Page 24 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)
TWENTY-FOUR
K alyna nodded, examining markings stenciled on the side. “No shipping labels either. Completely anonymous.”
They moved deeper into the maze of shelving, Rust occasionally pausing to listen or scent the air. Kalyna followed his lead, her fox senses alert for any disturbance. Her awareness of him intensified with each passing minute—the controlled rhythm of his breathing, the subtle shift of muscle beneath fabric when he turned, the lingering scent of cedar that clung to his skin.
Her fox cataloged these details obsessively, storing them away like precious treasures. The human part of her watched this process with growing alarm. She’d never responded this way to another being—this hyperawareness, this constant pull toward physical closeness. It frightened her even as it thrilled her, this evidence that something beyond her control might be developing.
The attack came without warning.
Shadows detached from the darkness between tall shelving units, materializing into masked figures that surrounded them in seconds. Kalyna counted five assailants, each moving with practiced coordination that spoke of training and preparation. Not random thugs, then—targeted attackers.
Adrenaline surged through her veins, triggering her partial fox shift. Crimson threads of energy wove between her fingers as her illusion magic manifested, spiraling outward like wispy smoke. Beside her, Rust’s transformation was magnificent—his eyes blazed golden in the dim light, muscles rippling beneath his shirt as his nails extended into lethal claws.
The first attacker lunged toward Kalyna with a curved blade. She spun sideways, fox reflexes allowing her to evade the strike while simultaneously casting an illusion. Three perfect duplicates of herself shimmered into existence, bewildering her assailant long enough for her to land a solid kick to his knee. He crumpled with a howl as she darted away, maintaining concentration on her illusions.
Rust engaged two attackers simultaneously, his movements fluid and powerful. His partially shifted form radiated strength—not the full lion transformation, but enough to make his human opponents hesitate. When one swung a metal pipe toward his head, Rust caught it mid-arc, the metal crumpling beneath his enhanced grip.
Without conscious thought, Kalyna found herself attuning her movements to Rust’s rhythm. When he drove an attacker backward, she positioned an illusion to distract the man’s partner. When she faltered beneath a particularly aggressive assault, Rust appeared at her side, a rumbling growl vibrating from his chest that sent her attacker retreating.
“We’re better together,” Rust called to her, the words laden with meaning beyond their immediate situation.
Kalyna’s fox yipped in agreement before she could suppress the sound, her animal instinct acknowledging what her human mind still resisted. The response drew a fierce grin from Rust across the chaotic space, a flash of teeth and golden eyes that sent a shiver of pure desire through her core.
The warehouse door crashed open, revealing Hezron’s silhouette, his stance ready for combat. “Don’t worry, I’ll save—wait, you started without me?”
His complaint cut short as another figure appeared behind him—Lucella, brandishing what appeared to be pepper spray labeled ‘Library Property’ in neat block lettering.
“Kalyna, duck!” Lucella shouted before unleashing a cloud that mostly missed its intended target and caught Hezron full in the face.
“I’m blinded by beauty!” Hezron dramatically clutched his face, staggering sideways. “Also in excruciating pain!”
Despite the danger, laughter bubbled up in Kalyna’s throat. The absurdity of the moment—Hezron’s theatrical suffering, Lucella’s horrified apologies, the bewildered expressions of their attackers—created a surreal contrast to the tension that had preceded it.
Her momentary distraction proved costly.
A masked attacker seized the opportunity, lunging into her blind spot. Sharp metal sliced across her forearm, bringing not just pain but an unnatural burning sensation that spread outward from the wound. Kalyna gasped, her illusions flickering as her concentration wavered. The blade hadn’t cut deep, but something was wrong—the burning intensified, spiraling up her arm toward her shoulder.
Rust’s reaction transformed the very air around them. A roar erupted from his throat—not human, not entirely lion, but something primal that shook dust from the rafters and made the metal shelving units tremble. The sound vibrated through Kalyna’s chest, simultaneously terrifying and thrilling her fox.
He moved with breathtaking speed, dispatching her attacker with an efficiency that bordered on brutal. The remaining assailants scattered, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as they’d emerged.
Kneeling beside her, Rust’s golden eyes searched hers, concern etched across his features.
“The blade,” she gasped out, “was poisoned.”
“How can I help?”
“You can’t. I need a healer. And right now.” Her vision grew dim quickly.
“Yes, I can,” Rust growled. He ripped the sleeve from her shirt, revealing the slice in her arm. He hesitated, visibly struggling. “It requires something... intimate.”
Understanding dawned. “The healing properties in lion saliva,” she whispered. Ancient texts had mentioned this, though she’d never expected to experience it firsthand.
Rust nodded, his expression guarded as if expecting rejection. Instead, Kalyna extended her arm, her fox urging trust without hesitation while her human side registered the vulnerability of the gesture.
His warm fingers encircled her wrist, steadying her arm as he leaned down. The first touch of his tongue against her wound sent shockwaves through her system—not just healing but pleasure that made her gasp aloud.
Heat exploded from the point of contact, racing through her veins like liquid fire. Where their skin connected, a cascade of sensations rippled outward—her crimson magic and his golden energy intertwining in spiraling patterns that seemed to sink beneath flesh and bone, binding something deeper than physical bodies.
The wound began to close, poison neutralized by whatever enzymes his saliva contained. But the physical healing was secondary to the magical connection forged in that moment. Kalyna felt her barriers dissolving; this man so different from herself might be exactly what her deepest self needed.