Cora's Kismet (The Twin Destinies Saga Book 1) Read online

“Don’t shy away from me. I meant what I said as a compliment, not to embarrass you. I’m honored you decided to cook for me. I’m proud of the fact that you felt comfortable enough in my family’s home to do this. That’s how I want you to feel.” He put his fork down and turned to face her while never letting go of her chin or losing eye contact with her. “I don’t know if you feel it yet, but I feel this bond connecting us, as if you’re my mate. Nothing has ever made me happier, Cora. I want you here. I want to be by your side at all times. Can you feel that?”

  Cora didn’t say anything at first as surprise clouded her gaze. She stared at him, with wide eyes, as she processed everything he’d said to her. She was quiet for so long he began to worry.

  “Cora?” he questioned.

  “Yes, I do feel it. I wasn’t sure at first, but the longer I’m around you the stronger I feel it. No one has ever made me feel as safe as you do. I’ve never been this weak girl you’ve seen. I think it’s because I met you that I’ve been able to lose it and not hold everything back like I always do. I’m scared though,” Cora finished on a whisper. He could see the true fear deep in her eyes and his heart swelled at the thought she felt comfortable and safe enough with him to let down her walls.

  “It’s ok. I will always be here for you. You are mine and I am yours, forever. If you’ll have me as your mate, I will move heaven and earth to make sure nothing ever hurts you again. Your happiness will always be my priority. Will you have me Cora? Will you be my mate?” Hope surged in his eyes as they met hers.

  “It’s all so fast. Isn’t there like a dating period, or something, before you decide who you’re going to be mated to for the rest of your life?” Cora asked with a slight tremor in her voice. He could feel her fear and decided he needed to take it slower with her.

  “We don’t work like that Cora. We’re different from humans. I knew when I felt that electrical current between us we were intended to be each other’s mate for life. I will understand if you need more time though, this has all been a lot to take in,” Liam said, as he looked away. He didn’t want her to be swayed into accepting him as her mate because she saw the hope, and the possible hurt, in his eyes.

  “Liam,” she said in a whisper. He kept his head turned away. “Liam,” she said with her voice more firm, and reached out to turn his head towards hers. When their eyes made contact she brushed a stray lock of hair away from his forehead and then stroked her hand down the side of his face. She leaned forward and when her mouth was just a breath away from his, she whispered, “I don’t need more time. I know you are my mate for life. I feel it. There has been no stronger pull for me toward anyone, than what I have toward you.”

  Before he could say anything, she kissed him. Not a quick brush of the lips either. She melded her lips to his. When his lips parted, hers did as well. Her tongue met every thrust of his, in a passionate dance that rocked him to his core. Without breaking the kiss he pulled her to him. When her chest was crushed against his, he reached up with one hand and twined it through her hair, holding her head in place, as he deepened their kiss. Her hands found their way up his chest and around his neck.

  They broke apart when they heard someone clear their throat from the doorway of the living room.

  “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something here,” Liam’s brother smirked at them, as he leaned against the doorjamb, with his arms crossed across his broad muscled chest.

  Chapter Eleven

  As Cora tried to turn away, Liam wrapped his arm around her shoulders and forced her to face his brother. He held her tight and stroked her shoulder. She needed to get comfortable around his family, and his brother was an excellent start.

  “Hey Sage,” Liam said, calm and sure of himself.

  “Hey little brother. Looks like you were having a bit of fun there. Where are mom, dad and Sassy?” Sage said, looking around with a knowing smirk.

  “They’re not here. I’d like you to meet Cora. Cora this is my older brother Sage.” Liam made the introductions as if Sage had not just walked in on a major make out session between them.

  “Nice to meet you, Cora,” Sage said, and dipped his head toward her as he moved into the room. “Since when do you bring girls to the cabin Liam? I thought that was my thing.”

  “There was an emergency last night and I needed somewhere safe I could bring Cora. This was the place that came to mind.” Liam shrugged, as he turned back to his breakfast. Cora just sat and picked at her food, anxiety washing through her in waves.

