Disguise 111_The Matchmaker

CHAPTER 111

 Saphira’s breath hitched, sharp and involuntary, as Ruby’s gaze locked onto her sharp, venomous, and far too familiar. The air in the office thickened, pressing against her ribs. Her dragon stirred instantly, a low growl curling through her chest like smoke rising from embers.

 Let me out, Vaelora hissed, her voice coiling around Saphira’s spine. ‘She’s crossed the line. 

 Saphira’s fingers curled into fists, her nails biting into her palms until the sting grounded her. She could feel the heat building beneath her skin, the subtle shift in her senses the way her vision sharpened, her breath deepened, her instincts wed toward the surface.

 Not yet,‘ she whispered inwardly, forcing her shoulders to stay square. We need to y this right.

 Niks moved before she could speak, his body sliding between her and Ruby with quiet precision. His stance was firm, protective–like a wall she hadn’t asked for but was grateful to have. Ruby’s attention snapped to him, her expression flickering with irritation.

 “I’ll ask again,” Niks said, voice low and edged with steel. “What do you think you’re doing? This office is off–limits. I told you that.”

 Ruby straightened, her spine stiffening as she pulled herposure around her like a tailored coat. But her eyes gleamed with something darker–something that didn’t quite fit the mask. “What is Saphira doing here?” she asked, her toneced with malice, almost gleeful.

 Saphira’s lips parted, the beginnings of a retort forming–but Niks cut in, sharp and deliberate.

 “That’s none of your business,” he said. “I asked you a question.”

 Ruby’s mouth twisted into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She didn’t answer. Instead, her voice rose, words tumbling out in a rush. “She’s breaking the terms of her banishment from Silvermoon. She should be dead. The Matchmaker-”

 She faltered, then surged forward, her anger bubbling over like a pot left too long on the me. “We worked too hard for her to go to the Matchmaker just to survive. Her being alive ruins everything. It ruins our pack’s image.”

 Saphira’s heart thudded, a heavy beat against her ribs. We? Our pack? Her breath caught, and her dragon went still, listening. She just admitted it.

 Niks didn’t flinch. His voice was calm, almost casual, butced with quiet power. “I thought you were banished. The outcast of your pack.”

 Ruby’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened, then closed again, fumbling for words. “I–I meant… I was speaking for them. Not me. I’m just-”

 The door burst open.

 CHAPTER 111 

 Amara strode in, her steps quick and purposeful. Her expression was thunderous, her energy crackling like a storm barely held in check. She stopped dead at the sight of Ruby, Niks, and Saphira all in the same

 room.

 “You locked me in the movie room,” she snapped, eyes zing. “So, you could slip away and snoop.

 Ruby’s face drained of colour, herposure cracking at the edges.

 Saphira stepped forward, slow and deliberate, her dragon pulsing beneath her skin like a second heartbeat. Now we see who she really is. 

 Saphira stepped forward, slow and deliberate, each movement infused with the simmering heat of her dragon. Vaelora coiled beneath her skin like wildfire held in check, a living me that pulsed with purpose. Her spine straightened, shoulders rolling back as if shedding the weight of old fear. She lifted her chin- not in arrogance, but in certainty. Her boots whispered against the floor, a quiet deration.

 “She’s afraid, Vaelora murmured, her voice a velvet growl. ‘Let her see what she’s underestimated.”

 Saphira’s gaze locked onto Ruby, unwavering and cold. Her eyes didn’t flicker. “Do you think we’re stupid?” she asked, voice low and cutting, each word deliberate. “We saw through you from the start. And now you’ve admitted it–every lie.”

 Ruby’s face twisted, herposure cracking like thin ice. Her fingers twitched at her sides, nails digging into her palms. “You can’t speak to me like that,” she snapped, stepping forward with forced bravado. “How did you even evade the Matchmaker?”

 Saphiraughed, sharp and mocking, the sound slicing through the tension like flint on steel. Her lips curled, eyes gleaming with something fierce. “Evade?” she echoed, tilting her head. “I didn’t evade anything. I went to the Matchmaker.”

 She turned slightly, her hand reaching for Niks’s without hesitation. His fingers met hers, grounding her in the moment. The warmth of his touch steadied her pulse. “And thanks to all your effort,” she continued, voice rising with quiet triumph, “I found my mate. I found my family.”

 Ruby’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide with disbelief. “That’s impossible,” she spat. “Niks is a powerful, feared leader. There’s no way my stupid, weak half–sister would mate with someone like that.”

 Saphira’s breath caught–and snapped.

 The air around her shifted.

 A pulse of energy burst from her chest, unbidden and raw. Her dragon’s aura surged outward, a shimmering force that rippled through the room like heat lightning. It wasn’t just warmth–it was presence. Power. Identity.

 Niks flinched, just slightly. Even Amara took a step back, her eyes wide, lips parted.

 Saphira stepped forward again, her voice like ice over me. “You have no idea who I am,” she said, her

 214 

 tone deadly calm. “And if you were smart, you’d stop before you say too much.” 

 Ruby visibly shrank, her bravado draining like water from a cracked vessel. Her shoulders hunched, her mouth opened–but no words came. And in her eyes–finally–Saphira saw it.

 Fear. 

 Vaefora purred, satisfied. ‘She knows now.”

 Saphira exhaled slowly, the aura receding like a tide drawn back to sea. Her grip on Niks’s hand remained firm, her dragon settling with a quiet hum.

 Let her remember this moment, Saphira thought. Let her remember who she tried to break. 

 Amara stepped forward, her expression unreadable–but her eyes held a glint of something sharp. Suspicion. Satisfaction. Her gaze flicked to Saphira, and then, with a subtle tilt of her head, she winked. 

 Amara turned back to Ruby, her voice smooth butced with quiet triumph. “And also, thanks to you,” she said, “there’s someone else here you should meet.”

 Saphira smirked. Her pulse quickened. She’s going to lose it. 

 Ruby blinked, confusion flickering across her face. “Who?” she asked, her voice brittle.

 The door creaked open.

 Finn stepped into the office, his presence like a storm rolling in. His eyes locked onto Ruby, and his face- usually warm, usually kind–was thunderous. The air seemed to shift around him, heavy with everything unsaid.

 Ruby’s face went pale. Paler than before. Her lips parted, and she stumbled back a step, her head shaking slowly. “No,” she whispered. “No, it isn’t possible. You’re dead.”

 Finn didn’t speak. He moved to Saphira’s side, Amara nking his other. His jaw was clenched, his shoulders squared, and his silence spoke louder than any usation.

 Saphira reached out, her fingers brushing his arm. He turned, eyes meeting hers, and she gave him a small nod–steady, resolute. We’re in this together.

 Finn’s expression softened just enough. He nodded back. 

 Ruby’s breath came in shallow bursts, herposure unravelling with every second.

 And Saphira stood firm, her dragon quiet but alert, watching. Let her feel the weight of what she’s done.

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Disguise 111