“Do you want me to turn the light off?” he asked.
“If you want to.” She rested her head on the thin travel pillow she’d included as a luxury. Although, she’d rather be resting her head on O’Malley’s chest while she listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“Goodnight.” He rested his head on the ground with his face turned in her direction.
“Goodnight.” She stared at him. He didn’t switch off the light. “I know there’s a chance we won’t find Karl.”
Her words slipped out even though she didn’t recall thinking them before she spoke.
O’Malley nodded. “All we can do is look for him. Do our best for him.”
“I won’t blame you if we don’t find him and I certainly won’t hold you responsible for his death.” She frowned. “Sorry. I just wanted you to know that this won’t taint our relationship.”
He let out a long breath. “I was worried that our relationship would be tainted by association.”
“It won’t.” She reached out and stroked his cheek, the chill of the mountain air making the hairs on her arm stand on end. Or perhaps it was the thrill of touching him, the man who called her mate and who said she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.
“I will do whatever it takes to find the answers you need,” he assured her.
“I know. And I also know and appreciate what you’re giving up to be here with me. No one else I know would have dropped everything for me. Not when you are so close to your bar opening.” A wave of guilt swept over her. “If we decide to go back. If you decide that you should be at the bar, I will understand. We can come back and pick up on the search after.”
Although she would likely choose to stay and continue the search alone.
“No, I plan on seeing this through with you.” He caught hold of her hand and pressed his lips to her cool skin, which instantly burst into flame as heat flooded her veins. “You’re more important than my new bar.”
“That just sounds so…” She didn’t want to say ridiculous because that would take away the incredible sacrifice he was making for her. Yet it did feel ridiculous, as if they were a couple of high school kids experiencing a teenage crush.
“I know how it must be for you. I’ve seen it in the non-shifter mates of my friends.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “That doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
“I think after flying on the back of a dragon that the veil between what’s real and what I always thought was impossible is a lot thinner.” She pulled away from him and lay down staring at the roof of the tent. “Since I met you, everything I believe in has been challenged.”
“Except for one thing.” He propped himself up on his elbow and gazed down on her with a look that made her heart melt and her insides turn to liquid fire.
“And what is that one thing?” she asked, even though deep down in her soul she knew what his answer was.
“Love. It was real for you before. The love of your family, the love you have for your family. That love is still real and now there is this other love. The love we share.” He grinned. “Which you will feel. I promise you.”
“I believe you.” She stared at him and he stared right back until her eyelids drooped and closed and she fell asleep in a flimsy tent on the side of a mountain with a man who could shift into a cougar. Life didn’t get much stranger than that.
Chapter Thirteen – O’Malley
“Wow.”
They were standing by the side of a waterfall that dropped from around two hundred feet above them into a large pool. Water droplets hung in the air like a cloud covering them in a thin layer of moisture if they got too close.
“I’ll fill the water bottles while you take in the view.” He watched her for a couple of minutes longer. She looked like a child at Christmas.
“I’ve never really spent time in nature.” She glanced sideways at him, her face wet from the spray which mingled, he suspected, with tears of joy.
“Didn’t your parents ever take you out into the wilderness at all?” He winced. He’d avoided talking about her mom, now he sounded critical of her and Hannah’s dad.
“No. It wasn’t really my mom’s thing and honestly, my dad didn’t have time for stuff like that. He never really appreciated the world around us. When he was home on leave, he would be more interested in tinkering with the car or doing something around the house. He preferred a tool kit to a tent.” She switched her attention back to the waterfall.
“Maybe he liked to be around the house for your mom.” O’Malley took out all the water containers and refilled them from the fresh falling water. “Here. Drink it while it’s cold and fresh.”
“Thanks.” She took a long drink. “You might be right. Mom had to do everything when he was away, so I suppose he wanted to make it up to her.”
Hannah turned away from the waterfall after taking a drink, refilling the container before she stowed it on her pack. As she stood before the plummeting water, she looked relaxed and happy after a good night’s sleep.
“There were a few men with families in my unit. It was a tough job. Every time they came back after leaving, there was always a sense of guilt, they hated leaving their families, but they also were proud to serve their country.” O’Malley would never want to be away from his mate and children. But he’d been immensely proud of the work he’d done and the lives he’d helped save. Maybe it was a good thing he hadn’t met his mate back when he was part of the Special Forces.
