Page 48 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)

FORTY-EIGHT

K alyna blinked away the fog of sleep. The sun shined brightly outside the apartment window. She wondered what time it was and why hadn’t Rust awakened her before he left?

Rust’s presence lingered in every corner of her apartment—his jacket draped over a chair, protective wards shimmering around the windows, and his distinctive cedar-and-spice scent embedded in the pillow beside her. Her fingers traced the indentation he’d left, remembering the solid warmth of him during the night.

She’d slept curled against his chest, his heartbeat a steady rhythm that had anchored her through dreams still turbulent from the magical battle. The bond between them had deepened during those quiet hours of shared rest.

Testing her magic, Kalyna extended her palm upward. A small crimson orb of fox-fire materialized, dancing above her fingers with significantly more stability than earlier yesterday’s attempts. The warm glow pulsed in sync with her heartbeat.

Then the memory of what happened during the night slapped her.

The library fire.

She had to get over there to see what was damaged now that the building was relatively safe to enter.

Kalyna pushed herself from the bed, fingers unsteady as she reached for clean clothes. The brush of fabric against her skin sent unexpected shivers cascading down her spine. Her fingertips tingled, nerve endings suddenly hypersensitive to every texture.

Worse still, Rust’s lingering scent triggered an almost intoxicating response. Heat pooled low in her belly, her fox suddenly restless beneath her skin. She caught herself pressing her thighs together, trying to ease an ache that hadn’t been there before.

“This can’t be happening,” she murmured, pressing her palms against her flushed cheeks. Her reflection in the small mirror revealed eyes flashing crimson at the mere thought of Rust. “Not now.”

The symptoms were unmistakable. Early mating heat—something that shouldn’t occur without an established bond developing over weeks, not days. Her fox recognized its perfect complement in Rust’s lion, pushing her toward him with primal urgency.