  “What kind of emergency?” Sage asked intrigued.

  “My twin was kidnapped last night and I almost was too,” Cora said looking up at Sage.

  Sage’s mouth dropped as his eyes flew back and forth between Cora and Liam. “Can I talk to you a minute alone Liam?” he asked in a soft, determined voice.

  Liam looked at Cora for a long moment. “Will you be ok here while Sage and I go into the other room for a minute?”

  The concern she heard in his voice warmed her heart and she nodded. Her heart fluttered when he pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth, as he stood and followed his brother into the living area. She turned back to her food and found her appetite again when she wasn’t being stared down by Sage, or making out with Liam, creating butterflies in her stomach. When she was done eating, she put together a plate of food for Sage and began cleaning up the mess. She was afraid of what they were saying in the other room, so she busied herself to try to take her mind off of their conversation.

  *****

  Liam stood where he could watch Cora moving around the kitchen, as his brother started in on him. He noticed her nervousness and it made him crinkle his brow in anger.

  “What are you thinking?” Sage growled at him. “She’s one of Thomas and Angelica’s daughters isn’t she?”

  “So what if she is?” Liam responded, squaring his shoulders toward his brother. At any other time Sage was laid back when it came to girls, but for some reason, he knew anything Sage had to say to him about Cora was only going to cause a fight between them right now.

  “She’s trouble is who she is. Trust me on this, you don’t want to be a part of that prophecy crap.” Sage paced back and forth, as he warned his brother away from Cora. Liam knew Sage didn’t know that Cora and he had already realized they were mates, and there was nothing that would tear them apart now, but that didn’t stop him from tensing up at his brother’s words.

  “Sage,” Liam began. “It’s too late for that.” He was trying to put a stop to this before it became an all-out war between them. He loved his brother very much, but they would fight if Sage continued trying to warn him away from Cora.

  Sage’s bright blue eyes flew up to examine Liam’s face with intense scrutiny. “She’s your mate?” he questioned Liam, his voice rising in astonishment.

  “Yeah,” Liam replied, looking into the kitchen. He was enjoying watching her move around in a more comfortable manner now that she’d relaxed a bit.

  “How long have you known?” Sage asked with resignation in his voice. He knew better than to try to fight when someone’s found their mate. It never ended well. Noticing Sage backing down, Liam relaxed his stance in relief.

  “I was lead on the team sent in to extract her and Viola from the Kilpatrick’s yesterday,” Liam replied. “I realized it a few hours later when I touched her hand and felt the electrical current that ran between us for a second time, the first was at the Kilpatrick’s house, and I didn’t see it for what it was then. She just realized it this morning, right before you interrupted us.”

  “Oh, wow,” Sage said, exhaling in a loud huff. “Well, I guess I’d better go make nice with my soon-to-be sister-in-law.” He shook his head as he headed back toward the kitchen. He stopped before Liam and looked him square in the eyes. “Congrats man. I really mean that.”

  “Thanks bro. I know you do. Now, we just need to keep her safe and pray the others find her sister before it’s too late,” Liam said. Sage could hear the clear worry in his voice t
hat he had kept hidden from Cora.

  “Have you heard anything?” Sage asked, his military training kicking into gear.

  “No. Thomas called the house and told me to get her out of there, to someplace I knew for a fact was safe, because they thought there would be another attack on the house with most of the security out searching for Viola. When the car arrived for us, the guard who went out to verify the identities of the occupants was gunned down, so we were taken out via the emergency exit. I have had no contact with them since.” Liam let out his breath in a huff, when he finished catching Sage up on the situation at hand.

  “Let me see what I can find out for you. I have plenty of contacts who will get me information in a very discreet manner. Just give me a couple of hours max,” Sage said, as he clapped his brother on the back. He turned away from the kitchen and headed back toward his room. Liam nodded, though Sage wasn’t looking, and walked back into the kitchen.

