Lancer’s POV
From the moment I realized what a mate was, I think I instinctively knew it would be Irina.
The protectiveness I felt towards her ever since we were kids told me she was going to be mine one day, and it made sense.
She was the Alpha’s daughter. I was the Beta’s son. She could be mated to an Alpha, but for some reason, I knew she was mine.
We were raised side-by-side. I saw how she turned from a kid into a teen and then a woman. The three-year difference was nothing; I would wait until she turned eighteen to claim her as mine.
I can say I had a crush on her, but how could I not? She was beautiful, even as a gangly teenager, all sharp wit and brighter smiles. But more than that, she was good. She carried the weight of her future role with a grace that astounded me, treat
