The game room had quieted, the once lively hum of voices and hurts ofughter nere indired to soft numearster the four of them.
Xaphies curled up on therge s, tucking her legs beneath the nket the bad pulled over herself. The fabric wat teft, inadating, greinding leh rainag the mual night air creeping in through the slightly open window. Amara leaned against her tide, difting to getfortable, her presence steady while Raven and Talia sprawled scams hom them, their bodies sinkingzily into the ruchines.
<b>Kaven </b>let out a deep, contented sigh, stretching her legs out with a slow rise. “Alright,” the moted, fer voice lighter than before. “Since secer here, and no ?rir’s mumming around straming shout winning another round of pool, let’s talk.”
Saphira raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. “Talk about what?”
Talia smirked, propping her elbow onto the anest, “You know, patt
Raven shaled, taking the lead. “I was shunned from myen. They were ohursord with dark magic, and I refused to take part in it,” she continand, voice quieter now. “They didn’t just <b>cast </b>me out they made sure I had nothing. No resources, no allies, no identity outside of what they had stripped away.”
Talia reached over without hesitation, squeezing Raven’s arm geatly, offering sent resturance between them.
Raven exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulden casing just slightly. “That’s when led found me,” she murmured, the faintest trace “He didn’t know what to do with me at first–thought I’d be trouble, honestly.”
Amara scoffed softly, shaking her head. “You? Trouble? Impossible.”
Raven shot her a look, then let out a smallugh. <b>“</b><b>Anyway</b>, he helped me. Gave me a ce here. And I don’t think I’ve ever looked back.”
Saphira hesitated for a moment, then asked gently. “Do you not miss them?”
Raven was quiet for a heat, her fingers flexing against the nket before she shook her head. “Not anymore,” she admitted. “I did at first. Of course–they were my family,” She let out a breath, steadying herself before continuing. “But then this pack made me see how family should really be.
Saphira’s chest tightened with something warm, something understandop
“Well, I’m d you’re here,” she <b>said</b>, meaning every word.
Amara nodded beside her, a soft smile curling her lips. “Me too.”
Then, Talia shifted, adjusting the nket draped over her
her legs, her fingers tracing the soft fabric as she spoke.
“My tum, I guess. I fell for another vampire.” Talia exhaled, her fingers tightening slightly around the nket before continuing. “He was the one wh approacted me fest. He took me on dates, gave me gifs, made me believe it was perfect.”
Saphir studied her closely, sensing the slight shift in her expression–the <b>way </b><b>her </b>jou temed, the faint flicker of something unreadable in her <b>eyes</b>.
<b>Then</b>, Talia exhaled, her breath shallow. “He had a <b>mate</b>.”
leave, tried to step back. But by then it was toote.”
“I didn’t know at first,” she admitted, voice quieter nog. “But when I did–I tried to lea
Her fingers curled around the edge of the <b>nket</b>, gripping it as though grounding herself against the memory.
“His mate wasn’t just ampone,” the continued. “She was powerful. And my presence? It wasn’t forgiven”
Saphira could hear the bitterness in her <b>voice</b>–the way it still fingered, even now, even after all this time.
“They banished me,” Talia murmured, shaking her head slightly. “Told me way a disgrace”
<b>She </b>scoffed Fightly, <b>but </b>the sound carried no humour
“So, here I am.” She fonteil a smirk, though it was leitle, fleeting. “Their disaOLE.”
Amaia snaightened slightly, frustration shing across her features. “That it want your Grill it was
Talia let out a breath, eyes flickering toward Amara biefly. “No one believed me,” the admitted, “He wan
and he walked away without roningence.”
betone could press further, Talis shifted, forcing a lightness into her tone that didn’t quite match her expression, “Anyway, that’s ma
up.”
Then–finally–Amara spoke.
Her voice was quieteres, immer, ke she was peeling way of herself she wasn’t to showing. “Well, my story in’t an dramatic, but <b>She </b>pulled her knees up slightly, wrapping her aims around them, folding herself in like she could protect the memory from Barting toni mock,
was an orphan. And since funding was tight and no one really wanted me, they sent me straight to the
Saphira inhaled sharply, her chest tightening instantly.
She had felt that—trily felt that.
be Matchmaker
It wasn’t just abandonment. It was being discarded<b>, </b>shuffled away into a system that treated people a transactions.
“I didn’t get a choice, Amara admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “I was just sent away. The same way my parents did when I was born.“.
Something in her tone cracked, even though she held herself steady.
Without hesitation, Saphira reached for her <b>hand</b><b>, </b>squeezing it <b>firmly </b>between her own
“You’re home now,” she murmured, meaning every word. “Whatever path you took–younded exactly where you belong.”
Amara swallowed, her grip tightening <b>around </b>Saphira’s fingen.
Talia and Raven nodded, their agreement silent but full of understanding, full of acknowledgment
Then, after a moment, Talia tilted her head. “So, what’s your story. Saphira?”
The rooms felt smaller for a moment–like the walls had shifted inward, pressing against her.
Saphira took a deep breath, steadying herself
“I was never fully epted into the <b>pack</b>. Not since I <b>was </b><b>a </b>baby,” she started, her voice even, but there was an edge beneath it. “Because my father <b>had </b>a lling–an affair, whatever it was–with someone outside the pack.”
She exhaled, tracing the hem of the nket absently, grounding herself
half–sister hated me the most<b>. </b><b>So </b>she framed me for murder…<b>” </b>She hesitated, her pulse thing in her ears <b>before </b>she forced herself to say it. “Of Finn. Actually.”
<b>Raven </b>and <b>Talia </b>stiffened.
Their expressions dropped in shock, their bodies straightening, like the air had been yanked out of the room.
“What?” Raven breathed.
Talia’s eyes narrowed, warching her face. “Did you prove them wrong?
Saphira shook her heal slowly didn’t get a chance. I was sent to the Matchmaker before I could defend yell. And it wasn’t until I came here that I
knew Firm was alive?
<b>Silence </b>settled thick between them.
Then, Raven leaned forward, her voice teadly but full of something determined, something firm..
“Well, we all have had pasts,” she murmured. “But we’re here ingether now. And we’re safe
She nced at each of them, holding their gaze, making sure they felt the weight of it
“Our ne sisters,” she
continued. “Family, Best friends.”
Saphira exhaled slowly, looking around at the faces sounding her–the ward, the understanding, the way none of the judged, only listened.
Everyone smiled<b>, </b>letting the moment settle between them, unspoken bait felt,
And for the
First line in her life–Saphira lelt 1
elt like the wei
wright she had been carrying <b>had </b>shifted.
She had found her <b>pack</b><b>. </b>And that–meant everything
Chapter Comments
6