  “Hey you,” he said. He guessed she wasn’t expecting him back because she jumped about a mile high, as the dish she was holding flew out of her hand and shattered in the sink.

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to break that, you just startled me!” Cora exclaimed reaching out to start gathering broken shards of the dish from the sink.

  “Don’t worry about it Cora, let me help you with that. Careful, I don’t want you to get cut.” Liam moved to her side and began to help clean up the mess.

  “I really am sorry Liam. Please don’t be angry with me,” Cora pleaded, as she dropped chunks of glass into the trash can under the sink.

  “Please stop apologizing. You did nothing wrong, so why would I be angry?” Liam dropped the glass in his hand into the trash can, wiped his hands off on a towel and cupped her cheeks with both of his hands. It took a bit of insistence for her to look up into his eyes. When she did after a few moments, he reaffirmed he was not upset with her in any way. “You did nothing wrong. Accidents happen.”

  “You’re really not mad?” she asked in a timid voice. He had a gut feeling he knew what caused this fear in her over a broken dish, and it infuriated him.

  “No. There’s no reason to be. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s my own for startling you. Why are you so scared right now? Has someone hurt you before for something like this?” He was very cautious in how he asked. He wanted her to answer, not run away.

  “Let’s finish cleaning this up. Oh, I made a plate of food for Sage, is he coming back?” Cora tried to change the subject out of desperation. This was not a topic she wanted to discuss. His heart ached for her pain, which was evident in the way she darted around cleaning up the mess and looking everywhere but in his eyes.

  “He’ll be back in a few minutes; he had some calls he had to make. Now please tell me why you’re so afraid I’d be angry over a stupid broken dish,” Liam said. When she turned back to the sink to avoid his questions, he grabbed her hands in his and pulled her away from the sink, out of the kitchen and onto the sofa in the living area. He nudged her down into a sitting position and moved to sit close to her.

  He watched her look everywhere in the room, but at him. He waited with as much patience as he could muster for about ten minutes before he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “Cora, please answer me.”

  “I don’t want to Liam,” she replied so low it was almost as if she hadn’t spoken. He could see the pain in her eyes and hated it with a passion.

  “Did they hurt you?” he pushed.

  She closed her eyes and turned her face from him again, which gave him the answer she didn’t want to give him, without speaking a word. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye as he gathered her up in his arms and just held her.

  “I swear they will never hurt you, or Viola, again. You are safe with me Cora,” he said into her hair as he stroked it. He looked up when Sage entered the room.

  “I can go if I’m interrupting something,” Sage said, feeling awkward.

  “Nah, it’s ok. She’s just worried about her sister. Did you find out anything?” Liam asked.

  “Yeah, they’re close, real close. They expect to have her back within the next two hours,” Sage reported.

  “Really?” Cora looked up with hope glittering in her eyes for the first time since he’d met her the day before.

  “Really,” Sage said with confidence. “They have their best people on it, except me and Liam of course. We’re your protection.”

  “Thanks Sage, I appreciate that. Are you hungry? I made you a plate of food, I can warm it up if you’d like,” Cora said with a brightness that hadn’t been there before. She was more herself after receiving the news about her sister.

  “That sounds great Cora, I’d really appreciate that, I’m starving,” Sage replied with a grin.

  Cora stood up from the couch, turned and placed a soft kiss on Liam’s mouth and then moved into the kitchen. She was so relieved they expected to get Vi back so soon. It was weird because she’d never felt this giddy before. As she warmed up the food for Sage, she finished cleaning up the glass from the sink. When the food was warm, she placed it on the island and went into the living room to let Sage know it was ready.

  She froze in the doorway when she saw them together. They were talking and laughing at jokes she couldn’t hear. She enjoyed watching them tease each other with a camaraderie she’d only ever felt with Viola. She was happy Liam had this. Before the food could get cold again, she stepped into the room, and felt Liam’s attention snap to her.

  “Your breakfast is warm Sage,” she said, with a shy smile on her face.

