Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1495 - 94 : A Different Future

*Rhys*

The uncomfortable mattress pressed against my back, a cruel reminder of the paralysis gripping my once-powerful limbs. I lay there motionless as memories of Alexa’s betrayal replayed over and over again. Her smug face haunted me, and her laughter echoed in the recesses of my thoughts as the poisons she had concocted coursed through my veins.

I wished to turn back time and heed the warnings I had ignored. But wishes were nothing more than wisps of desperation, and I knew well the cost of my foolish vendetta. I should have listened and seen the traps laid before me. I should have discussed it with Saoirse, my wife, before I set off on an unnamed business and left her alone, wondering and worrying.

I made mistake after mistake, from involving myself with Alexa to allowing her to remain at the palace before the wedding and to this. All of it was my mistake.

It was my fault. There was no one else to blame.

I was again a prisoner within my flesh, my future uncertain and my past coming back to claim me.

Alexa had once been the love of my life and the woman at my side. She had cared for me through my recovery and cheered me on through every hard time and triumph. I knew that she had been hurt by my choice to marry Saoirse. She had sabotaged our wedding and nearly cost me the woman I love.

But I had never imagined she would go this far. An attempt on my life was one thing, but this? It had taken time, effort, and a considerable amount of hatred. It made me question my judgment.

Saoirse’s presence was a balm, yet it stung sharper than any blade. She deserved more than a broken mate, a would-be king who couldn’t even rise to greet his people. The weight of my failure pressed down on me, heavier with each day that passed without answers or a solution. Our twins... Our children would suffer for my mistakes. It was too much. It was all too much.

"Rhys," Saoirse’s voice cut through the fog of self-loathing. "Please, don’t do this."

Her eyes, fierce and full of an unspoken pain, met mine. She saw through the walls I erected, her gaze tearing them down as if they were made of parchment rather than stone.

"Saoirse," I started, my voice barely a whisper, "you must see that you need someone strong by your side. You need someone who can stand with you and rule with you."

"Stop," she said firmly, though her voice trembled like autumn leaves in the wind. "You are more than the use of your legs. This... this doesn’t change who you are."

But it did. It changed everything. I could see the pity in the eyes of those who visited, the whispers that slithered like snakes through the corridors of our home. I was no longer Rhys Crimson, heir to the throne. I was a cautionary tale, a shadow of what once was.

"Go," I commanded, the word slicing through the air between us. "Find a mate worthy of you and Egoren. I don’t want you here."

Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she held them back, her spirit as strong as ever. "I chose you, Rhys, not for your legs but for your heart, soul, and the dreams we share."

"Those dreams are dead," I replied, my voice hollow. "Dead as I soon might be."

"No," Saoirse said in a fierce whisper. "Our dreams live on in our children and the life we’ve built. You cannot push me away so easily."

But I had to. For her sake, for the sake of our unborn children, she needed to be free of the burden I’d become. My heart ached with the effort of pushing her away, each word a nail driven into the coffin of our love.

"Leave me," I said again, turning my head so I wouldn’t have to witness the sorrow I inflicted upon her. “Don’t come back. I will tell the healers you are no longer welcome.”

“Rhys...”

Silence fell, heavy and absolute, as I waited for the sound of her departure. It didn’t come. Instead, I felt the warmth of her hand envelop mine, a silent vow that she would not yield so easily. At that moment, I hated myself more than Alexa, more than anyone or anything. Hurting Saoirse was a poison that no antidote could ever cure, but it was a sacrifice I convinced myself I had to make.

She rarely left and always came back. The sound of her feet on the floor was a constant reminder of the stillness in my legs. I lay there, staring at the wooden beams above, lost in a turmoil that seemed to have no end. But then, the door would creak open, and light footsteps would approach. Saoirse would take her seat beside me, and her presence was a balm to the chaos in my mind.

"Rhys," she said softly, "look what I’ve brought."

She held out a small piece of paper, edges worn from her careful handling. It was an ultrasound image. My gaze met the tiny, shadowy forms within it—our twins. A flicker of something warm stirred within me, but I quashed it quickly, afraid to hope.

"Can you feel them?" Saoirse asked, guiding my hand to rest gently on her stomach. I was about to pull away, but then there was a flutter. It was a tiny movement under my fingertips. The sensation was electric, a spark in the endless night of my despair.

"They’re strong," Saoirse whispered, her voice laced with pride and love, "just like their father."

"Strong?" I scoffed, bitterness threatening to rise. But she shushed me with a tender look.

"Your body may have been betrayed, but your spirit remains unbroken. You will heal, Rhys. I know it. And if not, then we will find a new way forward. Your children don’t need you to walk. They need you to be present."

