After our awkward meet-and-greet in the foyer, the girls lead Alpha Trent and me into a separate room, away from the crowd.
Cora and I settle on one couch, while Alpha Trent and Nora take the opposite one. We sit facing each other, the girls grinning like Cheshire cats while Trent and I wear our confusion like badges.
Cora’s giggle pulls me out of my thoughts. I’m just now noticing how tiny she is. She can’t be more than five-foot-two, and she’s so petite. Petite, but stunning.
I let out a soft sigh as I take her in. I could look at her forever.
Shaking my head, I force my gaze away and harden my expression. No. I won’t fall for the mate trap again.
I won’t let myself get hurt a second time by a pretty face and a captivating smile. Not happening. No way.
Cora leans in, locking eyes with me. “You’re quite the looker. What’s your name?” I keep my face blank as I grunt out my name.
That’s it. Nothing more. I can’t risk falling for this girl only to have her rip my heart out when she leaves.
Mate or not, I’ve never had luck in love, so why should this time be any different?
Her smile wavers for a moment before she regains her composure. Keeping her sweet gaze on me, she says, “Jeremy. I love it. A strong name for a strong warrior.”
I just nod once, unsure of how to respond.
Alpha Trent decides to break the silence and turns to Nora. “You didn’t mention you had a sister, let alone an identical twin.” Nora giggles before nudging his shoulder with hers.
“I forgot. I must have been too lost in your eyes to remember that little detail. I can’t wait for us all to get to know each other.” Alpha Trent nods in agreement.
“Yes. As my luna, you’ll get to know Jeremy well. He’s one of our strongest warriors and a valuable member of our pack.
“And as for your sister, I look forward to getting to know her as she joins our pack to be with Jeremy.”
I furrow my brows. That’s a bit presumptuous. I mean, she could still reject me, and I’m not even sure if I’m ready for a mate so soon after the last one.
But still, every part of me is screaming at me to claim her already.
Nora interrupts my thoughts. “Yeah, that sounds good. But honey, Cora and I do everything together.
“We always have, and we share a special bond, different from most sisters or even twins. Do you guys get it?”
Alpha Trent and I exchange a puzzled look before we both shake our heads.
Cora squeezes my hand, and I have to fight not to jump. When did she take my hand? Not that I mind. It’s calming, in a way.
But I didn’t even notice her hand in mine. I glance down at our intertwined fingers before meeting her gaze.
“Nora, if they don’t get it, maybe we should just show them?” Cora’s words sink in.
What are they going to show us? Nora ponders for a moment before nodding. They both stand and excuse themselves, promising to return shortly.
Alpha Trent lets out a sigh. “Well, I’m glad you’ve found your second-chance mate, Jere. You deserve it.”
I know he’s talking to me as a friend, not an alpha, when he calls me Jere. We’ve been like that for as long as we’ve known each other.
I shake my head. “I don’t know, man. What if…” Alpha Trent cuts me off, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
“No, Jere. You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to ruin this good thing that’s happening to you. Just embrace it.”
“Nora is an amazing woman, and if Cora is just like her, then you’re damn lucky to have her as your second chance. Don’t waste it.”
I mull over his words. Maybe I do deserve something good. I need to leave the past in the past, but it’s easier said than done.
Tessa still haunts me, and I’m not sure if I can just move on from that.
I let out a long sigh, about to reply to Trent, but the door opening cuts me off. The girls step in, now dressed in identical outfits. I swallow hard. What the hell is happening?
I sneak a peek at Trent, catching his confusion as he looks between the girls. He can’t tell them apart. I turn my attention back to them and realize, neither can I.
You’d think we could tell them apart by their scent, but no. They even smell the same.
I’ve never met twin she-wolves this identical. It’s uncanny.
The girls giggle in unison. The one on the left signals for us to stand and join them, and we do.
Standing in front of them, I try to sniff them out, to figure out which one is Cora, but I just can’t fucking do it. How are they pulling this off?
Trent breaks the silence. “What’s going on? Nora?” He looks at the one who beckoned us. They both smirk. Then, they do the creepiest thing yet.
They start to speak, and they say the exact same thing at the exact same time. “Now, which one of us is Nora, and which is Cora? Can you guys tell?”
Trent and I stare wide-eyed as we try to figure it out. My frustration with the whole situation bubbles to the surface.
“This is fucking weird. And you both should know how creepy it is that you guys just did that so perfectly,” I say.
The one on the left’s eyebrow twitches just the slightest bit. If I wasn’t looking for a sign, I would have missed it completely.
I fight the urge to smirk, keeping my face stern. Gotcha. That's my Cora.
Nora, standing to the right, releases a sigh before dropping a bombshell that leaves both Trent and me stunned. “We're so alike because we share everything,” she declares.
“That's how we were made,” she goes on. “It's the way the moon goddess intended.” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other.
She wraps up her speech with, “So, what we're trying to say is, we're going to share both of you, too.”