  “Thanks Cora. It smells wonderful. I knew when I walked into the cabin that Liam here didn’t cook it,” he joked, and clapped his brother on the back as he headed for the kitchen. When he reached Cora, he leaned down and gave her a quick hug. “Welcome to the family.”

  Cora’s eyes grew huge. The last thing she’d expected was for Sage to hug her and say that. She was stunned into silence, as he released her with a chuckle, and exited the room.

  Chapter Twelve

  When Cora looked at Liam, she saw him grinning from ear to ear. She grinned back at him.

  “I sure didn’t expect that,” she told him, as she walked over to him.

  “Sage is like that. He’s strongly protective of his family and friends. He will protect you with his life, because as my mate, you are now his family,” Liam said with a shrug, as he slipped his arm around her waist.

  “It’s that easy?” she asked, stunned.

  “Yep. Once you find your mate, there’s no fighting it and believe me, I don’t want to fight it,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her. Just as their lips met, the door burst open and banged against the wall. Liam grabbed her and shoved her behind him.

  “Give us the girl and no one will be harmed,” a gruff voice said from behind a mask.

  “That is not going to happen,” Liam replied in a stiff voice, as Cora dug her fingers into his shoulders. She was getting tired of hiding whenever something like this happened. She was tired of being afraid.

  “I’m holding an assault rifle and you’re holding what? A girl whose powers are bound? It seems like I’m in the better position, now doesn’t it?” The man mocked Liam with a sneer. Cora gasped when she recognized the voice of the man behind the mask. “Patrick,” she said so low only Liam could hear her. She tightened her grip on Liam’s shoulders so hard her nails were digging into his skin. Her fear thickened the air and enraged Liam.

  Cora had no idea how they were going to get out of this. She was pretty sure Sage had heard the commotion and would know what to do to help them. She didn’t know if Liam had his gun on him, but even if he did, she was sure he’d never reach it in time. She wracked her brain for something she could do to protect them. Her eyes darted everywhere at once.

  Without warning, she felt her body temperature begin to rise. She didn’t know what was going on, but Patrick dropped his gun, started screaming and tearing at the mask on his face. Once that was off, he sta
rted clawing at his clothes. The other members of his team were already writhing on the ground in pain.

  Liam was looking around for the source of their pain and didn’t see anyone. He knew neither he, nor Sage, had that kind of power in their arsenal, even combined. Sage came running into the room with his rifle at the ready, but as he entered the room, he stopped and stared wide-eyed past him to Cora.

  Seeing the look on Sage’s face and the direction he was looking, Liam turned and saw her hair whipping around her face in a violent dance from the heat of her rage and power. The fury streaming off of her explained the amount of damage being done to their assailants. He needed to stop her before she killed them, or herself.

  He reached out and stroked her face. “Calm down Cora, its ok. They won’t hurt us now. Relax baby, it’s over, he can’t hurt us anymore.” Her skin burned his hand but he didn’t stop touching and soothing her.

  At first he wasn’t sure if he’d reached her, but her hair started to settle down around her shoulders and he could see the rage in her eyes calm. She looked up at him, right before she fainted. He reached out and swept her into his arms before she could hit the floor.

  “Secure them, then call this in,” Liam barked at Sage, not waiting for a response, before he rushed Cora out of the room and into her own.

  He laid her down on the bed and ran into the bathroom to get a cold, wet washcloth, before rushing back to her side. Her face was so pale with sweat pouring from her skin. Her hair was almost soaked by the time he got back with the cloth.

  He stroked her face and neck with the cloth and begged her to come back to him. Several times he had to rewet the cloth with cool water before her temperature started to return to normal. Sighing in relief that she was going to be alright, he watched her roll onto her side, as her facial features settled into a peaceful sleep.

  Once he was sure she’d be fine and resting, he left the cloth in the bathroom and headed out to talk to Sage. He was worried about Cora. He didn’t understand what had happened or how she’d had power like that while she was bound, but he was determined to find out.