Saving His Nymph Mate

Chapter 10 - Introductions

Candace, once again, was thinking about the night at the destroyed cabin a week ago as she sat at the breakfast table. Her attention was captured by the weeping willow and the way the light shone through it. The green leaves twirled in the summer breeze, causing the light to shift and bend.

She looked at her wrist and wondered what it meant to be marked. Candace wondered how it would feel. Would it be painful? A dull ache? Pleasurable? She shook her head. The longer she hadn’t seen Wyatt, the more she wanted to see him. Every day, she would spend hours in the forest looking for him. She would listen to the wind and the earth to know if there were wolves in the forest. Each time it was confirmed to her, her heart would race, and she would go to the pack. However, every time she was disappointed.

“Candace, is there something wrong with your wrist?”

She jumped and turned her head towards her father. Shaking her head, she slipped her hand off the table.

“You were just looking at it as if it was bothering you. Did you bruise it?” Her father walked towards her.

The morning sun coming through the window accentuated his little strands of gray in his brown hair. He was wearing a blue polo shirt with jeans. Again, she shook her head. His eyes betrayed his excitement that made her tilt her head to one side.

“What is it?” Her tone was cautious.

“I am sorry Candace. I know it’s Saturday, but I have some work to do today.” He looked down in disappointment.

“Oh?” Her curiosity bloomed, seeing that his eyes did not match his tone or actions.

“I have to go to a customer’s house today to fix their computer and, for security updates, they won’t let me do it remotely. This needs to be fixed immediately.”

“Okay, that is fine. I can wait here and clean the house some.” Candace had every intention of playing her music loud enough to fill every empty space of the house. She always felt that music made the house not feel empty and lonely, especially without her mother there.

Her father looked at her with an anxious look. “Actually, I was hoping you would come with me.”

Candace looked up in surprise. She rarely went with her father to customer’s houses. “Why?” She could not mask the surprise in her voice.

“I am tired of seeing you mop around this house for the last week, and I would prefer not to be alone today.” He held her gaze, already knowing that he knew she would agree.

“Okay, I’ll go. But I have not been moping around.” She narrowed her gaze at him.

“You have, and it’s been pathetic.” He smiled, intending his words to be a joke. Candace rewarded him by laughing, and her lips stayed in a smile.

They walked through the hallway by the sitting room and out the door. He turned around and locked the door. Candace wearily watched him smile the entire time. However, when he turned around, his face remained neutral, careful not to give away any hints. Baffled by the situation, she kept silent as they got into the car.

Candace quickly hooked her phone to the Bluetooth to listen to music. It was their routine; she was always the DJ. She blasted a variety of different genres. Her father would smile when an 80s song showed up and would have Candace guess the artist. As they drove, she watched the buildings pass by. She saw Mr. Smith walking outside his pawn shop, Mrs. Grace with her white hair watering her flowers outside her old yellow house. After they passed through town, the houses thinned out and they turned down a road. She never realized this road led to a house. The road bended and curved. After a couple of minutes, Candace stopped singing to wonder where they were going.

He glanced over. “We are just about there.”

Candace looked out the window and watched the trees pass by. Every time she was this close to the forest, she could feel her drawing strength from them. She felt the call of the woods and wanted to join them.

There were two security guards at the gate waiting for their approach. Both men looked stocky, and she knew she would bet money on either of them to win a fight. Neither face looked friendly as her father rolled down the window. One man walked up.

“I’m Tyler Wood. I’m here to fix a computer.”

The guard looked at his partner, who nodded his confirmation before opening the gate. Slowly, the guard stepped back, allowing them to pass.

“They look like a friendly bunch.” Candace spoke quietly, still feeling disconcerted about who her father's client was.

“Just doing their job.”

They turned around a bend and were welcomed by a large mansion. It looked like a luxurious cabin for tourists. Candace was in awe of the grandeur. It had several stories and a deck that wrapped around the ground level and second. The windows looked out into the forest. She imagined at night it was a beautiful sight seeing light shining through. There was a large gravel driveway to the right with about ten cars parked. Candace wondered if it was less of a resident and more of a hotel in the mountains. It made sense that they needed her father immediately if it was a business. Her father parked by the other cars.

She looked at her father and said, “this is a beautiful cabin. One of these days, we should stay here for a weekend.”

Her father looked at her with a hand on the car handle. “This is a residence, not a business.”

Candace stared at her dad blankly. She wondered how this could be someone’s home because of how large it was.

Her father stepped out of the car, and she followed. She was thankful that the driveway was gravel. This far into the forest, she was sure if she stood on dirt, native to the forest, she would turn into a nymph. Even then, she felt anxious about the power she felt flowing through her. Already the wind had identified her and was whispering to her about where it had traveled. The trees were aware of her presence and awaiting her command. She looked down at herself and pulled up her sleeves to see the faint lines of her white tattoos appearing. Candace instantly tugged her jacket sleeves down, despite it being a warm summer's day.

