Page 23 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)
TWENTY-THREE
T he abandoned Silverwood Shipping warehouse loomed against the night sky like a slumbering beast, its corrugated metal walls rusted and windows shattered. Moonlight sliced through the gaps, painting eerie patterns across the weed-choked parking lot.
The air carried notes of damp concrete, rusted metal, and something less definable—a lingering magical residue that made Kalyna’s fox bristle with wariness. Her senses sharpened automatically, vision adjusting to the gloom, ears picking up subtle sounds carried on the night breeze.
A sleek black car pulled into the lot, its engine purring to a smooth stop. Kalyna’s body reacted before her mind could catch up—her pulse quickened, skin prickling with awareness, fox magic stirring beneath the surface of her control.
She tracked Rust’s emergence from the vehicle with laser focus, her gaze cataloging details: the powerful lines of his body beneath dark jeans and a fitted black Henley, the way moonlight caught in his golden hair, the brief flash of amber in his eyes when they locked on her.
Distance did nothing to diminish his presence. Even from across the parking lot, his alpha energy rolled toward her in palpable waves, awakening responses she’d never experienced. Her fox practically keened with recognition, straining toward him as if magnetized.
Rust approached with measured steps, moonlight sculpting the planes of his face into sharp relief. A hint of a smile played on one corner of his mouth, sending an inexplicable flutter through Kalyna’s chest.
“Thank you for coming,” he remarked, his deep voice sending a ripple of awareness down her spine. “I called the sheriff, but I didn’t know if you wanted to be included in all this.”
Their almost-kiss from the previous night hovered between them, unacknowledged yet impossible to ignore. Her body remembered even if her mind tried to rationalize—the heated intensity of his gaze, the way they’d leaned toward each other, the way the air between them had crackled with invisible energy at the barest brush of their hands.
“I absolutely do,” she replied, surprised by the steadiness in her voice despite her racing pulse. “I have as much at stake here as you. Plus, I couldn’t let you do this alone. You might need backup.” She was glad the cool night air kept her face from overheating.
His smile deepened, revealing a hint of teeth that made her fox quiver with interest. “Always from you.”
They stood frozen in the moonlight, neither advancing nor retreating, the air between them charged with unspoken possibilities. Her fox recognized his lion—responding with a warmth that spread from her core outward, an insistent urge to close the distance between them. To touch, to be touched.
Why him? The question echoed through her mind even as her body swayed slightly toward his. He represented everything she’d avoided in a potential mate—dominant where she valued independence, direct where she appreciated nuance, physically imposing where she prized subtle magic.
Rust cleared his throat, breaking the trance-like moment. “I told the sheriff that Hezron’s security source mentioned crates being moved in after hours. Possibly connected to the missing artifacts and Agatha spotted people trying to be inconspicuous. Which for Agatha probably means they weren’t wearing flashing signs announcing ‘criminal activity in progress.’” Rust’s dry observation surprised a genuine laugh from Kalyna.
“She does have a talent for finding secrets, however misguided her methods.” She gestured toward the looming warehouse. “When is the sheriff getting here?”
Rust stepped beside her, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched. The proximity sent electricity dancing across her skin.
“I don’t think we don’t need to wait,” he said. “It doesn’t look like anyone is here now.”
Her fox senses didn’t pick up any scents or sounds out of the ordinary.
“Stay behind me if anything seems off.”
A flare of indignation rose in Kalyna’s chest. “I can handle myself.”
“I’m well aware.” His expression softened unexpectedly. “I’ve seen you create illusions. Impressive control.”
The compliment caught her off guard. Most lion shifters dismissed fox illusions as parlor tricks rather than legitimate magic. The recognition warmed her, her fox preening under his approval even as her human side questioned why his opinion should matter.
They approached the warehouse’s side entrance, Rust testing the door. It swung open with an ominous creak, revealing darkness beyond. He produced a small flashlight, its beam cutting through the gloom to illuminate towering stacks of wooden crates and metal shelving.
“After you,” Kalyna whispered, fighting a smile.
“Thought you didn’t want protection,” he murmured, the amusement in his voice evident even as he took the lead.
“I don’t. But if someone’s going to walk face-first into cobwebs, I’d rather it be you.”
His quiet chuckle reverberated through the cavernous space as they ventured deeper into the warehouse. Their footsteps echoed despite attempts at stealth, each creak of the floor amplified in the silence. Rust moved with surprising grace for his size, his posture alert but not tense.
The dim emergency lights provided minimal illumination, casting long shadows between the towering crates. Kalyna stayed close to Rust, not from fear but drawn by an inexplicable pull. Their kiss from the previous night lingered between them like an unfinished sentence, charging every accidental brush of their arms with electric awareness.
“These crates are recent,” Rust observed, running his hand along a wooden edge. “No dust.”