Page 25 of His Temptation

She swallowed hard as he pulled it away, setting it carefully on the nightstand.

The relief was immediate. The dampening sensation that had pressed against her panther eased, the familiar connection between her human and animal selves snapping back into place. But before she could relish it, Daragh’s voice cut through her thoughts.

“I won’t need this anymore,” he said smoothly.

Siobhan’s hands twitched at her sides, the instinct to flee warring with the knowledge that she wouldn’t make it past the front gate.

Daragh studied her for a moment, then tilted his head slightly. “That being said… I have something for you, should you decide to misbehave.”

She looked up sharply as he reached into a drawer beside the bed and withdrew something she immediately hated.

A filigreed iron collar studded with diamonds. It was delicate, intricate, a cruel mockery of beauty—designed to fit around her throat like a piece of fine jewelry while still serving itsrealpurpose.

Siobhan’s breath came fast. “You wouldn’t…”

Daragh’s grin was slow, dangerous. “You want to find out?”

Her jaw clenched. She wanted to lunge at him, to claw at his throat, but all she could do was glare at the collar in his hand,knowinghe would use it if she forced him to. Siobhan’s stomach dropped. She barely heard the next words as he straightened, brushing his fingers over her hair in a mockery of affection.

“And tomorrow night…” His gaze flicked down her body, sending a slow ripple of heat through her. “You’ll be mine in every way.”

Then he turned, leaving her sitting there with her throat bare, her mind racing, her heart thundering against her ribs. The door closed with a quiet click. Siobhan’s hands clenched the sheets.

Twenty-four hours ago, she had thought she could find a way out of this. Now, she was fairly sure she couldn’t, and worse, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to.

The cool morning air carried the scent of damp earth and sea salt as Siobhan stepped onto the terrace, a steaming cup of coffee cradled between her palms. The estate grounds stretched before her, the mist curling around the treetops, the first light of dawn just beginning to bleed across the horizon. It should have been peaceful.

But it wasn’t. Her skin prickled, instincts stirring just beneath the surface. Something felt… off.

She sipped her coffee slowly, glancing at the two guards who were stationed beneath her balcony the previous night. They had moved—positioning themselves at the terrace’s edge instead. A change in routine. Small, but significant. Daragh wanted her to know that she was still under guard.

She set the coffee down on the stone railing, feigning relaxation as she let her senses expand, taking in the subtle details of her surroundings. The rhythmic chirp of insects. The distant crash of waves. The sound of boots scuffing over damp grass.

Something was happening. Her breath came slower now, shallower, her fingers curling against the rough stone of the railing.

Then she saw it—a flicker of movement in the trees. A ripple in the shadows.

The two guards at the edge of the terrace stiffened. A beat later, they dropped.

Siobhan barely had time to react before she heard the telltale click of a weapon being drawn behind her. She moved before instinct fully registered the danger.

A sharp lunge, a twist, her elbow snapping back toward the figure that had tried to close the space between them. A pained grunt, a stumble. She spun, catching the glint of a syringe in the man’s hand—MI5.

They had come for her.

She threw herself backward, dodging the first grab, her heart hammering. The second man closed in fast. Too fast.

Siobhan ducked, swiping her leg out in a brutal arc. His knee buckled. He went down hard, cursing. The other one lunged for her wrist, the syringe still gripped tight in his fist.

She twisted violently, trying to rip free, but he was strong. Stronger than she expected.

Panic flared in her chest. No. Not panic. Instinct. Something inside her snapped.

For the first time in years, she let go. A low, guttural growl tore from her throat as the shifting mist swirled up, surrounding her in thunder and lightning as the shift surged through her as bones and muscles shifted and fur rippling along her skin.

The agent’s eyes widened in shock as the mist melted away and revealed Siobhan’s sleek, deadly form of her panther. She landed on all fours, her claws digging into the stone, her breath a growl, her tail lashing once as the predator inside her fully took hold.

The agent hesitated for half a second. A fatal mistake. Siobhan lunged. Her claws raked across his forearm, the syringe flying from his grasp as she took him down, her teeth snapping dangerously close to his throat. He choked out a panicked curse, scrambling beneath her, but it was too late.

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