Page 49 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)
FORTY-NINE
T he library’s historical section lay in ruins. Charred shelves stood like blackened skeletons where priceless volumes had once rested. Kalyna picked her way through the debris, searching for any clue to Echo’s involvement, any hint of where Boz might have hidden the Twinned-Tail Charm.
Her composed facade crumbled in the privacy of the damaged archive room. Books lifted from fallen shelves, pages flipping wildly as they orbited around her. Crimson energy swirled in fitful patterns, illuminating dust particles dancing through the air.
A particularly forceful surge of emotion sent several books crashing against the far wall. Kalyna sank to her knees amidst the chaos.
“Kalyna.”
Rust’s voice cut through her magical maelstrom. She hadn’t heard him arrive, hadn’t sensed his approach through her emotional tempest. Yet there he stood in the doorway, golden eyes scanning the magical chaos before locking onto her with predatory focus.
He crossed the distance in three powerful strides and dropped to his knees before her. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his embrace, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other pressed possessively at her lower back.
His scent—intensified by her heightened senses—flooded her system. Cedar, spice, and something distinctly lion wrapped around her, making her dizzy with need. Her fingers clutched at his shirt, her body instinctively arching toward his heat.
“Tell me who hurt you,” he growled, the sound vibrating against her chest where she pressed against him.
His eyes burned more golden than brown, pupils dilated as they tracked her every movement. When his thumb brushed the pulse point at her throat, she nearly whimpered at the contact.
“It’s complicated,” she began, trying to gather her scattered thoughts.
“Answer the question, Kalyna.” His interruption wasn’t harsh, but the command in his tone was unmistakable. His hand cupped her cheek, tilting her face up to meet his unwavering gaze.
The clash of communication styles ignited between them—her fox bristling at the direct command while his lion demanded immediate clarity.
A surprised laugh bubbled from Kalyna’s throat. She reached up to trace the strong line of his jaw. “We’re doing exactly what they expect. Lion directness versus fox circumspection—the classic clan conflict.”
His expression shifted from frustration to understanding, thumbs stroking her cheekbones with unexpected tenderness. “They want us divided. But we’re stronger together.”
Kalyna slid her hand to the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. The touch sent electricity racing up her arm.
Crimson illusions bloomed around them—inadvertently revealing memories she’d kept private: the heat that surged through her body when their hands first touched at the council meeting, how she’d caught herself staring at his mouth during their library assessments, the ache that settled between her thighs when he defended her against accusations.
Mortified, she tried to dismiss the magic. “Sorry—I can’t seem to control?—”
Rust captured her hands, bringing them to his chest where she could feel his heart thundering beneath her palms. His own gold magic responded, revealing matching scenes from his perspective: his lion recognizing her at first sight, his fists clenching beneath the council table to prevent himself from reaching for her, the near-physical pain of restraining himself when she smiled.
“Don’t hide from me,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers. His breath mingled with hers, their proximity sending fresh waves of heat through her system. “Not your magic, not your feelings, not your fox nature.”
Kalyna couldn’t stop herself from closing the remaining distance between them. Her lips found his with a desperation that surprised even her. The kiss deepened instantly, his hand sliding into her hair to hold her firmly against him while her fingers dug into his shoulders.
“You feel it too,” she gasped when they broke apart, her chest heaving.
“Mating heat.” His voice dropped to a register that sent shivers racing down her. His hands settled at her waist, thumbs tracing maddening circles that made her want to climb into his lap. “It shouldn’t happen this quickly.”
“Unless the bond was already forming from the first moment.” She watched his pupils dilate at her words, the gold in his eyes expanding until barely any brown remained.
“The magical merging at the festival,” he agreed, pulling her closer until she straddled his thighs. “It accelerated everything.”
Rust’s mouth claimed hers again, this kiss deeper than before. Their magics responded instantly, golden and crimson energies weaving together in increasingly complex patterns that surrounded them like a cocoon of light.
Books floated gently around them as their power built, creating a private sanctuary within the damaged library. Their consciousness began to merge—thoughts and feelings flowing between them with increasing clarity.
Both glimpsed ancient memories not their own—other lion-fox pairs across centuries, rare but powerful unions that changed magical history.
Their shared magic coalesced into visible threads of gold and crimson light that wound around their joined hands. Ancient words rose to Kalyna’s lips without conscious thought: “The fox in me recognizes the lion in you—two halves of a greater whole.”
Rust’s eyes widened in recognition before he completed the ritual phrase: “The lion in me claims the fox in you—separate but stronger together.”
The light around their hands pulsed once, then sank beneath their skin, leaving a faint matching mark on each of their wrists—a subtle symbol combining lion and fox elements that only they could see.
“The First Binding,” Rust whispered, awe in his voice. “I’ve only read about it in the oldest texts.”
The completed First Binding intensified their mating heat to nearly unbearable levels. Each touch created visible sparks of magic. Rust’s careful control shattered as he stood, lifting her against him. Kalyna wrapped her legs around his waist, her mouth finding his in a kiss that scorched through her veins.
“My apartment,” she managed between kisses, her fingers already working at the buttons of his shirt.
“Now,” he agreed, his stride purposeful as he grabbed her hand and hurried out the library door.