Chapter 6- Rika – It’s All Really Happening (VOLUME 1)

*~*Rika's POV*~*

Mom was not joking. And Dad eventually stopped plugging his ears and pretending that I was still four years old, or whatever it was that had been going through his head. The four of us ended up leaving the castle almost immediately and heading into the city. We were really looking for places to live.

When we got to the first location, the real estate agent's office, we were met by Uncle Shawn, Uncle Dietrich, Levi, Luka, Lyssa and Alexa. They were all excited and seemed ready for this change as well.

"Rika!" Lyssa called out as she came running up to me. "We're getting our own place. Can you believe it?" She was giddy with excitement.

"I know." I was starting to feel that giddiness as well. "You're not mad at me, though?" I asked her, letting some of my fears seep into my words.

"Nah. The guys can all shack up together, but I can understand that you want to be on your own. You have a lot going on, and so do we. Alexa and I are getting a place together, but that is different. You are allowed to want a place that is all yours. And we can still be close enough that we can visit frequently." I was happy that she was accepting of me and my choice that I had made. She and Alexa were both just happy to be moving out. I guess it was something that we were all thinking about.

"Well then, I see that we need three different places. One for the three boys, one for those two young ladies, and one for you, Miss." The real estate agent said as he made notes on a pad in front of him.

"We're men, not boys." Reagan countered and I didn't have the heart to tell him that the comment just made him sound that much more immature.

"Of course, you are three young men." The agent nodded as he made another note. "Now, I am sure that these will need to be high end homes, considering your statuses."

"I want something more normal." I said immediately. "I can't speak for the others, but I want a place that is within the means of a normal household. I don't want a multimillion dollar condo or anything like that."

"You can have what you want, Rika, but we will take that condo." Reagan grinned.

"Of course." The agent smiled at him, another nod and more notes.

We sat and talked about what we wanted. Lyssa and Alexa were getting something more luxurious just like Reagan and the others. I was the only one that wanted something that would make me look like a normal person. I didn't want to stand out though. I didn't want people to see me going into a luxury building and thinking that I was pretentious or something like that. I wanted them to like me for me, not for the prospect of money or anything like that.

Dad was happy with Reagan's choice, but not mine. He was trying to convince me to live in a building that not only had a doorman but twenty-four-seven security detail. He wanted me to be as safe as possible.

"Dad!!" I sighed at him as I tried to rub away the headache that was forming in my temples. "I am a wolf, and a powerful one at that. Almost no one in our world is stupid enough to attack me, so the only people that would attack me would be human. Are you telling me that I need to be worried about those humans?"

"I know that you can protect yourself, Rika. I know that you are strong and powerful, but I want you to be safe in all situations."

"I will, Dad, I promise." I tried my best to reason with him. In the end, I managed to get him to agree to a more normal building, albeit one with a doorman. It didn't have the security detail though, and its cost was definitely not in the millions like Reagan's was sure to be.

It was time for us to head out and start looking at the places that we had picked. The first up was the condo building where Reagan was going to live. They actually had two condos available, a two bedroom for Lyssa and Alexa, and the three bedroom for Reagan, Levi, and Luka. They were nice, that was for sure. The larger of the two condos was over two thousand square feet with a living room, dining room, media room, and so much more. It was nice, and I knew that the guys were going to love it there. Both of those places were modern, sleek, and beautiful, but they just weren't what I was looking for.

The next building that we went to, the one that was going to be meant for me, was a little lower in class, but I could tell that it was still something that a normal person wouldn't be living in. It was a higher end apartment building, but I had to let that slide. I had gotten my dad to let up in some places, but I couldn't expect him to relax on every part of this process. I was getting some of what I wanted, and that was good enough for me at the moment.

We were let into the new apartment complex, the door had been opened by a doorman that was tall, good looking, and quite imposing. He was also not at all human. He was a vampire that was part of Uncle Dietrich's community. Not only that, but he bowed first to him, then to Uncle Shawn, and finally to my parents, recognizing that they were of a higher status as well.

"Welcome to the Ruby Moon Apartments, how can we help you today, King Dietrich?"

"We are here to look at an apartment for Princess Rika." Uncle Dietrich looked at me with a smile. I should have known that my dad would pick a place that would be manned by vampires and not just humans. He was paranoid, wasn't he?

"Ah, is that so?" The vampire looked at me and I saw that he had quite pleasant looking gray green eyes that went nicely with his light brown hair. He was about six feet two inches tall and definitely stronger than any human that he would ever try to get into this building.

"Yes," I gave the man a smile and continued, "I want to be out on my own, so this is where we came to look for a place."

"Well, while I do not think this place is all that suited for Royalty, it is still quite nice. And if you want a more normal feel in life, you will find it here."

The vampire went on to tell us all about the building and the accommodations. There was a gym that was open twenty-four hours, a lounge where you could find a bar and restaurant. It was only open to residents and their guests, so you wouldn't be bothered by people that you didn't want to be around. There was no communal laundry, all the apartments had their own in the unit, and there was a lot to choose from when it came to shopping in the area.

"Now that you have heard about all of these wonderful accommodations in the area, let us go up and take a look at the apartment that we have chosen for you, Princess Rika."

"Alright." We headed up as a group, my brother, my friends, my uncles, and my parents all with me as I first looked at the place that was going to be mine.

The apartment that the real estate agent had picked out for me was a two bedroom unit with all the features. There was a large eat-in kitchen with a small pantry, a small formal dining room, a living room, the laundry room, and two bathrooms. There was even a small study that would work well for an office or workroom where I could do all my assignments for school. Then again, I could see myself vegging out in front of the TV while I did what I needed to do.

"What do you think, Princess Rika?" The agent asked me with a hopeful tone.

"I like it. It's not as normal as I wanted, but it's definitely more of a traditional home than those condos are." I laughed as I looked around, already thinking about how I was going to decorate it in the days and months to come.

"That is wonderful. If you want to, we can sign the paperwork today. You will all have the keys to your new places tomorrow." He seemed eager to get this done. That was obvious though. He wanted to get the commission from all three homes being rented or sold. For him, it all came down to greed.

Within an hour, everything was finalized. I had my own place that I would be able to move into very soon, and Reagan and the others had theirs as well. We were all soon going to be independent adults living on our own. It was an exciting time for us, and I couldn't get the smile off of my face.

Now that we had these small and not so simple tasks completed, it was time for me to pick out the furniture that I needed for my new place. Of course, Mom and Dad were paying for that, because they still insisted on taking care of us as much as possible. I would give where I needed to, no need to have a fight about that part of this situation.