Disguise 112_The Matchmaker

CHAPTER 112 

 Finn’s voice sliced through the tension like a de. “I’m very much alive,” he said, stepping forward, his tone cold and deliberate. “Though no thanks to you.”

 Saphira felt the shift in the air–sharp, electric. Ruby recoiled, her foot catching slightly on the uneven floor. Her lips parted, trembling, but no sound came at first. Her gaze flicked between Finn and Saphira, wild and searching, as if reality itself had betrayed her.

 “No,” Ruby whispered, voice thin and fraying. “No, it’s impossible.”

 Saphira tilted her head, watching the tremor in Ruby’s fingers, the way her shoulders hunched inward like she could fold herself out of existence. She’s unravelling. Good. Let her feel it. 

 Finn’s jaw clenched, the muscle twitching beneath his skin. “You took the life I knew,” he said, voice low butced with fury. “You did it on purpose. You tried to kill me.”

 Ruby’s eyes widened, her breath hitching. “I saw you fall,” she said, the words tumbling out. “There was no way you could survive that. This–this must be a trick. Saphira’s doing.”

 Saphira let out augh, sharp and mocking, the sound bouncing off the walls like a challenge. Her dragon stirred beneath her skin, amused and hungry. Finn joined her, hisughter bitter, hollow.

 But then Finn stopped. His shoulders stiffened, and he stepped forward again, his expression darkening like a storm rolling in. “Why?” he snapped. “Why did you do it? We were siblings. I thought we were close.”

 Saphira felt the ache in his voice like a bruise pressed too hard. He trusted her. And she shattered it. Her gaze flicked to Ruby, who looked cornered, her breath shallow and fast.

 Ruby’s eyes darted between them, her chest rising and falling like she’d run a mile. Then she straightened, spine rigid, chin lifting with brittle defiance.

 “You were too close to Saphira,” she said, voice low and venomous. “I needed you out of the picture. She was the problem. And you… you were in the way.”

 Saphira’s dragon surged, a low growl curling through her chest, heat blooming behind her ribs. There it is. The truth finally <iid bare.

 She didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. She just stared, letting Ruby feel the full weight of her silence–like a verdict passed without mercy.

 Before the silence could stretch too far, Niks stepped forward, his voice calm but cutting, each word honed like a de. His eyes locked onto Ruby, narrowing with quiet intensity. “What are you really doing here?” he asked. “Considering the lies you told to get in… was it because The

 Matchmaker told you about our mating? Were you sent to do something?”

 Saphira’s breath caught, her chest tightening. He’s asking the right questions now. She shifted her weight, angling herself to better see Ruby’s face, her gaze sharp and unrelenting.

 Ruby’s expression twisted, unease flickering across her features like a shadow she couldn’t shake. Her mouth opened, then closed again, her throat bobbing with a hard swallow. “I didn’t know Saphira was still alive,” she said finally, voice thin and brittle. “I’m not given that much inside information from the Elders… or my father.”

 The moment the words left her mouth, Ruby’s hand flew up, covering her lips. Her eyes widened, horror blooming across her face. Saphira’s pulse quickened. There it is. She slipped.

 Saphira stepped forward, slow and deliberate, her voice low and sharp. “If it wasn’t because of me… then why are you here?”

 Ruby shook her head, backing up a step, her shoulders curling inward. “Nothing,” she started, but her voice cracked. Her gaze darted to Niks, then to Finn and Amara, desperation bleeding into her movements. “I needed to find a way to destroy you from the inside. If that didn’t work, I had to get something–ns, anything–to take you down.”

 Her voice trembled now, panic rising like a tide that threatened to drown her. “The Elders fear Niks. They think he’s too powerful. Now I understand–it’s because he’s mated.”

 Saphira felt the air shift, thick with tension. Finn stiffened beside her, his jaw tight. Amara’s brows drew together, her fingers twitching at her sides. Niks didn’t move, but his eyes darkened, the

 weight of Ruby’s words settling over him like a storm cloud.

 Ruby’s breath hitched again. “I didn’t mean to say all that,” she said, voice rising. “I don’t understand. What have you all done to me?/Why am I saying this?”

 Saphira’s heart thudded, a warning beat. Something’s wrong. She’s unravelling too fast. This isn’t just 

 guilt–it’s something deeper. 

 Niks, Saphira, Finn, and Amara exchanged nces, confusion rippling between them like a silent

 current.

 Then a voice rang out from behind, smooth and knowing. “It’s because I put a truth spell on you.”

 They all turned in unison. Raven stood just inside the doorway, closing it gently behind her. Her eyes

 gleamed with quiet satisfaction, the kind that came from knowing exactly when to strike.

 Saphira’s breath caught again, but this time it was different–lighter, sharper. Relief surged through her chest, loosening something tight in her ribs. “Raven,” she whispered. “You’re back.”

 Raven smiled, calm and steady. “Just in time.”

 Ruby’s face twisted, her eyes shing with fury. “You can’t do that to me!” she snapped, stepping toward Raven. “It’s unfair. It’s an abuse of power. Remove it–now!”

 Raven didn’t flinch. Her stance was rxed, but her eyes burned with fire. “I can do the hell I want,” she said, voice sharp and unwavering. “And if it means uncovering a deceiving, lying, evil wolf, then I’ll do as I damn well please. This is our home. I’ll protect it at all costs.”

 Saphira’s breath caught. Ruby’s chest was rising too fast, her shoulders tense, fingers twitching at her sides. She’s starting to spiral. That look–wild, unhinged–was one Saphira remembered from the worst days back at The Silvermoon Pack.

 She nced at Finn, who had already noticed. His jaw was tight, his stance shifting subtly into defence.

 Saphira reached out through the mind–link. ‘Niks. She’s about to burst. If she does, she’ll try something stupid.‘ 

 Niks didn’t reply, but his eyes met hers. He nodded once, then reached for her hand, gripping it firmly.

 He turned to Ruby, voice steady but cold. “Due to the new information, you’ll be kept here at the pack until we decide otherwise. You’ll be given food and water. Nothing else.”

 Ruby’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened–and then narrowed. Her body trembled, the shift already crawling across her skin.

 “No!” she screamed.

 And then she burst.

 Her form twisted violently, bones cracking, fur erupting across her skin. In seconds, her wolf stood in her ce–snarling, wild, eyes locked on them all.

 She lunged.

 Saphira’s dragon surged, ready. Here we go.

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Disguise 112