bCHAPTER /bb62 /b

bSaphira /bfound her way to room 206, her footsteps careful, measured. She wasn’t lying she did want to check on Anastasia for Zafira, But there at another reasonb, /bone she hadn’t voiced aloud, not even to herself.

She wanted to see if her dragon reacted to Asher again.

The uncertainty gnawed at her, unsettling in its quiet persistence. She didn’t understand why it had happened–why the connection had pulsed so strongly that first time. And before she spoke to Niks about it, before she confronted whatever this was, she needed something–some sort bof /bconfirmation

bA /bbreath.

She knocked, hesitating only for a fraction of a second before pushing the door open, peeking inside.

Anastasia was sitting up, her fingers curled around a drink, posture rxed but worn. Beside her, Asher sat, his gaze steady, his focus sharp

Both of them turned immediately at her arrival

Saphira straightened instinctively, shifting slightly under their attention.

“Everything okay, dear?” Anastasia asked, her voice warm but bced /bwith quiet awareness

“Yes,” Saphira started, stepping fully into the room, closing the door behind herb. /bb“/bbI /bwanted to check on you–and let you know Zafira is awakeb./bb” /b

She lingered near the entranceb, /bfingers fidgeting bagainst /bthe hem of her sleeveb, /ban awkwardness settling in her stance.

She didn’t quite know what she was expecting.

Anastasia’s face lit up instantly, relief washing across her features.

“That is the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” she murmured, the tension in her bposture /beasing visibly.

She patted the spare chair opposite Asher, her tone gentle but firm. b“/bbCome /band bsit/b, child.”

Saphira hesitated only briefly before moving forward, lowering herself into the chair, forcing herself to rx.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

Anastasia exhaled, tilting her head slightly, considering.

“Like I’ve been to war,” she admitted, her fingers tightening slightly around her drink.

Saphira noticed the way Asher looked at her then–how his gaze iflick /i

bisubtly/i/b, something unreadable threading behind his eyes.

“But,” Anastasia continued, her voice shifting, carrying a quiet strength, “I’m on the mend. And I’m feeling stronger bevery /bday.”

Saphira nodded, a genuine smile pulling at her lips. “I’m so d.”

Asher leaned forward slightly, his expression lined with quiet co

“So, how is Zafira doing?”

Saphira let out a slow breath, running her fingers absently along the seam of her sleeve before answering.

“She’s getting stronger, but she can’t speak yet she exined, her voice steady despite the unease curling beneath her ribs. “The bdoctors /bsay bit /bshould bbe /btemporaryb–/bshe just needs timeb./bb” /b

Asher’s brows bdrew /btogether, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“Oh, that’s awful,” Anastasia murmuredb, /bpressing a hand to her mouth, her bgaze /bflickering with sympathy.

bCHAPTER /bb62 /b

Saphira nodded, shifting slightly bin /bher seat “She’s strong.” the assured, her tone bfirm/b, tertain. b“/bTummehally, die regte het van de

Asher exhaled, offering her a warm smile. b“/bLet me know if there’s anything we can do

Saphira hesitated, feeling the weight of what she was about to ask pressing against her,

“Thank you,” she murmured, then carefully she turned her attention toward Anastasia.

“There was actually something I was hoping to speak to you about.”

Anastasia barely blinked–her posture shifting as if she had expected this.

“I wondered how long it would take for someone to ask,” she mused, her voice edged with quiet understanding. Then, her gaze flicked toward Asher. I bjust /bthought it would be you asking.”

Saphira paused, uncertainty settling in her chest.

Asher nced at his mother, but said nothing–just watching, waiting.

Anastasia inhaled deeply, fingers tightening around the edge of her nket.

“You want to know if I know anything about who took bus/bb?/bb” /bshe rified, her voice softer now, carrying the weight of something unspokenb. /b

Saphira swallowed, her pulse thrumming beneath her skin.

“Yes,” she said simply, keeping her voice even.

Anastasia exhaled slowly, her fingers curling around the edge of her nket, gaze distant–somewhere else entirely.

“We were searching for Niks‘ pack,” she began, voice steady despite the weight pressing behind it. “I knew who he wasb–/bbut finding him was difficult. bToo /bmany hidden threads. Too much secrecy.”

Saphira leaned forward slightly, listening closely.

“We had been tracking leads for months,” Anastasia continued, her eyes darkening. “Then–bwe /bwere ambushed.”

A shiver passed through her, brief but undeniable.

Asher stiffened beside her, his jaw working, his fingers gripping his knee tightly.

“There wasn’t time to react–barely time to process it before they were on us. I fought. We all did. But…” Her throat tightened, the memory settling bheavy /bagainst her ribs. “I got Asher out. Told him to run. And then-”

She inhaled sharply,posing herself.

“They took us.”

Her fingers twitched against the nketb, /bbarely visible

b“/bbAll /bof us.”

Saphira held her breath.

“bExcept/b, they didn’t ikeep /ius ball/b.”

She lifted her gaze then, locking onto Saphira with something fierce.

“They killed everyone–everyone but me.”

The air felt impossibly still.

Saphira’s pulse thrumnied beneath her skin, her dragon shifting inside her, silent but watchful

Anastasia pushed forward, keeping her voice even, “I was blindfolded–taken somewhere, I still don’t know where, I was forced to shift by a powerful witch,” dragged into a room and chained down next to another dragon.”

Saphira’s breath hitched.

Her dragon moved inside her at that, responding to something familiar.

“That dragon-” Anastasia hesitated only briefly. “Was Zafira,”

“My dragon recognized hers,” Anastasia continued, eyes narrowing slightly. “We couldmunicate–but we were weak. Our connection wasn’t clear, wasn’t strong. But I managed to pull something from her, a name, Zafira.”

Saphira barely processed her own breathing.

“From then,” Anastasia exhaled, voice dipping lower, “everything was a blur.”

Her expression darkened, as if recalling something more.”

“I saw six figures–cloaked, faceless, but powerful.”

A chill passed through the room.

Saphira felt her dragon press against her thoughts, as if wanting her to pay closer attention.

“I heard them talking,” Anastasia murmured, her fingers flexing slightly. “About controlling the Matchmaker–about reshaping the supernatural world. They wanted one pack to rule all.”

Saphira’s heartbeat picked up speed.

“They had already chosen the pack,” Anastasia continued. “They had already gotten rid of the weak links–left only the pure blood, the strongest.”

Silence pressed against them.

Saphira felt her grip tighten against the chair, pulse hammering.

Anastasia’s lips parted–then pressed into a thin line.

“But I never heard which pack it was, I’m sorry.”

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