***

Days turned into weeks. Slowly, under Saoirse’s patient care, the weight that had anchored my soul began to lift. She was always there with words of encouragement, brushing away the dark thoughts that clouded my vision of the future.

"Come," she would say, helping me sit up as dawn painted the sky with hues of gold and rose. "Today, we try again."

And so we did. Occupational therapy became our daily ritual. With each attempt to move my toes and each effort to flex muscles that seemed to have forgotten their purpose, she was there. She cheered for the slightest twitch, a smile brightening her features as if I’d moved mountains rather than mere inches.

"See?" Saoirse would beam, her hands steady as she supported my efforts. "Progress. Our determination is stronger than any poison."

Her faith was infectious, and it slowly reignited the ember of determination that had long lain dormant within me. With each small victory, the grip of Alexa’s treachery loosened. I began to believe that maybe I could be the mate and leader Saoirse and our children deserved. Her devotion, unwavering and fierce, was the lifeline that drew me back from the edge of despair.

The room hummed as I lay on the therapy mat, Saoirse’s presence a constant warmth beside me. The muscles in my legs trembled under the strain, but I didn’t stop. Disappointing her again might have ended me.

"Rhys, try just one more time," Saoirse urged gently.

With a deep breath that felt like drawing power from the very earth itself, I focused on my left leg. The command was clear in my mind—lift, even if only as light as a feather. For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Then, there was a twitch, one small movement rippling up my calf.

"Did you see?" Her excitement was palpable, catching like wildfire. "Your muscle responded!"

A smile cracked the hardened shell of my resolve. "It did," I agreed, the reality of improvement settling in. I felt the weight of its significance.

"Every day, you’re getting stronger," she beamed, tracing her fingers along the line of my jaw, her touch grounding. "No matter what, I’m with you. We’re a team, Rhys. With or without..."

Her words trailed off, but I knew their ending by heart—with or without the full use of my legs. It didn’t matter to her. She saw beyond the broken body to the man inside, the man she believed could rise again.

"Your faith in me," I started, the sensation of her fingers still lingering on my skin, "it’s like a light in the darkness." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Let it guide you back to us," Saoirse whispered, pressing her lips to my forehead in a kiss that seemed to seal her vow.

I nodded. The fire she had kindled was now a blaze that consumed the shadows of doubt. For her, for our unborn children, I would fight—not out of obligation, but out of a love so fierce it defied any weakness. It was a love that promised as long as we stood united, nothing could extinguish our flame.

"Thank you," I whispered one evening as the first stars appeared in the twilight sky, "for not giving up on me."

"Never," she replied, her hand once again finding mine. "Together, we will face whatever comes."

Looking over the balcony of our chamber from my chair, I watched as the last light of sunset painted the kingdom of Egoren. The cool evening air was a balm to my troubled thoughts. Below, the citizens of Egoren were ending their day, oblivious to the turmoil that gripped their future king.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Saoirse’s voice came from behind me, her presence a constant comfort.

"Indeed," I murmured, not turning to face her yet. "But the beauty of Egoren pales in comparison to the strength of its future queen."

She joined me on the balcony, her hand finding mine. "Together, we’ll see this land prosper." Her words weren’t just hopeful. They were certain and steadfast.

I squeezed her hand gently, a realization dawning on me like the morning sun before us. "With you by my side, there’s nothing we can’t overcome," I said slowly, the weight of my words sinking in.

"Is that what you believe?" she asked, her eyes searching mine for the truth.

"It is," I admitted. "To rule with compassion, to lead with empathy, to show that strength isn’t always shown through force... I want to rule the way my parents have, fair and just."

She smiled, the kind of smile that lit up the darkest corners of my heart. "That’s what we’ll do together."

The bitterness that had been a constant companion since Alexa’s betrayal began to ebb away, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest. It was more than hope. It was a conviction, a renewed commitment to the love Saoirse and I shared.

"Rhys?" Saoirse’s voice held a note of concern.

"Something’s happening," I said, a sense of awe coloring my tone. I looked down, focusing my will on my legs, which had been lifeless for so long. A faint tingle started at my toes, a sensation that grew stronger with each passing moment.

"Can you feel that?" I asked, my gaze now locked with hers.

"Feel what?" she breathed, anticipation laced in her voice.

"Life," I whispered as the feeling intensified, "returning to where once there was none."

Saoirse’s gasp was a symphony to my ears, her joy unmistakable. "Rhys, your legs–"

"Are mine again," I finished, the words barely a breath, but they carried the weight of a thousand promises. "Ours," I corrected. "This journey... it’s ours."