Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1450 - 49 : A Promise of Forever

*Rhys*

The wind whipped around us as I had my men push the helicopter to its limit. Saoirse’s breaths were shallow and ragged against my chest, her consciousness tethered by the thinnest of threads. We were a blur of speed. Desperation pushed me toward the sanctuary of the royal palace at top speed.

"Stay with me, Saoirse," I urged. I had no idea if she could hear me. The roar of the air currents nearly swallowed my voice, but I spoke regardless. It was a mantra to keep me from losing myself.

The palace loomed into view, but I breathed no sigh of relief. “Quickly,” I demanded of the pilot. “I don’t... Please just hurry.”

The moment my feet touched the courtyard’s cobblestones, I was moving with Saoirse cradled in my arms. She seemed so frail where she was once strong. Her body was marred by the evidence of Blight’s heinous acts.

Bruises bloomed on her skin. Gashes still bled crimson, soaking into the torn fabric that clung to her and bleeding onto my arms as I carried her.

A growl rumbled deep within my chest, a sound torn from deep within me. My fury was a living thing that clawed at my insides. I wanted to demand retribution for every mark on her flesh. And I would once I knew she was alright.

"Rhys..." Her voice was a whisper, a delicate sound nearly lost to the wind.

"Shh, love. You’re safe now. I’ve got you." My words were a vow. As much as rage demanded my attention, relief surged even higher. Saoirse wasn’t gone. She was still here.

She was with me, in my arms, away from the horrors of that place. “I’ve got you, Saoirse. They can’t have you. I forbid it. Just stay with me, please. Stay with me, Saoirse.”

I couldn’t stop touching her—tracing the line of her jaw, smoothing back the fiery cascade of her hair, and reassuring myself with the feel of her skin under my fingertips. Each touch reaffirmed what I already knew. I would never let anyone harm her again, never again.

We passed through the grand arches of the palace, and I held her closer. The healers would come. They would tend to her wounds, but for this singular moment, it was just Saoirse and me.

Healers robed in the deep blues and purples that signified their station, swarmed around us as I carried Saoirse through the polished marble halls.

As the healers pulled her from my reluctant arms, I had to fight off my every instinct and allow them to take her and help her. It was at that moment, watching as they took her and as my heart went with her, that I knew. I knew that she was my fate, my future. She was my everything.

“I can’t lose you, Saoirse. Please come back to me.”

Their hands were a flurry of motion as they arranged her on the gilded infirmary bed with practiced ease.

"By the moons," one whispered, his eyes wide as he assessed her condition. "She shouldn’t be alive."

"Her strength is remarkable," another agreed, fingers hovering over the myriad of injuries that marred her once flawless skin.

I watched with my jaw tight as they worked over her. Their astonishment at her survival spoke volumes of the resilience coursing through her veins. It was a testament to her spirit, unyielding even in the face of Blight’s torment. I had never been more proud to call her mine.

In the days that followed, Saoirse’s vitality began to return, bit by painstaking bit. The healers came and went, but I remained steadfast at her side.

I was never leaving her side again. Her absence had been agony.

"Rhys," she murmured during one of the quieter moments, her voice rasping yet laced with a stubborn fire. Her hand found mine. She had a weak but insistent grip. "He wanted to know everything about the dragon’s essence. How it lived within me, and how he could use it. The experiments, the examinations..."

"Examinations?" I asked, keeping my tone even despite the surge of protectiveness rising within me.

"Endless," she breathed out, closing her eyes as if to block out the memories. "Tests, spells, potions... anything he could think of to unravel the magic and control it."

"Control?" My question was a growl, barely contained fury seeping into the single word.

"Make it his own," Saoirse replied, eyelids fluttering open to reveal the steel that lay within their ocean depths. "He wanted to merge the magic with his soldiers to make them unstoppable. But he couldn’t break me, Rhys, not completely."

"Never," I vowed, leaning closer to press a gentle kiss to her brow. Her scent was stronger there, rising above the lingering scent of antiseptics and healing salves. "Your spirit is unbreakable, my fierce warrior."

"Yours too," she countered, the faintest smile gracing her lips. “I felt you. I always felt you, and I knew you would come.”

“Of course, I would, Saoirse. There is no me without you, not anymore. I would have razed heaven and earth to get you back.”

As I sat by her bedside, perched on the edge of the faded velvet chair, I watched the rise and fall of her chest with each breath. It was a rhythm I’d come to know as intimately as my own heartbeat these past few days. No place in the world could have torn me from her side at the moment.

