Page 68 of Owning His Mate

I don’t like him being so close to her, but I can feel his anger vibrating through our bond and I know him well enough now to understand that it is best in these situations just to allow him to do his thing. He needs to feel in control, and right now, he doesn’t. Neither of us has had any semblance of control since we were taken.

“Who is she?” Dove asks, leaning forward to get a better look at her face.

Jackson grips the back of her shirt, stopping her from getting too close. She slides her gaze in his direction before huffing a breath and moving back to him. “Overprotective ass,” she mutters.

As I glance around the angry faces, I realize this is going to get messy and that Savannah shouldn’t see this. I’m not certain I want to see it either.

I tell Kye that through the bond and I can sense his reluctance to let us out of his sight again, but also his understanding that we need to protect Savannah from any more trauma.

Don’t go far,he orders.

I won’t.

And Apryle?Don’t let her go to sleep until we figure out how to stop her from conjuring people.

Weeks ago,I would have argued with him for the sake of it, but now I don’t want to hurt him or upset him in any way. I feel protective toward him in the same way he does toward me. There is something reassuring about having someone to care about.

I take Savannah to the other room and shut the door behind us. I’m not sure I want us back in my and Kye’s bedroom in case she’s scared of what just happened.

This room is not a great space for a kid, considering the clinical, sterile white walls and the queen bed up against one of them. I would love to give her colors and toys, but this is all I can do. For now, it’s enough. The space is safe, warm, and away from the monsters who hurt her, which is what matters.

I lead Savannah over to the bed, and she grabs the teddy Roux conjured for her, crushing it to her chest. I smile before glancing toward the window. There’s something comforting about the other buildings rising around us. We’re not alone here, not truly, and that helps. For so long, I was completely isolated from my kind, and I was so scared of being hurt again that I didn’t allow myself to have any connections.

But just like the Sanctuary, Callum’s compound has become home—or at least as close to the idea of home as I can imagine. Maybe one day Kye, Savannah, and I will have somewhere of our own to call ours, but until then my home is them.

I settle Savannah under the blankets, brushing her hair out of her face before I climb in next to her.

“I’m sorry,” Savannah says.

My heart breaks. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I brought her here and she hurt you.”

I pull her against me, holding her tight. “You didn’t know you were going to do that. Our gift isn’t always easy to control, Savannah, but with practice, you can learn.”

She glances up at me. “Can you show me?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t let me fall asleep. I don’t want to do magic again.”

“I can bind it for tonight, if you let me.”

She nods. Placing a hand over her chest, I draw on the magic inside me and direct it where I need it. It’s a loose spell, barely strong enough to contain her magic, but it’ll be enough for her to sleep.

“Thank you,” she whispers, relief flooding her expression. It’s a huge weight to carry around for someone so young and I hate that she has to.

“Let’s try to sleep, okay?”

“I’m scared to.”

“I’m right here,” I tell her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I don’t know how long we lie there together, but eventually Savannah’s breathing evens out and relaxes, even though her brows remain furrowed. I shouldn’t let her sleep until we figure things out, but I can’t bring myself to wake her. Instead, I watch her for any signs she’s stuck in a nightmare, but she seems relaxed.

When the door opens softly, I glance up from where I’m lying as Tessa slips inside the room. She’s a little pale, so I gesture for her to come and sit with me on the bed.

She slips under the covers, pulling them back around us all.

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