After leaving the company, Tahra's next destination was back home as much as she would have liked to go somewhere else.
Getting into her car, she immediately rolled up her hair into a bun, having only put it down because of Zane who liked to see it that way.
Glancing at the mirror, she could see the white streaks on both sides of her hair, soomething she had been heavily bullied for, even by her own family who only had brownish curls.
'I guess I really am the black sheep of the family,' Tahra sighed as she clicked in her seatbelt before starting the car. It didn't take long and soon she drove through the tall gates of her family home, and straight into the parking lot.
But she had just gotten down and locked her doors with a press of her car key when she heard the front door of the house open, not too surprised to see her sister instantly come out to meet her.
Maeve.
"Any longer and you would have missed Lunch. You do know that father personally took a break from work just to talk to you!" Maeve said in a chirpy tone that made Tahra feel more wary than relaxed as she turned to look at her sister who was only one year younger than her.
The replica of their mother, with her brown shoulder-length curls and doe eyes that looked like they could never hurt a fly.
"I'm here now! I have to change first," Tahra responded with a mostly blank look on her face. Even though her sister looked happy to see her, Tahra was sure that it was only a temporary thing.
Especially since they've been at odds since the day Maeve found out that Tahra was Zane's mate. Not only did she spread rumors about her, she even went as far as to ostracize her from other people because of how popular she was.
'Zane is mine and that fact isn't going to change no matter what you do!' Tahra thought as she quickly made her way upstairs straight to her room annoyed to hear Maeve's footsteps behind her as she followed her in.
"Don't mind me! You can continue whatever!' Maeve said dropping onto the bed.
Tahra used to her antics, ignored her and took off her shirt, satisfied to see the slight look of jealousy that flashed across her face the second her gaze landed on her neck.
"Oh this! I went to see Zane!" Tahra proudly announced even without being asked as she continued taking off her clothes, in preparation to jump in the shower.
"I can imagine! I just hope you aren't pregnant. That would be disastrous even for you!" Tahra heard her whisper in a severe tone that didn't bother Tahra. Even if she was, there were no rules against it.
Instead of continuing to waste any more time speaking to her, Tahra hopped into the shower and took a quiet bath before stepping out, knowing better than to keep her father and mother waiting.
By the time she came out, Maeve was gone but Tahra thought nothing about it and simply got ready before stepping out of her room, heading straight to the dining room where she figured they were waiting for her.
Not surprised to get there to see her parents, Maeve, and even Drey their eldest brother whom she rarely saw and would have been glad if she never saw again considering the weirdly creepy way he always slide his gaze over her body.
"Mother! Father!" Tahra greeted the second she got there before moving closer to take her seat beside Maeve, far away from Drey, noticing that he had dyed the tips of his hair a tad darker than the usual brown.
'I wonder why I'm the only one with streaks of white in my hair,' Her thoughts drifting off when she unexpectedly heard Drey's voice.
"I'm your elder brother, aren't you going to greet me?"
"Hi Drey! You've been gone for so long that it seems I almost forgot who you were," Tahra instantly replied knowing that stubbornness would get her nowhere with him. Her parents would only scold her and only her.
As long as she remembered, Maeve came first, Drey was next and she was the one they least cared about.
"I'm glad you came just in time. A little more and you would have been late for the family meeting your father called," Julia, her mother spoke up right before gesturing for the maids to serve them first.
"We'll eat and then talk!" Joe, her father said in an authoritative tone, glancing at Tahra before looking away to look at Maeve.
'If he won't even look at me then whatever he wants to talk about must be pretty serious,'
Lunch soon began mostly in silence with not a single person at the table daring to open their mouths to speak, including Julia their mother.
The rule was set by Joe, and none of them were stupid enough to get on his bad side, considering how violent he could get whenever he got really angry.
Uncomfortable about whatever her father wanted to tell her so close to the day of the crowning ceremony, Tahra ate her food slower than she normally would. Wanting to slow down time as much as she humanly could.
Still, there was only so much she could do. The rest of the family had just finished their portions of food when Julia ordered the maids to pack the plates and disappear.
Tahra watched her half-eaten plate of food disappear along with them.
"I won't beat around the bush!" Her father began and Tahra instinctively knew what he was about to say. It was a topic he had brought up many times, even though it seemed like this time he was deathly serious about it.
"Zane is your mate but tomorrow during the ceremony, I want you to reject him and refuse to be Luna!"