Page 53 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)

FIFTY-THREE

T he drive to Rust’s home passed in comfortable silence, though tension of an entirely different sort coiled between them. Each brush of their hands sent small jolts of awareness through her system. The closer they got to total privacy, the more her fox stirred restlessly beneath her skin.

Once inside, Kalyna dropped all pretense of business discussion.

“My fox needs to run,” she admitted, eyes bright with suppressed energy. “And she wants to meet your lion properly.”

Rust’s eyes gleamed golden at her suggestion, his lion pushing closer to the surface. “Outside. Now.”

They moved to the clearing behind his home with almost desperate haste. The small meadow bordered by ancient oaks provided perfect seclusion for what both their animals craved—freedom to express their true natures together.

Kalyna didn’t hesitate. She stepped away from Rust, into a patch of dappled sunlight. Calling to her fox was second nature after centuries of practice. The transformation rippled through her—muscles contracting, bones shifting, her perspective lowering as her form shrunk and reshaped. Crimson magic swirled around her during the change, her clothes seeming to dissolve into the energy before being reabsorbed into her new shape.

Where Kalyna had stood moments before, a sleek russet fox now crouched, distinctive twin tails swishing behind her with subtle copper highlights catching the sunlight. She looked up at Rust, amber eyes gleaming with anticipation.

His transformation proved far more dramatic. His tall frame expanded rather than contracted, muscles bulging as golden light engulfed him. The sheer power of his shift created a slight breeze that ruffled her fur. When the light faded, a magnificent lion stood before her, his golden mane catching the afternoon sun, powerful muscles rippling beneath tawny fur.

Finally, her voice entered his mind through their telepathic bond, her fox form circling the much larger lion with playful movements. My fox has been desperate to meet you like this.

The lion’s answering rumble filled her thoughts, deeper and more primal than his human voice could ever manage. My lion has wanted nothing more than to see you in this form. His massive paw reached toward her, the gentleness of his touch belying his tremendous strength.

Kalyna danced away, tails flicking in invitation before she darted into the underbrush. The chase had begun.

She moved with lightning speed, weaving between trees and ducking under fallen logs, her smaller size allowing her to navigate passages the lion couldn’t follow. Behind her, she heard Rust’s powerful bounds as he took alternate routes, attempting to cut off her escape.

Banking sharply around a massive oak, she caught glimpses of golden fur through the foliage as he paralleled her course. Their mental connection buzzed with exhilaration—neither truly hunting nor fleeing, but engaging in an ancient dance of trust and testing.

When she emerged into a small clearing, Rust wasn’t there. She paused, ears swiveling to locate him. The mental bond hummed with playful intent, but his physical location remained hidden.

A golden blur launched from behind a cluster of boulders. Rust sailed through the air with impressive grace, landing directly in her path. Not as fast as you thought, little fox.

But twice as clever, she countered, diving between his paws and rolling away before he could react.

For nearly an hour they played together in full animal form—she demonstrating fox agility and cunning, he showcasing lion power and stealth. Occasionally, she created brief illusions even in fox form—duplicate fox that messed with his pursuit or disappearing suddenly only to reappear behind him.

Eventually, Kalyna scrambled atop a sun-warmed boulder, her twin tails swishing lazily as she caught her breath. Below, Rust paced with casual power, his golden eyes never leaving her form.

Your fox is beautiful, his voice rumbled in her mind, full of admiration.

She watched him leap effortlessly onto the boulder beside her, the massive rock barely shifting under his weight. Your lion is magnificent, she responded honestly, momentarily awed by his sheer power as he settled his large form beside her smaller one.

A comfortable silence fell between them as they basked in the afternoon sun. The novelty of their mental connection created opportunities for questions they’d never discussed in human form.

I never knew bonded pairs could speak this clearly, her fox voice marveled in his mind. The telepathic link felt crystal clear, far more direct than spoken language could ever achieve.

The pride elders kept many secrets about cross-species bonding, his deeper telepathic voice responded, tinged with slight bitterness. The lion archives mention several mated pairs throughout history who developed unique abilities.

Why hide such knowledge? Her mental tone carried genuine confusion.

His mental shrug rippled through their connection. Power. Control. Fear of change. The usual reasons elders suppress anything that might disrupt their authority.

The revelation that elders actively concealed information about telepathic bonds between fox and lion mates added another dimension to their growing suspicions about clan leadership. What else might have been hidden to keep the species separate?

Eventually, the lengthening shadows reminded them of passing time. By mutual unspoken agreement, they made their way back toward Rust’s. At the edge of the porch, they shifted simultaneously back to human form, the dual magical signatures—crimson and gold—briefly intertwining in the process.

Kalyna stepped onto the porch, slightly breathless from the run and the shifting. Her hair tumbled in dark waves down her back, having escaped its usual neat style during transformation. She turned to find Rust watching her with that intense golden gaze that hadn’t fully receded from his shift.

“You move differently in fox form than I expected,” he said, climbing the steps to join her. “More deliberate than most foxes I’ve encountered. Less chaotic.”

“And you’re more agile than lions are supposed to be,” she countered. “Most lions rely purely on power, not the stealth you demonstrated.”

His smile held genuine warmth. “Maybe we’ve each adapted to compensate for perceived weaknesses in our species. There’s more at stake than just our personal relationship,” Rust said, his expression suddenly serious. “The ancient texts suggest a completed Concordance between lion and fox would create magical ripples throughout the territory.

“The wards protecting Enchanted Falls, the boundaries between clan territories—all calibrated on the assumption that clan magics remain separate.”