Ordinary was good. She paused and looked back down the trail. It was steep. Karl might have fallen, his body hidden amongst the rocks below.
“Here.” O’Malley stopped walking and followed her gaze. “I can go and poke around down there after I’ve shifted.”
Hannah nodded mutely. “Thanks.”
He nodded and shifted. Just like that, in a blink of an eye, the man was gone, and the cougar took his place. She stepped forward, patted him on the head then stroked his back. He rubbed his large head against her thigh, sniffing the T-shirt that belonged to Karl before he spun around on his hind legs and leaped away from her.
She was alone. No one else for miles. If something happened to O’Malley, she would have to find her way back to the village and ask O’Brian for help.
Hannah stood still, rooted to the spot for a few more minutes. She listened for the sound of the cougar’s paws on the ground, for any sound that might make her feel less alone.
Then as fast as he’d disappeared, he reappeared, his sides heaving as he slid to a stop before her. The air sparked and popped, and she prepared for the moment the cat would become a man once more.
More than that, she prepared herself for the bad news he had come to deliver. Why else would he have returned to her so soon?
As soon as he was human again, he swung his pack off his shoulders and stuck his hand in one of the pockets. “Satellite phone. Just in case.”
She snorted, a mixture of relief and excitement at having her mate so close. “Thanks.”
“Do you want me to show you how to work it?”
“I think I can figure it out.” She cupped his face with her hand, leaned forward, and kissed his cheek before he stepped back and shifted. Then he was gone once more.
Hannah couldn’t bear just standing there doing nothing. The trail up ahead didn’t seem too bad, so she shoved the phone in one of the side pockets of her pack, making sure it was secure before she set off along the game trail.
Despite the conditions underfoot and her worry for Karl, she could appreciate the beauty of the mountains. Harsh in places, there was also a beauty that could not be found anywhere else on the planet.
Not that she’d seen much of the planet. Hannah had barely been abroad. She’d barely been anywhere. After her mom passed away, it was as if she’d put a fence around herself both emotionally and physically. If she wasn’t careful, her life would have passed her by with nothing to show for it.
A glimpse of tawny feline fur out of the corner of her eye reminded her that was no longer true. O’Malley was in her life now and it had changed. Her world had opened up. She was determined to move to Cougar Ridge and live with him there. Although, he might have to accept her father into their lives, too. There was no way she could abandon him.
She sighed, inhaling the cool crisp air as a sliver of sun broke through the gathering clouds. Despite the intensely clear morning that had dawned on them, it looked as if there was a storm brewing. Would the flimsy tent protect them from such a storm?
Could O’Malley protect her from the storm brewing inside her, the one that would consume her when she had to leave the mountain and Karl, and perhaps accept she would never find out what happened to him? As the minutes ticked on and she grabbed a handhold and heaved herself up the trail, this was her greatest fear. It was also the most likely outcome.
They knew Karl was alive when he climbed the trail. What happened to him after that was a complete mystery. With no clues to follow, they could spend the rest of their lives searching the mountain and still never find him.
Hannah’s boots scuffed over the rocks and she sought to find a foothold in another large stone slab. She found a small indent and dug her toe into, scraping her knee as she clambered up and over the obstacle. When she finally conquered it, she knelt on the ground to catch her breath and a sense of accomplishment swept over her. She tilted her head back and looked up at the sky and laughed. A deep belly laugh that erupted into tears.
Tears of laughter, tears of joy, mingled with tears of frustration. Yet as she stared at the sky, her eyes fixed on that slim sliver of sun that pierced the thick clouds to shine down on the Earth below.
There was always hope, always a ray of sunshine if you knew where to look or were willing to let it shine down.
“I found the rest of the chips.” O’Malley in his human form stood farther up the trail with a handful of chips in his fist.
“Just the chips?” Her voice was hoarse as she stood up, wiped her eyes, and went to him.
“Yes. They were in a pile, all together.” He opened his fist and showed them to her. There was no doubt they matched the others they had already found.
“And Karl?” Hannah already knew the answer. “No sign?”
O’Malley shook his head. “If there was any sign of him, it’s gone.” He reached out for her hand and she slid hers into his before he pulled her up to stand next to him.
“Where?” Her throat constricted and the word came out as a squeak.
“It’s not an easy place to get to.” His jaw tightened.
“Do you think he fell down there?” Panic gripped her. Was this where Karl had met his fate?
“If he did, I don’t know how he’d have gotten out. And there lies the puzzle. My cougar could spring out without too much trouble but climbing out in my human form would be tricky. The sides are very steep.” He turned to look up the
