The Matchmaker (by Sophie Smith) novel Chapter 95

CHAPTER 95

Nikolas stood at the head of the room like a sentinel before a coming storm. His arms folded tightly across his chest, brows drawn in thought, but his voice -when it came–was clear and precise.

“We need to move fast,” he said, the weight behind his words catching in the air. “The teams tracking Damon and scouting the Elders–plan your approach today. Don’t wait. Use the time, use each other.”

The command didn’t flare with panic–it landed with urgency, steady and controlled, like the tightening of a bowstring. Saphira felt it ripple through her spine, the sharp edge of momentum threading into her thoughts.

“This isn’t about isolated effort,” Nikolas added, sweeping his gaze across the room. “Everyone contributes. Everyone counts.”

Saphira stepped forward, her hand brushing the edge of the long table as she leaned closer to a weathered map tucked beside a faded scouting kit. The lines were smudged, but the bones were still there. Familiar. She glanced toward Zafira and Anastasia, then spoke clearly.

“Zafira, Anastasia and I can start with the maps,” she said. “I remember Silvermoon’s territory–their perimeter, patrol patterns, blind spots. If they’re using that place as a base, we need it down to the last tree line.”

Zafira stepped up beside her, shoulders squared and eyes sharp. “I’ll help annotate the shifting lines,” she said. “Territories change faster than reputations- and I’ve seen them redraw borders without blinking.”

Anastasia hesitated a beat, her brows furrowing–but then she moved forward, quietly steady, reaching for one of the tablets on the counter Her fingers tapped instinctively across the screen, already pulling up the reference files. Saphira noted the tension in her jaw, but said nothing. Sh enough.

ng up. That’s

Jed lifted his chin, arms unfolding just slightly. “I might still have something,” he said. “Old blueprints. The Matchmaker facility. Incomplete–but they’re a starting point.” His tone was gruff, but behind it was intent. He would find something.

Saphira’s thoughts sparked. If the Matchmaker’s involved, there can’t be blind spots. One flaw–one missed hallway–and they’ll own us from the inside.

Asher moved forward, slower than the rest, fingers loosely clasped in front of him. “Back when I was looking for Anastasia,” he said, voice deliberate, “I came across a few suspected Elder locations. I’ll try to map what I remember. Places they used to disappear into.”

Across the room, Anastasia looked up sharply. Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them–a flash of old pain, shadowed but not gone. No accusation. No anger. Just memory.

She gave a faint nod.

He nodded back.

Saphira watched them–a flicker of emotion threading through her–but didn’t speak. Later, she thought. When the air’s not so thick with war.

Nikolas clapped once, not loud, but enough to pull them back in.

“Good,” he said, gaze circling the room. “Meet in your teams. Sort your maps, your routes, your strategy. Build the bones–and we’ll stitch it together. A few hours. Then we reconvene and lock the timeline.”

No hesitation followed–just motion. Chairs scraped. Boots shifted. Conversations sparked as bodies turned into clusters and groups began to form.

Saphira felt something inside her stir. Not fear.

Purpose.

The kind that builds in the lungs like wind before flight. And they had just begun to rise.

The door clicked shut behind Zafira and Anastasia, leaving the room steeped in quiet–no longer tense, just hushed with intent, Saphira’s breath slipped out slowly, shoulders loosening as the last echo of footfalls faded down the hall.

She turned toward the table, only to find Nikolas already there, sleeves pushed up as he laid out blank paper in neat rows. Pens were arranged like tools of war–ready and exact. Her gaze warmed. Of course he’d know what she needed before she asked.

CHAPTER 95

“You read my mind,” she murmured, stepping closer, fingertips grazing the table’s edge..

Nikolas looked up, meeting her eyes with something quiet and proud in his expression. “You were amazing,” he said softly. “The way you stepped in for Zafira and Anastasia? Thoughtful. Precise. You didn’t hesitate.”

Saphira gave a small shake of her head and eased into the nearest chair, the wood cool beneath her fingers. “It made sense. Especially while I’m still learning. We all have different strengths. They just needed a space where theirs could fit.”

He moved beside her, brushing the edge of her shoulder as he leaned down and placed a fresh sheet in front of her. “You didn’t just lead,” he said, his voice low, “you included. That makes all the difference.”

Her hand hovered over the page, pen uncapped, not yet ready to draw. “I know we don’t have time to sit with this,” she said quietly, “but I’m worried. About what we don’t see. About what could go wrong.”

Nikolas didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped behind her and wrapped both arms around her, firm and steady. His cheek brushed hers as he lowered his head, the warmth of him grounding the flicker of doubt in her chest.

“I’m worried too,” he admitted. “But between us? I believe we’ve got what it takes. This pack’s stronger than most give it credit for. And you–you’re stronger than you realise.”

Saphira closed her eyes, leaning into him for just a moment. The tension in her spine loosened with the quiet reassurance of his heartbeat beneath her hand.

“I hope you’re right.”

Nikolas shifted, tilting her chin until their eyes met. His gaze held something fierce and unwavering. “With you by my side, I feel invinci whispered. “I won’t let us lose. I won’t lose you.”

Saphira raised one brow, a smile curving through the heaviness. “You better mean that.”

“Always,” he said, and kissed her–soft, slow, a promise laced in fire.

mate,” he

When they pulled apart, she settled back in her chair, the pen steady in her grip now. Her brow furrowed as she began to sketch, lines forming from memory: the Silvermoon perimeter, the river bend, the patrol routes, known, blind spots. Each stroke carved with purpose.

Beside her, Nikolas gathered his own sheets. His lines were sharper, clustered like units in motion–every angle calculated. The beginning of a battle plan.

Saphira glanced sideways, catching his focus. He looked up at the same time, and their gazes met–no words, just a shared nod.

Then silence returned.

Not empty. Full. Two minds. One mission.

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