Page 61 of The Purrfect Rival

The inner courtyard spread before her—concrete barriers, hastily erected guard posts, and a central building with reinforced doors. Her fox senses tingled. The charm was inside; she could feel its magic pulling at her own.

One by one, the fox scouts emerged from various entry points—squeezing through fence gaps, scaling low sections of wall, sliding through ventilation shafts. Each found cover, awaiting the signal. Kalyna spotted a familiar ruddy tail beneath a truck—Lucella, her best friend had insisted on joining despite the danger.

In position. Count of three.

The collective anticipation built through their shared awareness until Rust’s command resonated through every shifter present.

NOW!

The eastern fence erupted in a blaze of light as fox illusions created the impression of a major assault. Guards shouted, racing toward the distraction while the lions launched their true attack from the south.

The golden forms cleared the fence in powerful leaps, roars splitting the night air. Guards scattered—some firing wildly, others dropping weapons at the primal terror of facing apex predators.

Kalyna darted between shadows, leading her fox contingent toward the main building. Her ears swiveled constantly, tracking each sound—boots on gravel, frightened shouts, the distinctive roar of one particular lion that made her fox instincts stir with recognition.

A guard appeared around the corner, radio raised to call for backup. Kalyna reacted without hesitation, her fox form blurring with speed as she darted between his legs, causing him to stumble. Two other foxes created illusions that disoriented him further while a third knocked the radio from his hand.

The guard reached for his sidearm but froze as a massive shadow fell across him. Kalyna’s heart leaped into her throat as Rust’s lion form padded silently into view, golden eyes fixed on the human with predatory focus. The guard’s hand trembled, then slowly moved away from his weapon.

Kalyna’s fox couldn’t help the small yip of satisfaction as the guard backed away, hands raised. Her eyes met Rust’s across the distance—amber to gold—and something wordless passed between them.

East corridor clear. I smell Echo this way.

She led them toward a service entrance, pausing at each intersection to scout ahead. The hunting party moved with unprecedented coordination—fox shifters darting ahead to locate dangers, lion shifters providing the strength to overcome obstacles. The elders among them exchanged stunned glancesas centuries of separate hunting traditions merged seamlessly through Kalyna and Rust’s example.

“Look at them,” whispered a gray-muzzled fox who had partially shifted to speak. “Moving like they’ve hunted together for centuries.”

A lioness with silver threading her coat rumbled in agreement. “The red and gold united.”

FIFTY-EIGHT

Kalyna ignored the murmurs, her entire focus narrowed to following Echo’s scent trail down a dimly lit corridor. The trail grew stronger near a reinforced door at the hallway’s end. She pressed her nose against the crack beneath it, inhaling deeply.

Echo’s inside.

Rust’s lion assessed the door, muscles bunching beneath golden fur as he prepared to breach it. The metal buckled under his weight, hinges tearing free as he forced his massive body through.

Echo sat huddled in the corner, wrists bound with enchanted cords that suppressed shifting abilities. His eyes widened at the sight of his sister in full fox form.

“Kal! You need to leave!” Despite the bruise darkening his jaw and the exhaustion evident in his posture, fear for her dominated his expression. “Boz planned for this. He wanted you to?—”

A metallic clang echoed through the room as hidden panels slid into place over the doorway and windows, sealing them inside. Red warning lights began flashing from recessed ceiling fixtures.

“—come,” Echo finished, his shoulders slumping.

The fox contingent spun in circles, searching for escape routes while the lions tested the sealed door with powerful shoulders. Kalyna shifted partially to human form, maintaining her enhanced senses while gaining the ability to free her brother.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, a hint of frustration in her voice.

“I didn’t know what he was doing,” Echo blurted. “He told me if I got the safe open in the library, he could make sure the mayor wouldn’t take you away. I?—”

“How touching.” Boz’s smooth voice interrupted over a speaker system. “The librarian and the mayor rushing to save a traitor.”

Rust shifted partially as well, maintaining his lion strength while gaining the ability to speak. “Show yourself, coward.”

“Oh, I don’t need to be present to enjoy the show,” Boz replied, his smirk audible in his tone. “You’ve performed beautifully—walking straight into position.”

Through a small observation window in one wall, Kalyna caught sight of him in an adjacent control room, fingers poised over a control panel.

---