Page 59 of Owning His Mate

Sawyer smirks. “When you’re old enough, Sav-Sav, I’ll tell you all about it.”

Kye’s eyebrows come together. “You are not telling her shit.”

I can’t help but grin at how overprotective he sounds already.

“Easy, big guy. Retract the claws.”

Savannah comes back to me, hugging me close. “Am I staying here?” she asks after a moment.

I want to answer yes, and it almost slips out, but there are other factors to consider. What if she has a family that is missing her? What if she belongs to someone? The thought of letting her go makes my stomach churn, but she deserves the best, and that may not be with me and Kye.

My chest aches as I ask, “Do you remember where you came from, Savannah?” I stroke her hair back from her face, and she leans into my soothing touch.

“No.”

“Do you remember anything about life before that room?”

Her brows draw together, creating a little V between her eyes. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

My heart breaks. “It’s okay, sweetie. You don’t need to remember.”

She clings to me as if I am the one who is going to save her. “You’re not going to send me back to that horrible place, are you?”

The fear threading through her voice is not an act. Savannah is genuinely terrified that I might give her up.

“You’re not going back to the facility. You’re staying here with us.”

She softens in my hold, her little body relaxing against me. I know it is going to take a lot of time for her to get over the things she has suffered—in fact, I know that all too well. “Is everyone here special?” Savannah asks, tracing a line over my jaw and up to my cheek with her finger.

“Most of us have gifts,” Halle says from my side.

“What can you do?”

Halle gives her a warm smile. “I can make things better.” Slowly, she takes Savannah’s hand, turning her arm over to reveal the bruise there.

I smell the magic, feel the power surge through the air even though she’s only using a small amount. Savannah gasps as the purple mottled mark on her arm disappears, leaving behind unblemished skin.

“How did you do that?”

“Magic.” She wiggles her eyebrows at her. “Do you know how to work yours?”

Savannah frowns. “I don’t want to.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” I say to her as her fingers twist into my shirt like she’s anchoring herself to me.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

My chest feels impossibly tight at her words. “Have they made you hurt someone already?” She burrows into my side, burying her head into my chest. “I promise you’re safe now. No one will ever make you do anything you don’t want to again. And we can teach you to control your powers.”

“Your magic isn’t something to be scared of.” Roux says.

Savannah glances at me and Kye before she peers at the other women in the room.

“Sometimes. When I get angry, I get this heavy feeling in my chest.”

Halle leans toward her. “That’s why we have to learn to control our powers, Savannah. We can’t allow ourselves to get out of control because then we can hurt people we care about.” This comes out laced with regret and I know she’s thinking about Dove.

Savannah yawns. The heaviness of her eyes means she’s barely keeping them open.

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