CHAPTER 3 - THE FRAGRANCE OF A PHANTOM

Kieran's POV

These past few weeks had been absolute hell.

As the Alpha of the largest and most powerful pack in the entire territory, Kieran did not have the luxury of resting when danger knocked on their doors. The rogues had done something they had never dared to do before: they launched a coordinated attack. They did not just strike one border; they hit multiple territories all at the exact same time. It was a messy, chaotic strategy, but it meant Kieran had to act fast. He spent days and nights map-planning, organizing his warriors, and assigning specialized troops to the borders of their weaker allies.

Thankfully, his strategy worked. His pack was strong, and his warriors were the best trained in the land. They fought back hard, pushing the feral wolves completely out of the territories. They won the war without a single casualty.

But the victory cost Kieran something deeply personal. It had cost him weeks away from his midnight visitor.

For the past one year, every single night when Kieran went to sleep, he escaped to a beautiful, quiet dream world. And every single night, she was there waiting for him. He did not know her name, where she lived, or even if she was a real person, but she had become the center of his entire world. In the waking world, he was a ruthless leader who carried the weight of thousands of lives on his shoulders. But in that silver mist, with her, he could just breathe. They had spent the last twelve months talking, laughing, and sharing stories. She was his peace.

But the brutal war had drained him completely. For weeks, he had been so physically exhausted that when his head finally hit the pillow, he fell into a deep, black, dreamless sleep. He had tried so hard to reach her, but his mind simply wouldn't let him.

Tonight, the borders were finally secure. The moment he lay down on his bed, his mind drifted, and he felt the familiar, magical pull of the silver mist.

When he opened his eyes at the edge of the grand pack house, his heart thudded hard against his ribs. He felt a massive wave of excitement wash over him. There she was. She was standing beneath the moonlight, looking just as beautiful as he remembered, with her long dark hair and soft eyes.

But before he could even apologize, she crossed her arms and began to scold him. *"Where have you been? You left me all alone for weeks. I needed you."*

Kieran felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He stepped closer to her, instantly catching the scent that always defined her in his dreams—a beautiful, crisp fragrance that smelled exactly like fresh rosemary. He looked down at her small frame, his intense eyes softening just for her.

"I am so sorry, little one," he rumbled, his deep voice carrying all the exhaustion and love he felt. "There was trouble. Rogues attacked, and I had to fight a dangerous battle at my pack's border. For weeks, I barely slept. And when I finally did close my eyes, my mind was entirely blank. I was just too tired to dream. I tried to come to you, I promise."

Usually, this would be the part where she smiled, accepted his apology, and they would walk along the forest line together. But tonight was completely different. Kieran noticed the heavy sadness in her posture. He noticed the way her shoulders slumped and how her lower lip trembled. For the first time in the entire year they had been meeting, she didn't hide behind her usual cheerful smile. Today, she showed him her vulnerable side.

When a tear finally slipped down her pale cheek, Kieran felt a raw, primal anger explode inside his chest. His wolf thrashed behind his ribs, demanding blood.

"What is wrong?" he asked gently, reaching out a large hand to wipe the tear away. He wanted to anchor her to him, to let her know he was there. "Did someone hurt you?"

"They always hurt me," she whispered. Her voice was so tiny, so broken, it nearly tore Kieran's heart in two. "Today was just harder. They poured water all over me. They called me baggage. They reminded me that my wolf is broken, and that nobody will ever want me. I am twenty, and I am completely alone."

Hearing her words made Kieran's blood run hot with fury. Someone was treating his girl like garbage. Someone was making her feel worthless, pouring water on her, and mocking her because her wolf was weak. His shoulders went rigid, and his eyes flashed a dangerous, predatory gold in the dark. If he could find the people who did this, he would tear them to pieces without a single shred of mercy. No one was allowed to make his girl cry.

"You are not broken," he told her, his voice fierce, commanding, and heavy with Alpha authority. "And you are not baggage. If I were there, no one would ever dare to lift a finger against you. I would tear down anyone who made you cry."

But she just let out a sad, hollow laugh that made him want to hold her and never let go. "But you aren't there. You are just a shadow in my mind. When I wake up, the magic goes away, and I am just a floor-scrubber again."

She stepped closer, her small hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. Kieran held his breath, feeling the desperate, agonizing longing rolling off her soul. She looked up at him with big, tear-filled eyes, and the words that came out of her mouth changed everything forever.

"I wish you were real. I wish you could walk out of my mind and into the real world. I wish you were real... and I wish you were my mate."

The word *mate* echoed through Kieran's mind like a lightning strike. His entire body froze. His wolf roared in absolute agreement, marking her, claiming her, recognizing the bond instantly. She wasn't just a random dream. She wasn't a phantom. She was his. She was his fated mate, the female meant to rule by his side.

He wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her so tightly against his chest that there was no space left between them. He buried his face in her dark hair, inhaling her sweet, addictive scent deeply into his lungs.

"I am real somewhere, little one," he murmured into her hair, his voice thick with a heavy, desperate emotion. "Hold on. Just hold on for me."

He was just telling her to hold on, ready to demand where she lived, when the silver mist suddenly began to fracture. The dream world was breaking apart.

"No, wait!" Kieran growled, reaching out as her form began to blur.

But it was too late. Before his very eyes, she disappeared from his sight, dissolving into nothingness.

"No!"

Kieran forced himself awake, his eyes snapping open as he bolted upright in his massive bed. He was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead, and his heart was hammering wildly against his ribs. He gripped the silk bedsheets, his claws accidentally ripping through the fabric as he tried to catch his breath.

The bedroom was dark, quiet, and completely empty. She was gone.

Kieran ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair, a low growl vibrating in his throat. For the past year, they had met, talked, and laughed. He had enjoyed the dreams, thinking of them as a beautiful mystery. But tonight changed everything. For the first time, she had let her guard down. She had shown him her pain, her vulnerability, and her deep loneliness. She was hurting, she was being abused by her pack, and she was crying out for her mate.

Now, more than ever, Kieran wanted to meet her. No—he *needed* to meet her. He needed to find her, claim her, and protect her from whoever was making her life a living hell. He wanted to bring her to his pack house, put a crown on her head, and make sure she never had to hold a cleaning rag ever again.

But as he stared out the large window at the moonlight forest, a harsh reality hit him.

He didn't know her name. He didn't know what pack she belonged to, what territory she lived in, or even what country she was in. The dream world never gave him specific locations. He had absolutely no idea where to start looking for her.

Kieran closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. Even though the bedroom was empty, the memory of her was still fresh in his mind. He could still feel the phantom touch of her small hands on his chest, and most of all, he could still recall her unique, unforgettable scent.

She smelled like fresh rosemary.

A dark, determined smile touched Kieran's lips as his eyes flashed gold in the dark. He was the most powerful Alpha in the territory, and he had resources. He would search every single pack, question every single leader, and smell every single female if he had to. He would find his little rosemary, and when he did, anyone who had ever dared to make her cry would pay the ultimate price.