Chapter 28- Rika – A Call from Home (VOLUME 1)
*~*Rika's POV*~*
As the first week of September was coming to an end, I thought that Reagan might have gone back on his promise to me. I got a call that Saturday morning from my mom. She wanted me to come home and the first thing that came to my mind was that she wanted me to move back because of my issues.
That was, until I actually heard what she was saying to me. It wasn't until then that I realized that there was another reason that I was wanted at the house.
"The full moon is tonight, come on Rika, you need to come home. Even if you don't partake in the event, you can still come and keep me company. I will be with all the others that can't take part in the gathering. If you don't want to go on the hunt, then you can stay with me. I would love to catch up with you. Come on, tell me how things are at school."
She sounded so cheerful and happy that I didn't know what to say to her. How did I tell my mother that there was something inside of me that seemed broken? How did I tell her that there was something wrong with me that was making me not be able to shift? Yeah, there was just no way that I could do that. And because of that, I was left with no other options.
And, on top of that, I didn't want to disappoint her. And that was why I knew that I needed to agree with her. I needed to tell her that I would be there for the gathering, even if I didn't want to be.
At least I would have the excuse of staying with Mom, Reeselynn, Zachary, Zander, Zayden and Zaley. And all the others that were pregnant and not able to take part in the evening. They were all due between November and December, so they were getting further and further along.
"Alright Mom, I will be there, but it's like you said, I don't want to participate. I will help you with the baby though, so that you can socialize more."
"She's not a bother, you know that. I want to talk to you too."
"Alright." I smiled even though she couldn't see me. Sometimes, I needed to make facial expressions, even when they were forced, so that my voice sounded normal enough. "I will see you later today, Mom. I love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart." She sounded happy to be having me back at home today. I am sure that she thought I would refuse her invitation, and that made me feel so much worse.
Was my family thinking that I didn't want anything to do with them just because I had moved away? I wasn't that far away either, so it's not like I had run away or anything. I was just out on my own. I was just a short drive into the city. And I still loved my family, that was one thing that I didn't need to fake at all. I loved them with all of my heart, and that was why I was so worried about telling them the truth.
What were they all going to say when they learned about what had been happening to me? What were they going to think of me? How could I break their hearts like that? They were going to think that I was worthless, that I wasn't really a part of their family. They might truly think that I was some sort of imposter that came to take the place of the real Rika. And I don't know how I was going to survive if that was to happen.
Still, I got ready for the evening. I knew that I would be staying in, and it was still quite nice out for September. We weren't always lucky with this time of the year, but we were this year. I dressed casually, in a thin blouse and jeans, something that said it was a special night, but that I didn't need to dress up too much. I did light make up and pulled my long black hair back into a ponytail to get it off of my shoulders and out of my face.
When it was almost six that evening, I left my apartment and headed toward the garage. I knew that Andre wasn't here tonight, so I didn't need to swing by the lobby to see him before I left. In all actuality, I didn't really want to see him anyway. I would be better off just heading home and doing what I needed to.
It was a short and quiet drive into the compound and up the winding drive toward the castle that was situated on the side of the mountain. There were a lot of people out here tonight, and most of them were parked in the long driveway. Not wanting to be too close to many people at the moment, I parked in the underground parking lot and sent a mental message to my mom.
Most of the time we used the phone because it was more polite to call that way, but we were capable of communicating telepathically. This was an ability that we got after my mom became the Luna Queen. She had made it so that she could contact the people that she needed to even from a distance.
'Mom.' I called her mentally.
'Yes, sweetheart?' She asked me in response.
'I don't feel much like walking through a crowd. Can you open a door for me in the garage?'
'Yeah, no problem.' She agreed right away, and the connection ended.
A moment later, I saw the sign of the door appearing. The sparkling and shimmering of my mom's magic. I wasn't even sure if I had magic anymore, aside from the mental link and all that. I hadn't tried casting anything since before I lost my wolf. I was afraid to find out that I was slowly becoming nothing more than a human.
When the door was as solid as a real door, I opened it and walked through it into the living room that was in my family's home. It was as simple as walking a few steps and nothing more. This was also something that my mom created. Back when I was a little toddler, and she was in the Fae realm.
"Rika!" Mom called out, running toward me with Reeselynn in her arms. I got a hug from them both at the same time, and I didn't mind at all. I adored my little baby sister. She was such a cutie. And my mom's hugs were healing, more than she ever knew.
"Hi, Mom." I smiled, and this time it wasn't faked. I loved her so much that she was able to help with some of the pain that I was feeling. I just couldn't hide it from her long enough to live here at the castle anymore.
"Hey there, Rika." I heard Aunt Juniper call out to me. She was pregnant again, and that meant that Ilana and Rowan were going to be in the same boat as me soon. They seemed happy about it though. I mean, they weren't little anymore, and they were moving out soon as well, so they didn't need to worry about it. Actually, they were all moving soon, apparently. Ilana, Rowan, Elias, Beech, Cypress, and Ashle. They would all be getting out, and soon my parents were going to yank me back in.
"Come on, Rika, have a seat and talk with us." Acacia, Uncle Cedar's wife, called out to me. She was pregnant with triplets again, poor woman. She had multiples every time because she was a plant based Fae, and that was normal for them. In fact, if she had a singleton birth that would be rare for them.
"Yeah, come on, let's have a chat." All the other ladies were beckoning me over, and I didn't know what to think about it. I didn't want to talk too much, but I couldn't run away either.
"Alright." I finally agreed as I walked more into the room. I was planning on taking a seat and sitting next to my mom on the couch, but that was when something really scary happened.
I smelled something. Something that was so amazing, so intense, that I couldn't put a name to it. It had me wanting to howl and to scream in joy. And it was just a smell. It was the smell of forest high on the mountain after a thunderstorm. The earth that was washed away to make way for new life and new beginnings. It was also the smell of rain itself, ozone and water that was capable of giving that new life to the world around us. It was clean, earthy, filled with the scent of the trees all around, and it was amazing.
The moment that I smelled that powerful scent, I knew that I needed to leave. There was power surging inside of me that was raging to get out. I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold it in for much longer.
"M..M..Mom, I..I need to go." I felt sick to my stomach and on top of the world at the same time.
"Rika? What is it? What's the matter?" Mom asked me, not knowing what was wrong with me. "Are you OK?"
"I..I..I just need to go and do something. I will be back later. I promise." I was already hurrying toward the door to leave. I wouldn't be able to wait until she made the door for me again, I had to get out of here.