Page 72 of The Purrfect Rival

“Apparently, I’ve been practicing lion customs for nothing,” Kalyna whispered to Rust.

“Terribly unfair,” he murmured back, his breath tickling her ear. “It took me three tries to master your ridiculous triple-bow.”

“Only three? I’m impressed.”

Their quiet exchange drew indulgent smiles from nearby council members—a far cry from the disapproving glares such familiarity would have earned weeks ago.

Lysander cleared his throat. “Now that both principals are present, we may proceed with official acknowledgment of recent events.”

What followed was unprecedented. Instead of separate clan testimonies, representatives spoke in turn about the ritual site’s transformation, the purified heirloom, and the sight of fox and lion magic working in harmony.

“The prophecy of red and gold united,” Elder Willow concluded, “was never a warning, but a promise. What was divided can be whole again.”

The council unveiled their decisions—joint magical research, relaxed territory boundaries, and expanded leadership including Kalyna and Rust as official clan liaisons.

“Your bond bridges centuries of separation,” Jinli explained. “It represents a new path forward.”

“We’d intended a formal ceremony,” Lysander added, looking mildly put out. “With proper protocol.”

“Fox protocol or lion protocol?” Echo appeared in the doorway, grinning. “Because those are very different things.”

Lysander’s mouth tightened, but Jinli surprised everyone by laughing—rich and melodious.

“Indeed they are,” she agreed. “Which is precisely why we need guides who understand both.”

Echo approached Kalyna, his usual mischief subdued beneath genuine remorse. “Kal, I need to say?—”

“Later,” she interrupted gently, seeing the weight in his eyes. “We’ll talk privately.”

As the elders departed, Kalyna watched interactions that would have been unthinkable before—Fenris and Lysander discussing texts, Ursula inviting Jinli to sample honey mead, Draven accepting Winston’s offer to view telescopes.

“It’s really happening,” she murmured as Rust’s arm slipped around her waist, drawing her against his side where she fit perfectly.

“Not without friction,” he cautioned, pressing a kiss to her temple. “But it’s a start.”

His scent enveloped her—cedar and spice, now as familiar as her own. Her fox stirred contentedly at his closeness, recognizing its mate. Through her heightened sensitivity, she detected tension in his shoulders.

“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked, tilting her face up to his.

His expression remained neutral, but she caught the brief flicker in his eyes. She’d surprised him with her perception.

“Later,” he echoed her response to Echo. “When you’re stronger.”

She narrowed her eyes. “That’s fox evasion from a lion. Suspicious.”

A smile tugged on his lips. “Perhaps you’re rubbing off on me.”

“Terrifying thought.”

SEVENTY

The next days passed in a whirlwind. Kalyna’s strength returned gradually as Elder Willow’s treatments purged the last traces of dark energy. Each day brought new evidence of shifting clan dynamics.

Sheriff Kendrick Ironclaw called a special town meeting to announce his retirement. The grizzled wolf shifter stood before the gathered crowd, badge gleaming against his weathered uniform.

“Forty years of keeping peace is enough for this old wolf,” he declared. “My nephew completes his training next month and will arrive to take over. The boy has fresh ideas about community policing that this town needs.”

Whispers rippled through the assembly—speculation about the unseen nephew mixed with genuine appreciation for Kendrick’s service.

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