Chapter 04

IRIS POV:

The highway stretched out like an endless ride; the estate lights had disappeared completely behind us. 

The Rolls-Royce glided so smoothly I almost forgot we were moving, only the low hum of the engine and the occasional soft click of the tires over expansion joints reminded me this wasn’t a dream.

I kept stealing glances at him.

He sat relaxed, one arm draped along the back of the seat, the other resting loosely on his thigh. The white suit should have looked out of place in the dead of night, but on him it didn’t. It looked like armor. 

I wanted to ask him where we're going but my wolf seemed to trust him more than I did.

I swallowed.

“Where… where are we going?” I asked softly.

He turned his head slowly, those storm-gray eyes catching mine.

“Somewhere safe,” he said simply. “Somewhere no one will look for you tonight.”

“That’s not an answer.”

One corner of his mouth lifted like a smile.

“North,” he said after a beat. “Past the border territories. I have a little property I keep there.”

“And after tonight?” I pressed. 

“What happens when my father’s trackers find me? When Nicholas demands his ‘stolen’ mate back? You will be punished by the alpha, you know that, right.”

He leaned backwards. “Don't worry, they can't do anything.”

My eyes widened. Why does he speak with such authority, he's not the alpha then who is he to challenge the Alpha's son.

He reached over, slowly, giving me time to pull away, and took the glass from my hand. His fingers brushed mine for the briefest second. Sparks raced up my arm, warm and electric. My wolf sighed in pure contentment.

He set both glasses back in their hidden compartment. The panel closed with a soft click.

“Lie back if you want,” he murmured. “There’s a blanket in the side pocket. We’ve got a few hours before dawn.”

I certainly won't do such, not in the car of someone this strange.

“Thanks but I'll stay away, I can't sleep in the car of someone I don't know.”

This time he answered without looking at me.

“Call me Aurelian,” he said quietly. “For now… that’s enough.”

Aurelian?

The name sounded familiar, maybe from a magazine or TV show but I wasn't sure.

“I would have introduced myself too but it seems you already know who I am.” 

He laughed a little.

“Also from the borders, just don't speak to me unless you're being spoken to,” he stated.

Who does he think he is to tell me that? I kept calm but I was furious deep down.

As we drove, I looked outside, trying to anchor myself with something. The highway was quiet, flanked by dark trees and the occasional glow of distant pack outposts. Then we passed it: the massive electronic billboard that towered over the northern interchange, the biggest in Dark Moon territory. Everyone knew it. It cycled through high-end advertisements like a living magazine, private jet charters, rare moon-blessed jewelry, luxury estates carved into sacred cliffs, always the most extravagant things money or power could buy.

The screen shifted smoothly from a shimmering ad for handcrafted silver athames to something new.

My breath caught.

The image changed to a crisp, professional news-style graphic: bold white text over a sleek black background, overlaid with a recent photo of a man in a tailored white suit stepping out of a private aircraft. The headline scrolled in elegant, scrolling letters:

“AURELIAN SIGHTED: Enigmatic Tycoon Returns to Dark Moon Lands – First Visible Appearance in Four Years”

Below it, smaller subtext flashed in rapid succession:

“Multiple Alpha delegations reportedly on standby. Unconfirmed reports of closed-door summits at undisclosed locations.”

“Territory-wide security protocols elevated. Local packs advised: no unsanctioned approaches.”

“His companies remain the silent backbone of half the allied economies. What brings the ghost back now?”

The photo zoomed in slightly as the ad cycled. Bald head, sharp cheekbones, neatly trimmed beard, storm-gray eyes staring straight into the camera with that same unreadable intensity I’d seen up close.

It was him.

Exactly him.

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought he’d hear it. I whipped my head toward the man beside me, Aurelian.

He was still looking forward, one hand resting lightly on the armrest, with a calm expression. He hadn’t glanced at the billboard. He hadn’t reacted at all.

But the name. Aurelian.

It clicked now, why it sounded familiar. Not from some magazine fluff piece or TV gossip. From hushed conversations at pack dinners. 

From warnings my father used to mutter when he thought I wasn’t listening. From the kind of stories enforcers told in low voices when they thought no one important was around.

Aurelian.

The man who didn’t belong to any pack.

The one who moved between territories like smoke. 

The one they said controlled more wealth, more secrets, and more quiet power than most Alphas ever dreamed of. 

That was the name that always came up,like a myth.

And he was sitting right here. In the same car. Driving me north. Telling me not to worry about Nicholas or my father.

Because apparently, he didn’t have to worry about them.

I pressed my lips together to keep from making a sound. My hands clenched in the folds of my gown so tightly the beads dug into my palms.

He finally turned his head, just slightly, sensing my stare.

“Something on your mind?” he asked, voice low and even.

I swallowed once. Twice.

“…No,” I lied, forcing my eyes back to the window.

The billboard had already cycled to the next ad, a diamond-encrusted moon pendant, but the image of his face lingered in my mind like an afterimage burned into glass.

Aurelian.

Not just a stranger with expensive wine and a Rolls-Royce.

A name that made Alphas check their doors at night.

And I was in his car.

Running from one cage… straight into whatever world he ruled.