All Chapters of Too Late, Alpha: The Mate He Never Wanted : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Iris’s POV“What are you snapping out of?” a voice said from the door.My breath caught.I looked up and immediately groaned.Of course. It had to be Chloe. How didn’t I hear her? Was I so lost in thought?She stood at the door with her arms crossed over her chest, and her blond hair curled to perfection. She had that familiar sneer glued to her face.“What do you want?” I asked, not bothering to hide the exhaustion and irritation in my voice.She smiled sweetly. “Just came to check on the little stray that everyone has been fussing over.”I didn’t respond.She tilted her head. “You know, it’s funny. You’ve only been here for a few minutes, and already you think you matter. You’re even talking back at me.”I released another groan in response.She didn’t take the hint. “I just thought you should know,” she said, walking into the room, “Rowan is mine. We’re getting engaged soon.”I blinked. Then I blinked again.“Congratulations,” I said flatly. “What does that have to do with me?”Chl

Iris’s POVThose words stuck with me long after Asher left. Several emotions raced through me, and I felt so confused.However, to my surprise (and great relief), Jasmine didn’t come back for the tour that day. That evening, there was a soft knock on the door. I called out, but no one answered. After a minute or two, I stood up slowly and walked to the door. When I opened it, I found a tray of food sitting neatly on the floor.The hall was empty.I glanced up and down, but there wasn’t a single person in the hallway. I couldn’t even hear the sound of footsteps. I took the tray inside with a small frown on my face. Whoever had left it clearly didn’t want to be seen delivering it.I stared at the tray for another minute, debating whether it was even wise to eat the food when I didn’t know who had placed it there.It could be Chloe, I thought with a shiver. Maybe she had decided to poison me to get me out of the way.Or… it could be Rowan.That thought sent a different kind of shiver do

Iris’s POVPanic surged through me as I struggled to do something, anything at all. But my body was too weak to respond.This is it, I thought to myself.I had no wolf to heal me. I had no strength to crawl. Maybe this was the way it was meant to be. Maybe I was meant to leave this way.Tears welled up in my eyes. My breathing grew shallow as my lungs struggled to work. My vision darkened.A memory flashed through my foggy mind.I could hear a little girl’s laugh. I knew that laugh. I could never forget it.It was Evie.Her face appeared above me, just as I remembered her. With her big, bright eyes, her tiny nose, and a large grin on her face.“Mama,” she said, grinning widely.My lips trembled as I stared at her. I wanted to tell her that I missed her, that I was sorry.Warmth spread in my chest, replacing the burn from the poison.If this was death, maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe I could stay here with her.Her little hand reached out for mine, and I tried to lift my arm. My fingers

Iris’s POVRowan stopped in the doorway. His shoulders stiffened, and for a moment, I thought he would refuse, but slowly he turned back, his expression softening slightly.“I wasn’t planning to,” he said quietly.He walked back and sat in the chair silently.My eyelids grew heavier, but every time they closed for more than a second, the flashes came back—of the burning poison, the helplessness, and the fear that I might never wake up again.I opened my eyes again and found Rowan sitting there, still watching me with his arms resting on his knees. “What is it?” he asked.I swallowed as my mind raced. Part of me wanted to tell him everything I suspected, to put Chloe’s name out there, to let him deal with her the way only an Alpha could. But that would go against the decision I had already made. I couldn’t make any accusations without proof.“Nothing,” I lied.His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t press.I turned my face away, pretending to focus on the blanket, but the truth was, I

Iris's POVFor some reason, I was tense.And it wasn’t because of the stoic, cold Lucas standing by my door. It was because of Asher’s reaction earlier.The moment I told him I was leaving, he looked at me like I had said something completely wrong. His surprise, and his doubt stuck with me, nagging at my mind. He hadn’t argued, but that look on his face was enough to make me question everything.Surely Rowan knew I wouldn’t stay here forever. He had told me more than once that I was free to go whenever I got better. He didn’t keep me here as a prisoner. I wasn’t bound to him, or this pack. So why did Asher act like I had just dropped a bombshell?And why did the thought of telling Rowan suddenly feel like a weight pressing down on my chest?Maybe it would be better to avoid the awkwardness altogether. Just pack up one day and leave. No goodbyes, no explanations, and no long weird stares that would make me hesitate. He had promised me freedom, hadn’t he? I was just going to take up hi