Too Late Alpha The Mate He Never Wanted (Iris and Eric) novel Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Iris’s POV

When I opened my eyes again, I groaned in pain.

For a second, I didn’t remember where I was or why my body felt like it had been beaten from the inside out. Then suddenly, the memories came back in a rush.

The food. The twisting pain. Evie.

I tried to move, but my limbs were heavy, sluggish, and uncooperative. My chest ached, and it was hard to breathe, as if my lungs had forgotten how to work properly.

A voice came from somewhere beside me. “She’s awake.”

I turned my head slowly. Rowan stood there with his arms crossed. His brown eyes were dark as they pierced through me with intensity.

“You almost died,” he said coldly, his jaw tightening.

I tried to speak, but my voice croaked. “Poison…”

He stepped closer, his eyes darkening. “Yes. And whoever did it didn’t mean to scare you, Iris. They meant to kill you.”

My heart stuttered painfully, and I swallowed. I didn’t need him to tell me that. I had already felt it in the fire burning through my veins, in the way my body had reacted.

The healer stepped from my other side, holding a small cup. “You need to drink this. It will help flush out the remaining of the poison.”

My stomach twisted at the thought of swallowing anything, but Rowan collected the cup from the healer, opting to feed it to me himself. “Drink,” he said softly.

I obeyed, grimacing at bitterness and slimy feeling as the liquid slid down my throat.

When the healer stepped out, Rowan stayed. “Do you have any idea who would do this?”

Images flickered in my mind. Chloe’s smirk, the way she looked at me with hatred and bitterness. My lips parted, but I stopped myself.

“I don’t know,” I whispered instead, shaking my head slowly.

I wasn’t going to say Chloe’s name.

And it wasn’t because she didn’t deserve the blame, because I was almost certain she was capable of it, but I had no proof. Accusing her without evidence would only make me look desperate, or paranoid. And if she wasn’t the one who had done it, I would be helping the real culprit escape suspicion,

Besides, I had already been accused of enough things I hadn’t done. I wasn’t about to do the same to someone else unless I was sure.

Rowan clenched his jaw, as he stared at me as if he was searching for a sign that I knew something that I wasn’t

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“Fine,” he said finally, but there was a sharpness in his voice. “But I will find out who did this, and when I do…” His voice trailed off, but the gleam in his eyes made it very clear what would happen next.

I closed my eyes briefly, wincing at the slight ache in my throat. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have some alpha duties to handle?” I asked, but I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice, no matter how much I tried.

There was a pause, then he sighed. “Because,” he said quietly, “this is my fault.”

That made me look at him again. “What?”

He furrowed his eyebrows, and for the first time since I had woken, his expression wavered as guilt flashed through his eyes.

“The food. I’ve been the one putting it outside your door. Then I would knock and leave.”

I blinked at him as the words sank in slowly.

“If I had brought it to you myself, no one would have had the chance to touch it. Whoever did this was able to do

it because I left it there.” His voice was bitter. “You would have died because of my stupid actions.”

Something twisted in my chest, and it had nothing to do with poison. “You were the one…?”

He pursed his lips. “Yes.”

I blinked in shock. I had entertained the thought once or twice in passing, but I had brushed it off as a ridiculous thought. Rowan was the Alpha of the pack, not my personal servant. He had warriors, patrols, and staff to handle things like delivering meals. The idea of him walking through the halls with a food tray in his hands. seemed absurd.

Rowan looked away briefly. “I thought it would be easier if I-” He stopped abruptly, tightening his jaw, like he had almost said too much.

I frowned faintly. “Easier if you what?”

But he didn’t answer. “The point is, you’re my guest, I should have made sure you were safe. I didn’t. That’s on me.”

His tone was final, like he had already decided this was the truth, whether I agreed with him or not.

“It wasn’t your fault.” I said quietly, “Whoever had poisoned me would’ve found another way.”

He didn’t respond.

“I’m still alive,” I continued. “The person failed, and we will be more careful now.”

“They won’t get another chance,” He muttered darkly, and the darkness in his tone made my stomach tighten.

An awkward silence fell in the room.

I wanted to ask why he had been avoiding me, but I wasn’t sure I could handle whatever answer he would give, especially after that last incident.

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