O'Malley: Summer (Shifter Seasons Book 7) Read online

  “It’s not about speed.” O’Malley fitted two of the lightweight tent poles together. “The search crew and O’Brian and Elvie have been along this trail searching for Karl. All have drawn a blank.”

  “So you’re saying this is a waste of time?” They inserted the tent poles into the thin fabric that didn’t look as if it would last one night even though the guy in the mountain store assured her it was strong enough to withstand whatever they might face on the mountain.

  “No, I’m saying that you might see something that they missed. You know Karl better than anyone.” He gave her a reassuring smile in the fading light.

  “I don’t see what.” Hannah mulled over O’Malley’s words as they finished securing the tent and sorted through their gear.

  “One thing we’re taught in the Army is to look for the small clues. The little things that people don’t even realize they do. The small things they don’t think to hide.” O’Malley was just trying to make her feel better, she knew that. It worked.

  “You’re right. You do have a lot of patience.” She leaned forward and cupped his chin with her hand before she placed her lips on his cheek. O’Malley stiffened for a moment. Had she upset him? Had she overstepped a boundary?

  Then he relaxed and turned his face to look at her. “I want to find Karl as much as you do. The thought of you having to live with never knowing what happened to him eats me up inside.”

  She nodded. “The not knowing is the worst.” Hannah drew back from him. “At least that’s what I’ve told myself. But if we find out he’s dead, I think I might change my mind.”

  “We’ll get through it. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it. Together. You and me.” He took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it, his lips as soft as a breath of wind on her skin. She shivered and leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Thank you.” She slid her arms around him and rested against him. He was the most real thing in her life. O’Malley’s heart was true, there was no part he tried to hide from her. Which scared her. Could she ever be that open with another person? Since her mom died, she’d hidden parts of herself away from the world and even from herself, scared of what would happen if she let people see the true Hannah.

  “You are welcome.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Let’s get this fire going and then we can eat.”

  She nodded and pulled away from him. “What do you want me to do?”

  “You can sort through the packs and choose what we’re going to eat.” He nodded at the packs. “There’s some fresh fruit in my pack and there’s half a loaf of bread O’Brian gave us. Aside from that, there are trail rations we have to hydrate.”

  “Okay.” She set to work while O’Malley built a fire. There seemed no end to the man’s talents. Soon they were seated side by side next to a small fire that gave off enough heat to chase the chill from her bones.

  “At least the wind has dropped.” O’Malley looked around as he ate.

  “Can you see in the dark?” she asked.

  He swung his head to face her. “My cougar can. He has great night vision. Mine isn’t too bad, but with the light from the fire, I can’t see much past this small area around us. Once the fire is out, then my eyes get used to the dark. I can see shadows and shapes.”

  “What’s it like when you change into your cougar?” Hannah recalled how Kelos had vanished for a few seconds before the dragon had taken his place.

  “It’s instantaneous. One minute I’m there and then the next my cougar takes my place. And vice versa. There’s no hair sprouting out of my nose or my fingernails turning into claws.” He held his fingers up and wriggled them in the orange firelight.

  “So it doesn’t hurt?” Hannah wanted to take hold of his hand and entwine her fingers with his.

  “No, no pain.” He sighed and went back to eating his food. Which was surprisingly good since it came out of a packet.

  “When do I get to see your cougar?” she asked nervously. What if he didn’t like her? She let out a small laugh. That was a thought she would never have expected to have.

  “Whenever you are ready.” He glanced at her sideways. “He can’t wait to meet you.”

  “Really?” Her relief was instant.

  “Did you think he might not?” O’Malley took a bite of the delicious bread O’Brian had given them.

  “I don’t know. I have no idea of the inner workings of a cougar’s mind.” Hannah thought about that for a moment. “Does he think the same as you?”

  “Yes. He is your mate as much as the human side of me is.” A small smile played over his lips. “That sounds weird, but it just means that he is your protector, he loves you and is loyal to you. He would never let anything happen to you and out here in the wild, there’s no one else you would rather have by your side.”

  “Oh, I don’t know…” She smiled and then ducked her head. “I should get to bed. I’m guessing there’s another long climb ahead of us.”

  “Yes.” He stood up and they began clearing the camp. “Although the climb isn’t so steep, and we do get to visit a waterfall.”

  “Really?” She glanced at him. Worried he was trying to make this journey into something it was not. Or perhaps he was just trying to take it easy on her. “This isn’t a sightseeing trip.”

  “No, it’s not.” He cleared away any trace of food and then stowed everything back in the packs which he placed inside the tent. “But we need water and the waterfall has clean, fresh running water.”

  “Oh, of course.” She nodded, feeling stupid.

  “The view is great, too.” O’Malley checked that the fire was safe and then turned on a solar lantern. “Ladies first.” He held the tent open for her and passed her the lantern.

  “Thanks.” She went inside and quickly got ready for bed. Which consisted of her slipping off her boots and changing into a pair of warm sweatpants. She left the rest of her clothing on since the numerous layers would keep her warm. The temperature outside was plummeting which had become apparent as soon as she lost the heat from the fire.

  “Can I come in?” O’Malley asked.

  “Yes.” She snuggled deeper down in her sleeping bag, wishing she could spend the night snuggled up against O’Malley instead.