I watched, and I marveled at the woman before me. She was broken but unbowed, weakened yet unshaken. She was more than just the sum of her trials.

And she was mine.

And soon, I knew, we would face the world together, not as two separate entities, but as a united front.

The room was quiet, save for the soft rustle of her sheets when she shifted. The healers had done their work. Now it was up to Saoirse.

"Rhys," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. My name on her lips was a balm to the raw edges of my soul.

"Right here, Saoirse," I replied, leaning forward to brush a stray curl away from her forehead. My fingers trembled with the weight of emotions coursing through me. It wasn’t just the protective instinct of a wolf or the possessiveness I often fought to control. This was deeper and purer.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Have you been here all along?" she asked, the corners of her mouth lifting in a faint yet genuine smile.

"Always," I affirmed, allowing the word to carry all the promises I made to her in silence. "The thought of losing you was like being suffocated. Every moment you were gone was agony. I will never leave your side again. Never again, Saoirse."

She reached out, her hand finding mine, her touch warm and grounding. "I’m here now, Rhys, with you."

I watched her, awe mingling with the fierce need to protect her. She was a warrior. In her presence, I found my purpose, my center.

"Your strength is incredible," I said, my voice thick with unshed tears. "You’re my fierce, tender-hearted Saoirse. And I..." A swell of emotion choked off my words. I swallowed hard against the knot in my throat.

"And you?" she prompted, squeezing my hand as if to draw out my confession.

"And I love you." The words tumbled out, raw and honest, and something shifted within me. A lock clicked open, freeing the truth I’d kept caged. Saoirse was my fate and my future.

Her smile was radiant, chasing away the shadows that clung to the edges of the room. "I love you too, Rhys Crimson, with every beat of my heart."

It was days later when she was finally able to rise from the infirmary bed. I should have given her more time to heal, relax, and settle back into her life, but I didn’t want to waste another moment.

I led Saoirse through the palace’s corridors, her hand clasped lightly in mine. Her steps were still shaky and uncertain, but each day brought renewed strength to her stride. As we stepped out into the cool night, the moon bathed the royal gardens in a silver light.

"Where are we going?" Saoirse’s voice was soft, threaded with curiosity.

"Somewhere special," I replied, squeezing her hand gently.

The garden was alive with life as crickets chirped and leaves rustled in the light breeze. We passed the roses, irises, and lilies. I felt her pause to breathe in the fragrant air, a smile curving her lips.

"Rhys, it’s beautiful," she whispered, wonder lacing her every word.

"Nothing compared to you," I murmured back, leading her further down the winding path until we reached the heart of the garden, where a fountain bubbled.

Saoirse looked up at me, her eyes filled with a love I knew was reflected in my own. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle in my chest. My mother’s diamond ring pressed against my palm through the fabric of my pocket, its presence both comforting and daunting.

"Rhys?" Her gaze searched mine, a flicker of concern passing over her features.

"Saoirse," I started, my voice barely above a whisper, "from the moment we met, you’ve captivated me. You’re fierce, strong, and your heart..." I shook my head, words failing to convey all that she was. "Your heart is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known."

Her eyes glistened with the onset of tears, a silent question forming within their depths.

"Every vision of my future, every hope and dream I have all begin and end with you." I sank to one knee before her, the grass cool beneath my touch. Her hand flew to her mouth as realization dawned.

"Rhys, what are you–"

"Will you marry me, Saoirse Strider?" I asked, presenting the ring that had been my mother’s, a circle of commitment and love, unbroken and eternal. "Will you be my wife, Saoirse, Princess of Egoren?"

The garden held its breath, or maybe that was just me.

"Rhys," she said, her voice a melodic whisper, "yes. I will marry you."

My heart soared higher. I rose to my feet, closing the small distance between us. Gently, I took her hand in mine and slipped the diamond ring onto her finger. It sparkled as it found its rightful place.

"Truly?" My question was quiet, but it felt loud, very loud.

"Truly," she affirmed, her lips curving into a smile that outshone the moon.

I pulled her into an embrace, holding her close, afraid that any more force might break the delicate moment.

"Never again," I murmured into her copper curls, "will we be parted."

"Never," she echoed, her hands clutching at the fabric of my tunic.

There, amidst the fragrant blossoms, we stood as two halves of a whole. Saoirse was mine in every way, and I could not wait until she became my wife.

"Rhys," Saoirse spoke again, pulling back slightly to meet my eyes. Her own sparkled with unshed tears and laughter. "I believe this is where you’re supposed to kiss me."

And so I did.