They lay together under the warm sleeping bag until the fire burned low and demanded their attention. After feeding the fire, O’Malley shifted and the cougar sat by her side, basking in the warmth of the flames while she prepared their simple meal.
After eating their food, Hannah and O’Malley cleared their camp, doused the fire, and went back outside along the rocky path. After changing into dry clothes, Hannah and O’Malley found a high platform of rock where they sat and waited for the dragon to come and pick them up.
“I’m going to miss the stars.” Hannah leaned on O’Malley’s arm as she huddled close to him. “I’ve never seen them shine so brightly.”
“I’ll take you onto the mountain range by Cougar Ridge, the stars are just as bright there.” He held her close and looked upward.
Hannah was immediately alert. “Is Kelos here?” She looked up at the sky, trying to spot the dragon.
“He is.” O’Malley pointed to a dark spot among the stars which moved across the sky. That was the only telltale sign that there was a mighty beast winging his way toward them.
“He’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.” Hannah watched in awe, keeping her focus on the dark shadow that blotted out the stars.
“Thanks.” O’Malley chuckled as he squeezed his arm tighter around her.
“Sorry to dent your pride.” She kissed his cheek without taking her eyes off Kelos’s position.
“I know I can’t compete with a dragon for awesomeness.”
“Yeah, but you can when it comes to love. Love for me.” She finally turned her full attention to O’Malley.
“I am yours. With all my heart I am yours.” She slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I love you, O’Malley. I love you just the way you are. And I think you are pretty awesome yourself.”
“Only pretty awesome?” he teased.
“Compared to a dragon.” She pulled away from him and they stood up to watch as the dragon came in to land.
The dark shadow grew steadily bigger, and she could feel the draft from each downbeat of his wings. Slowly, Kelos’s dragon materialized out of the night, his features becoming visible. His scales shimmered and his muscles rippled as he landed around ten feet away from them.
Hannah didn’t realize she’d grabbed hold of O’Malley’s arm and was holding onto it tightly as if her life depended on it. Which in many ways it did.
“Your search was unsuccessful.” Kelos shifted as soon as his feet touched the rocky ground.
“Yes and no.” Hannah had assumed O’Malley had told his friend about their journey and subsequent discovery.
“We found Karl,” O’Malley explained. “But he’s lost his memory and has found a mate.”
“Ah, we humans are such complicated creatures.” Kelos aimed a sorrowful smile at Hannah. “You have chosen to leave your brother behind.”
“It wasn’t my choice to make,” Hannah confessed. “I would have needed to fight a not-too-small group of cougar shifters and even then, I don’t think he would leave.”
“He’s happy.” O’Malley locked eyes with Kelos. “Isn’t that what we all want for ourselves and those we love?”
“Yes. No matter what the personal cost.” Kelos inclined his head toward O’Malley and then switched his gaze to Hannah. “If or when you need to come back, you only need to ask.”
“Thanks, Kelos.” She swallowed down the lump in her throat, refusing to cry more tears.
“We should go. There is just enough night left for us to make the journey home.”
He shifted into his dragon and lowered himself toward the ground so that his two passengers could climb on his back. Then he took off into the air, flying toward the stars.
Hannah settled back against her mate, enjoying the flight. She might not be returning with her brother, but she was returning with something even more precious. A man who loved her for who she was. A man who would always be there for her.
As she contemplated this, she finally let go of her own sense of failure at not returning Karl to their father. Karl was lucky, he’d found a deep love many people go through their whole lives and never experience. She finally let go of her disappointment and celebrated Karl’s happiness.
All she had to do now was tell her father and convince him this was best for Karl.
Chapter Twenty-Three – O’Malley
A week ago the love of his life had walked into his bar. Three days ago she’d walked out of his life.
She will return, his cougar told him firmly.
Whether his cougar actually believed that or whether it was wishful thinking, O’Malley wasn’t sure. But he certainly wasn’t going to argue. He just couldn’t share in his cougar’s belief.
Not when there was no evidence to back up that belief.
You need to live in hope, his cougar told him before he slunk away and settled down for a nap. Something O’Malley hadn’t been able to do since he returned to Cougar Ridge.
“Is everything okay?” Axel came into the bar area carrying a box filled with glasses.
“Yeah, why do you ask?” O’Malley was getting kind of tired of his well-meaning friends asking him that same question.
“Because the beer is overflowing from the glass in your hand.” Axel gave O’Malley a smile filled with pity but made no further comment as O’Malley woke from his daydream about Hannah.
“Dammit.” He placed the overfull glass of beer on the counter before mopping up his own mess.
“She’ll come back.” Axel placed the glasses down on the counter behind the bar and began removing them, taking care not to break any.
“I want to thank you for everything you’ve done.” O’Malley skipped the talk about Hannah. He’d had the conversation so many times from so many people that there was no new angle to cover. Fate might be playing a joke on him. Or fate might just want to keep him dangling for a little while longer.
It was like when his cougar toyed with his prey. Sometimes it
