Tanya's POV
Fully dressed as the silk hugged my curves in the right places, I ambled beside Abigail who had become my escort in the few hours I'd known her, past the same staircase of earlier as we returned to the west wing.
"Why haven't we gone down there?" I inquired eying the people walking around in what I thought to be a vast hall used for meetings and declarations.
"The top floor as I told earlier is for the Alpha and his family, the floor below us where you woke is meant for the Beta and his family, the first floor is made for the elders, while the ground floor down there is where the guards and maids reside," she explained as my black pointy Zara heels clicked on the marble tiles.
"So you stay on the ground floor?" I scrunched my brows in inquiry thus that should be true hence she was my personal maid.
"No, I stay on the first floor, my mate is the chief guard," she blushed as she said this.
"Oooh." I wiggled my brows, a bit happy at our blooming friendship. "I'm happy it was you."
"I don't understand." She frowned as we strolled past the library and went farther into this part of the building.
"I meant, I wouldn't wish for a better personal maid," I confessed. "I know it's too soon to say hence I've barely known you for twenty-four hours but this is just how I feel."
"Okay." She flushed even more if that's possible as she spoke shyly. "I'm glad too that you are the one chosen to be his mate, this pack needs someone like you."
That statement caught me off guard but I couldn't say more as we arrived at the last door on this floor and it got pulled inwards signaling we enter.
As we did, I heard Abigail giggle and in curiosity searched for the reason only to sight the guard who opened the door wink at her. I realized he was her mate which was cliche thus he was the right person for her as I could sense his positive energy. He didn't look bad either with his full curly hair, brown eyes, thick brows, a pencil jaw, and dimples with a set of white teeth.
I saw why he was chosen as the chief guard too thus he had an imposing height and build, the bulky muscles threatening to tear the red vest he was donning atop black jeans.
A growl snapped me out from my gawking session as laughter ensured after, causing me to whip my head in the direction of the sound. I spotted Dante who was sitting at the head of a table glaring at me, his shoulders clad in a black long-sleeved shirt that had the two top buttons open, the seat at his right empty.
"It appears your mate was checking Clifford out," a woman spoke and I changed my focus to Dante's left where the female version of him was reclined, grey eyes, blonde strands with brown roots, cute cheeks, a straight nose, and pink bow lips. "And now she's doing the same to me."
My face turned red in embarrassment as I stood rooted in my spot not sure if I should take a step further. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Nonsense," the lady dismissed and stood to reveal the gold sequence dress she had on that put my maroon silk one to shame as she catwalked to me in black stilettos. "Come sit."
Dante didn't say anything and rather watched me with those brooding grey eyes of his that were darker than his sister's light ones.
"Sit," the said sister urged as she took my hand and dragged me to the empty seat on his right. "I'm Dalia, and this is my mate Victor."
As she blurted that, I got seated and gazed briefly at the man opposite me who was insanely handsome with black hair, black eyes, a crooked nose, a square jaw, and high cheekbones. He was dressed in a white crisp shirt that was tucked into black slacks which I spotted when he got up to push back Dalia's seat as she returned to his side.
Dalia smiled encouragingly at me and I tried to return it but couldn't as my lips froze midway when I felt Dante's palm cover mine atop the mahogany table. If that wasn't enough to send my mind into overdrive his hot breath on my neck and his words were enough as he murmured "you need to stop staring at people that way unless you want to be punished sooner than I intended."
"And you know I don't play nice." He kissed my collarbone after that and chuckled lowly when he felt me shiver through our joined hands.
"You don't know how happy I am that my twin brother has found a mate," Dalia beamed at me, my jaw dropping at the new information.
"You both are twins?" I inquired not hiding my shock as I gazed questioningly at Dante. "You didn't say that."
"It wasn't necessary." He shrugged, "besides I'm the senior."
"By barely 5 minutes." Dalia rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway, back to what I was saying, I'm glad he found you, at least now he can stop being the grumpy twin."
"Oh trust me, he won't stop," I scoffed before I could realize it, my eyes going wide afterward as I felt him squeeze my palm in his.
"Aren't you a mouthy one," he lifted a brow as I swerved to see his reaction, his head tilted and eyes holding an underlying meaning I couldn't decipher.
"I like her," Dalia chipped in. "Someone to finally put you in your place."
"To top that, she's his type," The man beside Dalia spoke for the first time since I entered the room and I couldn't help but observe how alike he is to Dante from his body language.
"Tanya, meet my twin sister and her mate who is my Beta," Dante finally introduced while shaking his head at his Beta.
"Call me Victor." He nodded in my path and I'm left to contemplate if I should or not when he went on to say. "Please, you are family now."
Family, are we really that?
I wasn't able to give my subconscious an answer as I didn't know it myself but whatever response I had would have been cut short by the noise of the door opening in a corner behind Dante.
"Dinner is served," Abigail announced giving way for numerous servants to pour into the room with different trays and plates, goblets, spoons and knives, and even a bottle of wine.
To say I was surprised to see her was an understatement thus I thought her to have left or remained at the entrance door with her mate. I made a mental note to ask her about that later thus there was a lot I needed to know about this place.
No prayer was said as everyone grabbed their plate once the maids were done setting the table and left, however, I made an exception by saying a silent prayer for the meal on their behalf and proceeded to snatch a plate and fill it up.
Once again I was stunned at the mind behind the action as I saw what was contained in the plates. My gaze shifted to his in inquiry and he shrugged. "I knew you weren't able to have what you wanted last night so here you have it, all you can eat spaghetti and meatballs."
A surge of affection rushed through me as he offered a lopsided grin and a wink before focusing on piling his plate. I suppressed the impulse to rush and offer him a hug at the simple thought and instead returned my attention to my meal.
Wait, did you tell him? Or am I missing something?
I moaned when I took the first bite as it was more delicious than all the plates of pasta I've ever eaten combined. With my eyes closed in ecstasy, I didn't know the innocent sound caused havoc till I heard a thick rumble that prompted me to unravel my lids.
A blush stained my cheeks when I glimpsed Dante's expression and the currents in his pools of grey. I quickly turned my head away and kept in every noise that struggled to come out as I devoured my meal.
^^^^^^^
"Tanya, excuse us," Dante ordered the minute the servants disappeared with the empty dishes.
"Why?" I quizzed in confusion.
"I have important things to discuss with them," he gestured to Dalia and Victor.
"Why can't I be here when you discuss it?" I interrogated, and folded my arms, getting comfortable.
"Because I don't want you to be," he grumbled and stared intensely at me. "So be a good girl darling and leave."
"Jokes on you then because I'm staying," I disagreed and mimicked his action of earlier by cocking my head to the side. "I'm the Luna, aren't I? So I have the right."
"I thought you didn't fancy the title?" He questioned, leaning forward such that our faces were inches away to the point where I could get a whiff of his minty breath.
"Well dear mate, I just found out the title came with authority." I smirked, "so I'm keeping it, Darling."