Too Late Alpha The Mate He Never Wanted (Iris and Eric) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Iris’s POV

Jasmine pushed the door open, then she paused. “We’ll take the long way,” she whispered.

I nodded, tightening my grip on my bag strap. My heart was still racing, but I forced myself to follow her as she turned back toward the hallway.

We didn’t follow the staircase as I expected. Instead, Jasmine led me through empty and quiet corridors of the packhouse. She walked confidently like she already knew every corner. I followed close behind, my heart pounding in my throat.

The packhouse was far bigger than I had expected, and it was larger than anywhere I had seen before.

The walls were beautiful, and were decorated with picture frames of different sizes and the pack’s crests.

Normally, I might have admired it, but tonight I just wanted to leave unnoticed.

“Stay close,” Jasmine murmured.

We followed another empty hallway, and I tried to keep up with Jasmine’s fast paced. At the end of the hallway, I could hear faint laughter and voices. I froze, but Jasmine didn’t slow down. She lifted a finger to her lips, then she pulled me into a narrow passage I hadn’t noticed before.

“This way.” She murmured.

The passage was dark, and the air smelt stale, but it hid us from the passing voices. When we came out again, they were gone. Jasmine smiled, almost like she was proud of herself.

“You’re good at this,” I whispered.

She smirked. “I grew up sneaking around this place. Trust me, I know every corner.”

We walked again in silence as she continued leading us through turns and back ways I wouldn’t have known on

my own.

Sometimes I heard footsteps nearby, or the sound of someone talking, and I would freeze, but Jasmine always guided us through a quieter path.

At one point, as we passed a wider hallway, I heard a group of young pack members giggling together. I froze again, worried they might notice us, but Jasmine just shook her head, then she pulled me behind a tall shelf near the corner until they passed. My heart slowed once again.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Jasmine pushed open another door, and I realized that we had reached the back of the packhouse,

The forest before us looked very intimidating, especially in the dim moon light. Jasmine closed the door quietly behind us, then nodded toward the trees.

“This way.”

We walked into the woods. It was quiet, all we could hear were the crickets, and the leaves as the breeze moved

around.

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Chapter 54

+25 Bonus

At first, we didn’t speak. I was lost in thought. My mind was heavy, full of everything I was leaving behind.

Every step away from the packhouse made my chest ache. Rowan’s face wouldn’t leave my mind, the way he had looked at me, the way his voice had sounded. I clenched my fists tighter around the strap of my bag.

Jasmine seemed deep in thought too. She glanced at me once or twice, but didn’t say anything. The silence was comfortable.

Finally, as we reached a certain distance, she broke the silence.

“You know… I’ve never seen him like that before.”

I glanced at her, confused. “Like what?”

“Rowan,” she said, her voice quiet. “I’ve never seen him so… off. The way he looked at you earlier, the way he reacted. It’s not like him at all.”

I swallowed, not sure how to respond, and wishing she would change the topic. “Maybe it’s just because I have caused him a lot of trouble.”

She snorted, shaking her head firmly. “No. That’s not it. With you…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “He’s different. You affect him, Iris. More than anyone else ever has. He cares about you. When you were hurt, he was so restless and on edge.”

Her words made my chest tighten. I looked down at the ground, focusing on my feet. “You’re imagining things, Jasmine.”

“I’m not.” Jasmine’s tone was steady, certain. “I’ve known him my whole life. I know how he is. I know when something shakes him. And Iris, you shake him in a good way.” She glanced at me with a softer expression. “You are good for him.”

I nearly tripped over a root. I stopped walking for a second, staring at her, but she just kept moving as if she hadn’t said something that completely threw me off balance.

“Good for him?” I repeated incredulously.

“Yes,

,” she said simply, shrugging. “He’s… different with you.

Her words made me uncomfortable. I looked away quickly, focusing on the trees around us instead. I didn’t want to think about Rowan like that. I didn’t want to believe that I had that kind of effect on him, because it sounded ridiculous.

I didn’t know what to say. My throat felt tight. A huge part of me wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but another small part of me felt joyful.

I shook my head quickly, pushing the thought away. “That doesn’t make sense, Jasmine. Stop saying nonsense.” I said, dismissing her words.

Jasmine gave me a knowing look, but she didn’t push. She just smiled faintly and kept walking.

2

There was another silence again, but my thoughts weren’t silent. Rowan’s face flashed through my mind, his voice, the pain in his eyes when I told him I couldn’t stay. They all played over and over in my head.

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Chapter fa

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