She heard commands and faint shouting at the corner of the house. Her gaze followed and saw a cleared-out area where boys and girls of teenage years were practicing fighting moves. It struck Candace by how efficient they were at being able to execute each move yelled out. Each youth had an athletic build. Even at their age, she didn’t want to be stuck in a fight with them.

“Are you coming, Candace?” Her father hollered back to her. She hurried towards her father, already standing on the first step.

At her father's holler, the youth immediately looked over and disbanded. She wondered why they quickly ended their lesson and scattered. Some entered the house, while others ran into the forest shouting. She felt out of place, like they were the intruders. Despite being the intruder of the beautiful area, Candace felt an odd stirring inside of her as if something hidden deep was awakening for the first time welcoming her home. She stopped at the first step with her father and watched a young boy with brown hair walk towards them. The boy seemed to walk with a confidence that looked familiar to Candace. Once the boy reached them, he smiled.

“Hey, can I help you?”

“Do you live here?” Candace asked tentatively.

“Yeah, this is my family’s home. My name is Ryder.” He grinned the same grin as someone she knew but couldn’t place. Candace returned the smile, still trying to place the familiarity.

Her father stepped in. “Ryder, I am here to fix a computer. This is my daughter Candace.”

Ryder’s eyes went wide and fear crossed his face. He quickly recovered and smiled. However, both Tyler Wood and Candace were not oblivious to his reaction to her name.

“Right this way. Mr. Wood.” Ryder looked over at him.

They walked through the oak door, feeling the refreshing cool air hit them. The house opened up with high ceilings and to their left was a staircase. On the right was a small sitting room. The house had a rustic look. Candace hand trailed the woodwork on the banister, taken aback by its beauty. They walked further in and saw a large kitchen with granite countertops. There was a table that could host at least fifty people around it. However, both the table and the room looked like it could hold more if needed. They went through the kitchen into another room that resembled a TV room. Comfy brown couches were placed in the room, and little kids were watching TV. On the left side was another staircase, and they climbed up those into the second level. Candace saw the stairs turned to continue up to the other floors. Ryder walked down the hallway and stopped at a door and entered a large room. There was a mahogany desk that was the focus. The room was adorned in deep reds and browns. There were leather seats to one side. Ryder walked up to the desk.

“The computer is right here. I’ll go let my mom know you are here.” Ryder ran out of the room.

Candace could hear him climbing down the stairs. She walked a small circle around the room. The carpet underneath her feet seemed a little worn down, only in a horizontal shape, as if someone had spent time pacing. Candace figured the owners had a dog.

The only sound was the clicking of the mouse as her father sat down in the chair. Candace walked to the chair beside the desk and sat down on it. It wasn’t long before a woman stepped into the room. Her skin was like porcelain, clear and smooth. It only accentuated her green eyes. She had light brown hair with a red shirt and leggings. Her shirt said: ain’t my fault you can’t keep up. Her face was red like she had been exercising.

“I apologize for the way I look; I was out gardening.” She said calmly.

Candace didn’t believe her. She was a petite woman, but you could tell she was fit and strong. Gardening wouldn’t exert her as much as her face showed. Candace shrugged it off, believing it was because of being out in the sun.

Mr. Wood looked up, and Candace didn’t miss the surprise and shock entering their hostess's features. Her father spoke, “not to worry. If you give me about an hour, I’ll be done.”

The woman smiled calmly eliminating all expressions of surprise. “Thank you, Mr. Wood, for coming on such short notice. My son really needs this computer to complete his business.”

Mr. Wood took his own laptop out of his case. “Not a problem, I understand.” He gestured toward Candace and said, “this is my daughter, Candace.”

The woman looked at Candace and smiled gently as she spoke, “I’m Jocelyn. It’s nice to meet you.”

Jocelyn’s amiable smile instantly endeared Candace, and she took an instant liking to her. “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you too.”

“While your father works, would you like to come with me to the kitchen?”

She wanted to know the woman who made her feel accepted and nodded her head. It would be better than sitting in the chair waiting for her father to finish.

Jocelyn smiled. “Great, give me a moment to give your father… instructions, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Unsure why Candace couldn't be a part of the conversation, silently stood and left the room. She walked back down the stairs to the kitchen area. Once again, amazed by how big and modern the kitchen looked like. She circled the kitchen island, moving her fingers along the countertops, looking at all the modern appliances the kitchen had.

“Have you ever made lemon bars before?” Candace turned towards Jocelyn, watching her eyes gleam with anticipation.

