Page 44 of The Purrfect Rival

“She’s my mate.” The words emerged with quiet certainty.

Aurelia’s eyes widened fractionally—the closest she came to showing surprise. “You’re certain?”

“My lion recognized her instantly. The human part of me took longer to accept it.”

She studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. “I suspected as much when Jinli described the magical resonance between you at council.”

“You’re not... opposed?”

A genuine laugh escaped her. “Opposed to my son finding his mate? What kind of mother would that make me?” Her expression softened. “Your father would have liked her, I think. She has spirit.”

Relief flooded through him, though he’d meant what he told Hezron—he didn’t need approval. Still, his mother’s support mattered more than he cared to admit.

“Boz won’t accept it,” Rust said, finally sipping the liquor. It burned pleasantly down his throat, warming him from within.

“Boz has never accepted anything that didn’t put him at the center.” Aurelia’s voice cooled. “He’s always resented that your father’s line held the mayoral seat, believed it should have gone to his branch of the family.”

“This goes beyond jealousy, Mother. The bank transfers from my office, the stolen charm—he’s attempting something dangerous.”

She nodded gravely. “Jinli suspects as much. That’s why she invoked the Concordat today.”

“There’s more to this than pride politics, isn’t there?” Rust pressed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Aurelia moved to the window, gazing out at the manicured grounds. “There’s an old prophecy about a lion and fox joining magics. Most dismissed it as folklore, but some believe it predicts a power strong enough to challenge the natural order.”

“What kind of power?”

“The kind that makes the impossible possible.” She turned back to him, her expression grave. “The magic between you is rare, Rust. Guard it carefully—there are those who would destroy what they cannot possess.”

The warning hung in the air between them.

“Follow your heart,” she added softly. “But watch your back. Boz has always been dangerous. Now he’s desperate too.”

Rust left as evening shadows lengthened across the lawn. His mother’s warning echoed in his mind, underlining the stakes of what they faced.

His phone buzzed with an automated security alert: someone had accessed the sealed evidence room using his credentials.

He raced toward the council building. A chill of premonition raised the hair on his neck. Somehow he managed to call thesheriff and Hezron without crashing. Unfortunately, neither was close to that side of town. He might get there before they did.

In town, as he veered around a corner, the building came into view.

He glimpsed Kalyna walking along the sidewalk, unaware of the hooded figure trailing her at a distance. Her brassy hair caught the fading sunlight, her slender form moving with the unconscious grace that always captivated him. Oblivious to the threat stalking her steps.

His lion exploded forward, a roar building in his chest. No one threatened what was his.

He slammed the car into park only a second before his lion burst from his skin. Fear and fury propelled him out the door, his body already shifting as he ran. Claws extended from his fingertips, his muscles coiling with predatory strength, his vision sharpening with golden clarity.

THIRTY-NINE

Kalyna pulled her cardigan tighter as she crossed the council building parking lot onto the sidewalk. The evening air carried a hint of pine and magic—scents that normally comforted her. Tonight, though, something lurked beneath those familiar notes. Her fingers brushed the fox charm bracelet at her wrist, a habit from childhood.

Concrete clacked under her heels. Shadows vanished into dark alleys, darker than they should be. Her fox senses prickled with warning.

From farther up the street, she heard car breaks screeching to a halt. She looked up, and motion in her periphery vision grabbed her attention. A hooded figure lunged from behind a parked car, arms outstretched. Kalyna spun, crimson magic crackling—too slow.

A blur of golden movement cut between them. Rust materialized with impossible speed, his body partially shifted. Claws extended from his fingers, teeth sharpened to points, and his eyes—gods, his eyes burned with molten gold intensity that stole her breath.

“Stay away from her,” he snarled, voice dropping to a register that vibrated through her bones.

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