Page 11 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)

ELEVEN

K alyna glanced down to find his eyes locked on hers—no longer simply golden but glowing with an inner light that betrayed his lion’s awareness. His pupils had narrowed to predatory slits, focused entirely on her.

Her own magic surged in response, a burst of crimson energy that made the books nearest her flutter their pages like startled birds. The surge wasn’t fear but recognition—her fox reaching toward his lion on a level beyond conscious thought.

Her fox pushed her to lean into his touch, to brush her cheek against his hand, to acknowledge what both their animal sides already knew. Kalyna fought the urge, forcing herself to remain still.

“I—thank you,” she managed, voice unsteady. “I can manage now.”

His hand lingered a moment longer than necessary before he stepped back, allowing her space to continue her inspection. But something had shifted between them, the air itself charged with potential.

Kalyna forced herself to focus on the beams, tracing the spiderweb of cracks with her finger. “The damage now extends farther than the report indicated. See how it branches here, and here?”

Rust nodded, making notes in a small leather-bound notebook. “The entire support structure will need reinforcement before any cosmetic repairs begin. That will increase the budget substantially. Do you know of any patchwork from the past?”

“There may be historical records of previous repairs,” Kalyna said, carefully descending the ladder. “The library’s structural history is documented in the archive room. I’ll check if there are precedents for this type of damage.”

“Lead the way.”

They crossed the main floor, passing between tall shelves of books that whispered as they moved. Her fox urged her to walk closer to him, to “accidentally” brush her arm against his. She deliberately maintained a professional distance, ignoring the whine of disappointment from her primal side.

The archive room occupied the building’s northeast corner, a space deliberately kept cool and dry to preserve fragile documents.

“The more modern architectural history is in this section,” Kalyna explained, gesturing to a row of leather-bound volumes on a central display table.

As they approached the table, both reached for the book—a worn tome with “Architectural Modifications & Repairs, Volume III” embossed on its spine. Their fingers brushed atop the cracked leather binding.

The contact ignited an immediate reaction. Gold and crimson sparks danced where skin met skin, swirling upward to form translucent images above the book itself—ghost-like figures of lions and foxes working side-by-side to construct buildings, hazy visions of ceremonies where red and golden magic mingled to strengthen foundation stones.

“What on earth?” Kalyna breathed, watching the magical tableau with wide eyes.

Rust looked equally stunned. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The spectral scene continued to play out, showing lion and fox shifters collaborating on various structures throughout Enchanted Falls’s history. Faint, echoing voices whispered phrases too indistinct to understand, but the tone suggested harmony and shared purpose.

“The magic is drawing from the book itself,” Kalyna realized. “These must be memories embedded in the pages—events the compiler witnessed.”

Her fox watched the images with smug satisfaction. See? Lions and fox belong together. This proves it.

Rust nodded slowly. “Our elders claim lions and fox remained mostly separate, occasionally allies but never true partners.”

“Ours too.” Kalyna couldn’t tear her eyes from the apparition. “But this suggests a different story.”

The swirling images began to fade, the magical connection dissipating as naturally as it had formed. Both pulled their hands back from the book, the loss of contact breaking the final threads of the vision.

The moment stretched between them, taut with unspoken implications. Something profound had happened—something that challenged centuries of clan separation and rivalry.

The archive room door swung open, sparing either of them from having to address it directly.

“There you are!” Lucella’s cheerful voice broke the tension. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”

She bounced into the room, hair bobbing with each step, her eyes darting between Kalyna and Rust with poorly concealed interest.

“Am I interrupting something?” Her tone suggested she very much hoped she was.

“Not at all,” Kalyna replied, perhaps too quickly. “We’re researching previous structural repairs.”

“Perfect!” Lucella clapped her hands. “I know exactly where the oldest records are kept—in the old inventory section.” She pointed to a small door at the rear of the archive. “I moved everything pre-1900 in there during the last reorganization.”

Rust stepped toward the indicated door. “I believe we should examine those.”

“Absolutely,” Kalyna agreed, grateful for the distraction.

The smaller room beyond was packed with shelves of leather-bound ledgers and document boxes, dimly lit by a single window near the ceiling. Dust motes danced in the beam of light, giving the space an ethereal quality.

“Start with that section,” Lucella suggested, gesturing to a far corner. “I’ll go grab the master key so you can access the restricted documents if needed.”

Before either could respond, she had slipped out, closing the door behind her with a decisive click.

The lock engaged with an ominous thud.

“Did she just—” Rust began.

Kalyna tried the handle, which refused to budge. “Lucella?” she called through the door. “The lock seems to be stuck.”

“Oh no!” Lucella’s voice came muffled through the thick wood. Her tone of dismay might have been convincing if not for the undercurrent of laughter. “The old locks are so temperamental. I’ll find the spare key—might take a while, though. You two just... keep researching!”

Receding footsteps, punctuated by what sounded suspiciously like giggles, told Kalyna all she needed to know about her friend’s intentions.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, turning to face Rust. “She thinks she’s being helpful.”

His brow furrowed. “By locking us in a storage room?”

“Lucella has unique ideas about... social facilitation.” Kalyna sighed. “She’ll be back eventually. We might as well continue our research while we wait.”

Rust’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Resourceful. I approve.”

They moved deeper into the room, scanning shelf labels for relevant materials. The narrow space brought them closer together than before, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they examined documents. Each contact sent a jolt through Kalyna, her fox purring with satisfaction at the proximity.

Touch him more. Lean against him. He’s your mate—claim him.