Page 41 of His Temptation

Daragh’s heart thundered in his chest.

“What?” Siobhan asked, her voice softer now.

He shook his head. “I don’t like seeing you like this.”

She snorted. “You mean you don’t enjoy seeing me bleed? I guess that’s good to know.”

His fingers brushed the edge of her wound, his touch careful despite the violent energy still simmering beneath his skin. “No, kitten. I don’t enjoy knowing you would have died for me.”

Her lips parted slightly, her expression unreadable. “I didn’t think. I just…”

“You felt.” His voice was rough, but not with anger. With something deeper. Something neither of them had been ready to name before now.

Siobhan swallowed hard, her throat working. She knew.

Neither of them spoke as he cleaned the wound, his movements methodical. She didn’t wince, didn’t complain. She just watched him, those sharp green eyes tracking his every move.

When he was done, he leaned back, exhaling slowly, trying to steady the storm inside him.

“You’re mine,” he murmured.

She didn’t deny it.

Daragh’s fingers traced the fresh bite on her neck, his claiming mark. He had thought it was only possession before—thought he had claimed her out of instinct, out of dominance. But now, looking at her—knowing what she had done for him, knowing that she had felt their bond as deeply as he had—he understood the truth.

This wasn’t just about power. This was about forever. She belonged to him in a way no one ever had. And nothing, nothing, would ever take her from him.

Siobhan’s breath came uneven, her lips parting slightly. “Daragh…”

Before she could say anything else, his phone buzzed. A growl rumbled low in his chest as he grabbed it from the nightstand. He almost ignored it, but one glance at the screen had him answering immediately.

Finn’s voice was tight. “We’ve got a problem.”

Daragh’s jaw clenched. “What now?”

“Con called. He’s got intel that Sebastian doesn’t plan to wait any longer. He knows this first attempt was a failure and that we have reinforcements headed here. He’s coming for her tonight.”

Daragh’s grip tightened around the phone. “Tell Con we’re ready.”

Finn hesitated. “And what about her?”

Daragh looked down at Siobhan, his gaze locking onto hers, the weight of his decision already made.

“Get everyone in position,” he said. “Because if Sebastian thinks he can take my mate from me, he’s about to find out exactly how wrong he is.”

Siobhan didn’t look away.

Neither did he.

She had taken a bullet for him. Now, he would bring Sebastian Wolfe’s world down around his ears.

CHAPTER 12

SIOBHAN

The manor was too quiet. It had been a hive of activity immediately after the attack, but had then settled back into a heightened state of watching… and waiting.

Siobhan sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers gripping the hem of the new robe she had thrown on after Daragh cleaned her wound. The fabric was soft against her skin, but nothing about tonight felt soft. The air held the remnants of blood and gunpowder, the metallic scent lingering no matter how many doors Murphy had thrown open to let the night air in.

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