CHAPTER 47: LUXURIOUS CARS

Rhea lifted the fabric closer, inhaling deeply. It carried the faint scent of iris, her favorite, earthy, woody, and intoxicating. The fragrance made her hum in quiet satisfaction.

Her chest tightened in the most inconvenient way as she inhaled again, slower this time, wanting to hold on to it. The more she breathed it in, the more she wanted to keep going, as if each breath pulled her closer to something she couldn’t quite understand.

Ellie leaned against the wall, watching her with a smirk as she stepped fully into the room, still inhaling, tugging lightly at the collar of the black shirt. The sleeves were rolled halfway up her forearms, and the jeans fit better than she expected. She turned once, inspecting herself with mock seriousness.

"Well?" she asked, catching Ellie’s gaze. "How do I look?"

Ellie smirked. "Like the Alpha’s Luna."

Rhea’s face twisted in disgust. "Ew! Don’t even joke about that." She folded her arms, frowning. "We already rejected each other. I’m not having anything to do with that man again."

Ellie chuckled lowly. "But you can share clothes at least."

Her eyes widened. "These are his?"

Ellie nodded, clearly entertained. "Yeah. Old ones that don’t fit him anymore."

Rhea’s jaw dropped. "You’ve got to be kidding me." She tugged at the shirt as if it suddenly burned her skin. "Why would you give me his clothes? Can I get something else, please?"

"Nope," Ellie said easily. "We don’t have time, and besides... " his grin deepened, "you said they smelled nice."

"That was before I knew who they belonged to!" Rhea snapped.

Ellie’s grin only widened. "Doesn’t change the fact that it smells nice to you." He waggled his brows playfully.

"Ugh," Rhea groaned. "You’re enjoying this way too much."

Tavian, trying to break the tension, said quietly, "I... think the clothes look lovely on you."

"You think?" Rhea said, exasperated.

"Yes!" Jason nodded quickly. "You should just go with it. You can change when you get to the, uh...the shopping mall."

"You’re right," Rhea said, perking up a little. Jason smiled, relieved.

"Let’s go, then," she added. "The sooner we get there, the faster I can change out of this cursed outfit."

"Which smells nice to you," Ellie teased, already heading toward the door. He paused, glancing back at Tavian and Jason. "You two coming along?"

They exchanged glances, then looked at Rhea for approval.

"Can they?" Rhea asked.

Ellie shrugged. "If you’re fine with it, sure. The car can take more than four passengers."

Rhea blinked. "The car? There’s a car in this world?" She looked genuinely shocked, her voice rising slightly. She hadn’t read that far in the story yet, and in her head this world never advanced past... What was I even imagining they used for transport? she thought.

Ellie watched her with raised brows. "I know you’ve barely been allowed outside the pack house, but don’t tell me you’ve never even seen one of the pack’s cars."

"I can’t remember," Rhea said quickly, brushing past him to open the door wider. "Let’s go. I really need to get out of these clothes."

Ellie chuckled, shaking his head as he followed her out. Tavian and Jason scrambled after them, closing the door behind.

Pack members paused mid-conversation as Rhea, Ellie, Tavian, and Jason passed through the hall toward the garage. The air thickened with murmurs and curious glances. Rhea felt every pair of eyes on her but kept walking, chin high, a smirk teasing her lips. Let them stare, they could gawk all they wanted

.

Tavian shifted nervously beside her, while Jason tried to shrink into his own shadow. Ellie, of course, walked with his usual swagger, hands in his pockets, pretending not to notice the whispers that followed them.

The moment they stepped into the garage, rows of gleaming cars stretched across the polished concrete floor, each one a testament to the Pack’s wealth.

Three vehicles stood out immediately, an obsidian-black Lamborghini Urus parked apart from the rest, its matte surface gleaming under the fluorescent lights; a deep red Ferrari Portofino that looked like it could purr even when silent; and a silver Range Rover, sleek and spotless, clearly Ellie’s ride of choice.

Rhea froze, eyes wide. "Okay, I knew this pack was rich," she said, gesturing vaguely toward the cars, "but I thought it was more... old-money rich, not modern-day billionaire rich. Where the hell did you get all this?"

Ellie laughed, shaking his head. "Where it was being sold, I guess," he said.

Tavian and Jason couldn’t hold back their snickers, watching her expression shift between awe and outrage.

Rhea shot Ellie a glare. "Of course I know cars are bought from where they’re sold. I’m just shocked you even have cars like these."

"You’re behaving like someone who just saw civilization for the first time," Ellie teased, clearly entertained.

Rhea straightened instantly, regaining her composure. "Believe it or not, I’ve seen more luxurious cars than these. I’m just surprised this pack has a few as well."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "You’ve seen more luxurious cars than these?"

Rhea nodded confidently, even as Jason and Tavian exchanged skeptical glances. Where on earth could she have seen such cars when she wasn’t even allowed outside the pack compound?

"You don’t believe me?" Rhea asked, feigning offense.

"Of course we do," Ellie said, stepping forward and opening the passenger door of the silver Range Rover. "After you, Luna."

Rhea paused, staring at him. She could tell none of them believed her, but really, who would? How could she even begin to explain that she was an heiress from another world, trapped in someone else’s body? She sighed and brushed past him. "Don’t call me that again," she muttered, slipping into the seat and shutting the door herself before he could.

Ellie only shrugged with a grin, turning to Tavian and Jason. "Do you two need an invitation?"

They scrambled forward, tripping over each other in their hurry to climb into the back seat. Ellie chuckled, circling to the driver’s side.

As the engine purred to life, Rhea turned toward the window, her reflection ghosted against the glass. The car rolled smoothly out of the garage, tires whispering against the ground.

From his office window, Ares stood motionless, watching them go. His jaw tightened as his fingers curled around the curtain. The silver car glided through the gate, disappearing into the distance, and he clenched the fabric harder until his knuckles turned white.

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