Calum Pov

I stared down at my mate who had deliberately gone against my orders. I had made sure she had people to take care of her so she didn't have to leave her room. She didn't need to be roaming around my pack and I didn't want her to.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked as I stared down at her. It did not go unnoticed by me that she held her baby tighter after I spoke.

"I'm getting myself food."

"Why do you need to get yourself food when I've already arranged for my attendants to bring you your food?"

I wanted to shout at her, but I figured she would respond better if I calmly questioned her actions. I seemed to be slightly mistaken when she still raised her chin at me in defiance.

"I'm not incompetent. I can do it myself." She defended.

"I never said you were incompetent. I simply asked why you would come down here when it's unnecessary."

At that moment, Xavier came rushing down the steps.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. She tricked me! I'll take her back-"

I signaled with my hand for him to stop after he took hold of my mate's arm. Oddly enough, I couldn't find it in me to be mad at him for failing to do his job. The only thing that angered me was the sight of him touching her.

Her baby let out a loud squeal at the movement and noise. I carried on as neither had interrupted us. My attention needed to be solely focused on my mate.

"Answer the question." I ordered her.

"I would like to prepare my own food because it would make me feel less like a prisoner."

"You're not a prisoner."

"Yes. I am."

"How so? You don't look behind bars to me." I said wanting to see how she would react.

"Just because I've been kept in a lush guest room doesn't mean it was any better than being stuck in a holding cell. I do not want to be here, which makes me a prisoner. I'm not free to walk around or even leave the grounds. The only reason I'm out here is because I escaped past the watch of my guard."

The look she gave me was one of fury. My mate was fierce little one. If we ended up living out the rest of our lives together as mates should, this woman could forgive me for the way I'm treating her now. She may forgive me, but she will certainly never forget.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you escape from, as you would call it, your holding cell?"

"I screamed for the guard and told him there was a spider in the adjoining bathroom. When he was in there, I slammed the door and made a run for it."

A smile broke out over my face. I couldn't help it. My mate was crafty that was for sure.

This is exactly the reason I hadn't talked to her earlier. The more I spoke with her, the easier it was to fall in love with her. I was first drawn in by her beauty, but now, her ferocity and cunningness was slowly winning me over. Every single thing about her made me want her, even though it was uncertain if I could have her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ashlyn watching our exchange. She would want to speak to me afterwards and I ignored her presence for the moment.

"What is your name?" I asked my mate.

"Morgan."

"Lovely. I'm Calum."

"I know. Your beta told me." She spat the word beta like venom. She knew I was alpha and she didn't like it.

Looking over her shoulder, I acknowledged Xavier once again.

"Xavier, I would like you to show Morgan the way  to the kitchen. Stay with her until she is finished preparing herself something to eat and then you are to take her back up to her room. Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"You may go now."

I did not move from where I was standing as they passed me to enter the kitchen. I could no longer disregard the fact that Ashlyn was in the room waiting to speak with me.

"Cal?"

"Yes, Ash?"

"You have some explaining to do."

"I figured as much. This is a discussion that would be held best in my office. Follow me."

It was no surprise that Ashlyn would want to know what's going on. My sister was as nosy as they come. The only surprising thing was that she waited this long to inquire about the girl staying in one of my guest rooms.

I did not want to discuss this situation with her in the hallway where any of the pack members could stumble upon us and overhear our conversation. This subject was much too personal and I couldn't have anyone hear how Ashlyn talked to their alpha. First she would start out by interrogating me and when she found out that Morgan was my mate, she would reprimand me so badly it would put my mother's scoldings to shame.

With all those thoughts in mind, I led Ashlyn to my office and prepared for the verbal lashings that were about to come.