Chapter 22

Ashton's POV I could feel how nervous she was, but I had already decided she would be fully marked and mated before I introduced her to the pack. I wasn’t taking any chances. She’s mine, and I will never give her up. I’d fight to the death if I had to. Now I understood how Oliver felt, how desperate he was to keep his mate close the moment she arrived. Honestly, I almost wish he had told me ahead of time that one of the rogues was mine. I would have waited at the gate all afternoon, just to be the first face she saw. I would have made sure Damien knew it was already too late, that whatever claims he thought he had on them were gone. I was anxious too, but I had followed my father’s advice. His cautionary tales had stuck with me. He always said that finding your mate was the greatest gift, and he was right. I was grateful I had waited for Lauren. There might be a few jealous she-wolves here, but none of them would ever be able to humiliate her with stories of having known me intimately.