Calum Pov

After dinner, I led Morgan back up to my room. Actually, it was our room now.

It was going to take a while for me to adjust to having a mate.

Morgan immediately went to lie down on the bed once we got to our room. I had thought that the dinner went well but she was clearly exhausted from it.

"Are you ready to go to sleep?" I asked.

"Almost. I want to ask you something first."

"Ask away."

"Why are you treating me like this all of a sudden?"

"Like what?" I thought it would be a good idea to have her explain what she meant even though I had a feeling I might already know.

"Like I might actually be someone important to you." She said.

"You're my mate. You've always been important to me."

"That's not true."

It was. I didn't react well when I first met her. I made harsh assumptions and treated her poorly as a result, but a large part of me cared for her even in the beginning.

"I'm not lying." I told her.

"Then why did you refuse to even speak to me the entire first week after we met? How come you left me alone locked up in that bedroom for all that time?"

I knew this was coming. I was going to have to explain why I acted the way I did sooner or later.

"I thought that the baby was yours." I admitted.

"You thought Lilian was my daughter?"

"Yeah."

"It never occurred to you that there was a chance she wasn't mine? You didn't think it would be a good idea to just ask me about it instead of ignoring me?" I could tell by the way her voice rose she was getting irritated with me.

"I'm sorry. I was upset."

"What made you so upset that you couldn't even talk to me?"

"That you didn't wait for me!" I shouted.

"So because you thought that I've had sex before, and I have, that gives you a reason to treat me like crap? Did you wait for me?"

"It's not just about sex." I said, even though my fists tightened with the mention of her being with someone else.

It wasn't common for wolves to remain abstinent until they met their mates anymore. As much as I wanted her all to myself, I couldn't hold her past against her.

"Then what is it about?" She asked.

"When I saw you with a baby, I thought that meant you tried to start a life without me. That you didn't need me because you already had a family."

"Why didn't you just talk to me?"

"I didn't want you to see how hurt I was."

"You kept me away because you were hurt and wanted to hurt me back." She concluded.

"Yeah. I guess."

"I understand now, but what you did is inexcusable." Morgan told me.

"I know and I'm sorry."

"I can forgive you, but it's not going to be easy."

"I understand." I had been a complete jerk and I knew it would be hard for her to trust me now. As long as she gave me a chance, I could accept her taking time to forgive me.

"I'm not staying in here tonight."

"Yes, you are."

She was my mate and I wanted her in my room with me. I couldn't allow to go somewhere else. We needed to be together to make this relationship work.

"No. I don't want to."

"Too bad. You're staying in here with me and that's final."

"I can't believe you. I appreciate you explaining things to me, but that doesn't mean everything between us is now perfect sunshine and rainbows. I'm not going to sleep with you simply because you apologized." She said.

Morgan made a good point but I didn't agree with her. Now that I've come clean we can move past how we met and carry on to be like normal mates. Mates lived together.

"I don't think I can do what you want."

"So I have no say at all?" She asked clearly irritated. Our discussion had been going well until now. I didn't need it getting worse.

"Fine. We don't have to sleep together but I want you in the room with me."

"Where will we sleep then?" She asked.

"You sleep on the bed, I'll take the couch."

"You could sleep in your bed if you just let me move to a nearby guest room."

"No, I'd rather you be in here. The couch really isn't that bad." I assured her.

"Alright."

Unable to hold myself back, I leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Luckily, she didn't pull away from me.

It's been a rocky beginning for us, but I knew we'd be ok.

I grabbed my pillow and a blanket before heading to my respective side of the room.

I wasn't lying when I said the couch wasn't uncomfortable. It was long enough and wide enough to hold my tall frame. The couch was where I often took my late Sunday afternoon naps.

I laid down and looked up at the ceiling, wondering how I might earn Morgan's trust.

At least by having her stay in the room with me, we took a step in the right direction.