strong, assured.


    I’ve got you, mate.”


    Those four words settled deep in her chest, grounding her, strengthening her.


    Confidence reced hesitation.


    Niks moved, his massive form shifting beneath the weight of the chains. This time, his thrashes carried force–purpose. The metal groaned under the strain, the bindings straining under his strength. Then, his scales began to glow, releasing waves of heat so intense that steam curled into the air, and the chains–solid, unbreakable only moments before–began to melt.


    “No, no, no,” the Elder muttered, fear taking hold now, his retreat turning frantic.


    Saphira didn’t hesitate.


    She moved swiftly, circling around, cutting off his escape.


    They weren’t letting him go. Not until they had answers.


    Niks let out a thunderous roar as thest of the molten chains snapped apart, the broken links crashing to the ground in a cloud of steam and dust. The force of his release shook the air itself, power radiating from him like a storm unleashed.


    Before the Elder could react, Niks moved–swift, relentless. He lunged, his massive ck form colliding with the Elder, pinning him to the ground <b>in </b>one terrifying motion. The ancient figure barely had time to struggle before ws pressed against his chest, holding him firm beneath the dragon’s weight.


    Saphira stepped forward instinctively, her own form thrumming with newfound power, ready to act, ready to end this.


    But just as she opened her mouth, a flicker–a presence–shifted at the edge of her vision.


    A second Elder.


    He appeared like a phantom, robes flowing unnaturally as if untouched by the air around them. His face remained shadowed beneath his hood, but the power he carried was unmistakable.


    Saphira barely had time to process it before the figure lifted a single hand.


    A spell–silent, swift–ripped through the space between them.


    And then–the pinned Elder was dead.


    The blownded without warning, without hesitation, and the lifeless body crumpled beneath Niks in an instant.


    Saphira’s breath hitched, her pulse stammering with shock. Niks recoiled, shifting back, his golden eyes narrowing in confusion, an


    But before either of them could react–before they could stop him–the second Elder disappeared. Vanished. Gone, leaving nothing behind.


    Saphira’s breathing was uneven, her massive form still adjusting to the overwhelming reality of what had just happened. She was a dragon. She <b>had </b>transformed. And now<b>–</b>she needed to figure out how to shift back.


    <b>CHAPTER </b><b>35 </b>


    <b>Niks </b><b>watched </b>her with unwavering intensity, his golden eyes sharp, steady


    <b>“</b><b>You </b>need to breathe, his voice filled her mind, calming, instructing. Close your eyes, feel it your form, your <b>hoses</b>, the aberg) that fines th Don’t force <b>it</b><b>. </b>Let it guide you.”


    Saphira swallowed hard, nodding slightly as she forced herself to listen, to push past the panic, the lingering rusfi of power. She <b>closed </b>her eyes, for her body, on the way her limbs felt heavier, stronger, different. She reached inward, searching for the part of herself that still belonged to thend known her whole life.


    Human. She needed to find human again.


    The warmth inside her pulsed, shifting–not violently, but naturally. It was instinct, buried deep, waiting for her to ept it.


    And then–she felt change.


    Her bones reshaped, her limbs shrank, her ws softened–until the weight pressing against the earth lifted. She gasped, stumbling slightly as <b>she </b>reoriented herself.


    She was herself again.


    Human.


    She blinked, her breathing faster as she tried to <b>process </b>everything, but then–she looked <b>up</b>. And Niks was watching her.


    Their eyes locked, the golden bond still shimmering faintly between them, like lingering threads of magic tying them together. There was something in his gaze–something <b>raw</b><b>, </b>unguarded.


    Saphira had no words.


    And in that moment, she didn’t need them. Because Niks understood. And that was enough.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>Comments </b>


    Tracy <i>Gordon </i>


    yayyy she’s a dragon!!!! and they are mates, powerful mates!


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