“I don’t want you to do this for me. I wanted you to help me do this. I need to find him. I need to know that everything possible has been done to find him.” She shook her head and looked at O’Malley. “That came out wrong. I know if you go alone you will do everything you can. But I need to know I have done everything I can, too.” She placed her hand on her heart. “I won’t ever know a day’s peace unless I’ve tried my best.”
“You have. You came here and asked a stranger to help you. Despite that stranger not really knowing your brother that well, I have agreed to go and look for him. You should be proud of yourself. If anyone else had asked, I might have said no.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” she disagreed. “You are the kind of man who would say yes no matter who did the asking.”
“But I want to do this for you.” His fingers twitched by his side, he wanted to reach out and touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin, and never lose the connection they shared.
“Please, O’Malley. I need to do this.” Her eyes fixed on his and he saw her need as clear as he felt the need for her to be part of his life.
And when the need is strong enough, there is no way to fight it, his cougar said.
“Okay.” What was he saying?
The only words that would stop Hannah from walking out of the bar and finding someone else to take her into the mountains to look for Norton. There was no mistaking her unwavering determination. She was going. It was up to him if he was going to go with her.
“And you asked me what the plan was.” He gave a small smile.
“You make it sound as if I tricked you.” She didn’t look happy about that.
“You didn’t trick me. But you are emotionally blackmailing me.”
“I don’t mean to and I don’t want you to think I always get my own way. But over this I am adamant.” She looked down at the floor. His newly laid hardwood flooring that gave the bar an upmarket feel. Would he find Norton and make it back for opening night?
All his plans, all his dreams were about to be put on hold. But the plans for the bar were nothing compared to the dream that was his mate.
“Are you sure you weren’t a sergeant major in the Army?” he asked. “Because I’m sure I had an instructor like you. She looked as if she was as soft as marshmallows but really, she was as hard on the outside as peanut brittle.”
“I’m not sure that is a compliment.” She smiled anyway. “But I’m happy to take it as one.”
“Okay. There are a few arrangements I have to make and then we can leave.” He looked at the bar, all freshly painted and cleaned by his own fair hand.
“I’ll arrange the flights.” Hannah followed his gaze. “The bar is beautiful.” Guilt laced her voice and he was worried she might change her mind and just disappear on him. That she would decide she had made a mistake coming here after all.
“Thanks. I have a few friends who will take over for me while I’m gone.” He dragged his gaze from the bar and fixed them on Hannah. “And don’t worry about the flights, I have someone who will take us.”
“A friend?” Hannah asked. “I don’t want to impose on anyone else.”
“A friend. Yes. And it won’t be an imposition. He likes to fly.” O’Malley paused.
You know what you must do, his cougar told him.
It was too soon. But his other side was right. If Hannah was coming with him into the mountains, the sooner she knew about shifters the better.
Especially since to get there you are going to ride on the back of a dragon, his cougar said with some amusement.
“Then I’ll leave the flights to you.” She turned away from him.
“There’s just one more thing.” One thing that might send her running away from him forever. He had to handle this carefully, he couldn’t let her freak out.
Hannah turned to face him. “Yes?” She looked unsure and moistened her lips. Damn if he didn’t want to grab hold of her and kiss her.
“There’s something I need to tell you. Or, I guess, show you might be better. Easier.” He smiled apologetically. “I’m making a mess of this.”
“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” Her mouth turned up at one corner. “I’m not easily shocked.”
“This might be an exception to that rule.” He leveled his gaze at her. Perhaps he should ask her to meet him somewhere private so that he could shift in front of her.
We moved to Cougar Ridge for a reason, his cougar told him.
“Of course,” he muttered under his breath.
“Of course, what?” Hannah asked, looking more unsure.
“Let’s go outside.” He went to the bar door and pulled it open, holding it for her. “What I’m going to show you might be a little shocking. Just know that I won’t hurt you.”
“You’re a shifter.” Hannah tilted her head to one side. “Now who looks shocked?”
“How did you…” O’Malley closed his mouth since it wasn’t an attractive look to stand in front of his mate opening and closing it.
“Karl told me. He said he saw you shift one night when you were on patrol. It was near the end of the time you served together. There was an attack on your unit at night and you shifted into a large cat of some kind.”
“A cougar,” O’Malley confirmed.
“A cougar. That’s what he thought.” She inhaled a shuddering breath, her skin pale as she continued. “He saw you jump through the window of a building and attack the insurgent who was firing on