  He slid into the tent, which suddenly seemed incredibly small. Whoever designed the tent didn’t design it with two men of O’Malley’s size in mind. Yet, despite his size, he moved with such ease and slid into his sleeping bag feet first, making it look so effortless while Hannah had felt like she was wrestling an alligator as she’d gotten inside hers.

  “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. It would have been tough on them all.

  “Do you miss it?” Hannah asked.

  “The Army?”

  Of course she means the Army, his cougar told him.

  “I did to start with. But I built myself a life outside of it. I had a focus. I had the bar.” O’Malley checked if the water bottles were secure, he didn’t want the water to leak all over their gear.

  “My dad never really settled. I think if my mom hadn’t passed away, he would have stayed in the Army his whole life. He left for us. For his kids, but really he was such a mess, he was never there for us.” Hannah took one last look at the waterfall. “We should move on.”

  “Okay.” O’Malley turned back toward the trail, but he soon realized Hannah wasn’t following. “What is it?”

  “There’s something here.” She went back toward the waterfall only this time she went to the side of the pool where the water fell into the pool. As she leaned down, her hand closed around something small. “It’s Karl’s.”

  “What is it?” O’Malley asked, a sense of dread filling him as he went to his mate. Is this where Karl had met his death? Had he slipped and fallen into the pool and drowned? Or maybe he had decided to take a swim in the water and gotten into difficulty.

  “It’s a poker chip. He had a set of them. Do you recognize it from when you beat him at poker?” Hannah held it in the palm of her hand and showed it to O’Malley.

  “Yes. It has the same logo design.” O’Malley glanced at the water.

  “You think he fell in there?” Hannah asked nervously, looking at the deep pool.

  “I don’t know but it is a possibility.” He pressed his lips together, unsure what to say to his mate or what to do. If Karl had met a watery end, there was nothing they could do to help him. But if he’d simply dropped the poker chip then there was a chance they might find out the truth farther along the trail.

  “We should go on.” Hannah dried the chip and put it in the side pocket of her pack. “There’s nothing we can do here. If we don’t find any trace of him on the pilgrim’s trail, then we can alert the authorities and ask them to search the pool.”

  “Good idea.” O’Malley had come to the same conclusion but if Hannah had wanted to alert the authorities now, he’d have gone along with her decision. “Come on, we need to put some miles behind us before nightfall.”

  Hannah nodded and followed him away from the waterfall. She took one last look at it before the trail bent around to the left and it disappeared from view.

  You should have let me take a look, his cougar told him.

  There was no point, O’Malley said. Any scent would have been washed away with that much spray from the water. And there were no footprints that I could see.

  At least you filled the water bottles from the falling water and not the pool. His cougar sat alert with his tail twitching from side to side. He desperately wanted to be a part of this. He desperately wanted to help Hannah find her brother.

  O’Malley dipped his hand in his pack and grabbed a candy bar. He waited for Hannah to catch up as they headed up a steep section of the trail that led up the side of the waterfall. “I thought you might need an energy boost.”

  “I do.” She accepted it with a smile. “Don’t you have a sweet tooth?”

  “That’s more of a bear thing.” He looked down over the side of the trail. From here, he could see right into the waterfall pool.

  “What is it?” She stopped walking as she unwrapped the bar, her gaze following his. “Can you see anything?”

  “No.” The pool was so clear he was certain if there was a dead body in there, they would see it. Or at least see Karl’s clothing. There was nothing to see.

  “He could have been swept farther down the mountain, though.” She tore her eyes from the pool and carried on along the trail, the candy bar uneaten in her hand.

  “Or he could be up ahead.” O’Malley had no answers. Only the moun
tain and the watchful sky above knew what had happened to Karl and they kept their secrets.

  “Not knowing is the worst.” Hannah took a bite of her candy bar and sighed resolutely as they continued on their way, passing through deep canyons and climbing over high cliffs.

  “If Karl did come this way, I suspect he would have camped here for the night.” O’Malley stood in the middle of a flat grassy plateau. “It’s sheltered and safe. And there’s a clear view of the stars.”

  It was late afternoon. They could walk on for a couple more hours, but he was certain this was the best place to camp. He was also certain this was where Karl would have camped. Looking at the map, the terrain got more inhospitable after this plain. His training would have kicked in and told him to stop here. After all, the man was in no rush. He was trying to find himself, which took time.

  “I like it here.” Hannah inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. “How far are we away from the point where Karl might have been forced to deviate from the trail?”

  “We should reach there sometime tomorrow. Around lunchtime perhaps, depending on our pace.” He dumped his pack on the ground and took out the tent.

  “Do you want a hand?” Hannah asked as she wearily dropped her pack to the ground.

  “I can manage since it’s not windy. Why don’t you grab some rocks and place them in a ring so we can light a nice warm fire?” O’Malley already had the tent half erected.

  “Sure.” She put her hands on the small of her back and stretched before she scoured the area for stones. One by one she brought them back to their campsite and placed them in a circle.

  O’Malley set up the tent and spread out the sleeping bags. Another night with Hannah by his side. He only wished he could do something to cheer her up. Since she’d found Karl’s poker chip at the site of the waterfall, she’d been quiet.

  Perhaps they should call in the rescue team to scour the water source for a body.

  “O’Malley!” Hannah’s cry made him dump the food he had taken out of the pack on the ground next to the tent and rush to her side. His cougar was ready to switch places with him if their mate needed defending.