Candace shook her head.

“I always crave them during of summer.” She smiled humorously while taking the ingredients out.

Candace turned around and leaned against the counter as Jocelyn continued to place ingredients on the counter.

“Your house is beautiful.”

She turned around and smiled. “Thank you. I don’t love how spacious it is. I feel like there are some days I never see my kids.”

Candace smiled back. “I can imagine. It must be lonely living in such a big place.”

The woman instantly shook her head. Her action surprised Candace. “No, it’s never lonely or calm. We run a youth and single adult group here. Sometimes we will have young married couples.” Her delicate laugh rang throughout the kitchen. The contrast perplexed Candace. She seemed like a strong woman, but was gentle, loving, and classy. “No, it is never calm here. Just yesterday we had a group of teenage boys think it was a good idea to sled off the house into the pool outback.”

She laughed again, and Candace joined her, imagining the scene before Jocelyn continued. “It didn’t last very long. Today they are fixing shingles on the roof with my eldest.” The woman shook her head, thinking of the situation.

Candace hadn’t run into anyone her age as she thought about it. “I saw some teenagers outside. Where is everyone else?”

The woman placed lemons on the counter, giving Candace a lemon squeezer and a knife. She answered her while Candace cut the lemons in half.

“Most have jobs, and there is plenty to do around here. Everyone has their responsibilities.”

Candace nodded, squeezing the juice out of the lemons into a measuring cup.

“So, Candace, tell me about yourself.” The woman glanced over at Candace as she was pouring flour into the electric mixer on the side counter.

“Oh, I don’t really know what to say. Three months ago, I graduated from high school. I was born here, and I have never moved. I don’t have any siblings. It’s just me and my dad.”

Candace shrugged, not knowing what more to say. The lady of the house walked over to her and laid a hand on her arm.

“I am sorry about your mother. How long has it been now?”

Candace’s eyes instantly filled up with tears. This conversation was too delicate to discuss. So Candace cut to the chase.

“She died almost three years ago. Did you know her?” She delivered the sentence hard and cold while struggling to hold back her tears.

The woman wrapped her arms around Candace. “I am so sorry. Losing a mother is never easy to bear. I lost mine when I was nine. They killed her in a… gang fight.” She held Candace for a moment longer. Candace wanted to ask her what happened but amended that if she didn’t want to talk about her mom, she shouldn’t pry into other’s losses.

Once they parted, Candace immediately felt a connection to the woman before her. They shared the same pain, knew the same loneliness, understood the same lost memories. The woman smiled sympathetically and turned to turn off the mixer.

When she turned around, her smile was full. While she brought a pan and bowl over, she asked, “so a young, beautiful girl like you, got any boys chasing you?”

When Candace looked up at her, she winked. Candace instantly identified the mischievous grin she had.

Candace blushed. “No, I wouldn’t say that. I found someone, but I think we irritate each other too much.”

Together, they began placing the crust at the bottom of the pan.

“How so?”

Candace chose her words carefully, thinking about her and her father’s conversation.

“I just don’t think we have taken the time to know one another. He is arrogant, easily irritating, and well, some other things too.” Candace smashed the crust down hard, thinking about her pragma. The woman laughed again.

“Boys are like that. It takes breaking the outer shell they wish everyone to see to actually get to know a person. We all have our walls. It’s a matter of which one will be the first to bring it down. Relationships are always about being willing to be vulnerable, which isn’t easy.”

The woman placed the pans in the oven and began cleaning the mixing bowl. Candace had to keep pursuing the conversation, curious what insight the woman had. She inwardly admitted that it felt good to have an experienced friend to talk with, similar to how she used to talk with her mother.

“I get it and perhaps it needs to start with me, but it’s just… I don’t know.” She shook her head, unsure how to explain her feelings. “What if we are from two separate worlds? What if these differences separate us too much?” Candace ended quietly and bit her bottom lip.

The woman grabbed the juice of the squeezed lemons and poured it into the mixing bowl.

“And why would that be a problem?”

Candace looked at her, confused.

Jocelyn explained, “what I mean is that you will both come from two different perspectives. That would only make you a better person. You will learn from each other’s knowledge and strengths. Then, together, you will have a broader understanding of the world. Relationships are hard. You also need to have a strong common ground as well in order to work together.”

The oven beeped, and she walked over to the oven and took out the crust. She laid it on the counter to let it cool. Candace stood in place, thinking about what this woman said to her. Both she and Wyatt came from different worlds, it seemed like, but upon reflection, they lived in the same forest. Nymph and wolf have lived in the same space for a long time. Why couldn’t they work together too?

“Thank you. You gave me some things to think about,” Candace said as she turned to look at her. In her thoughts, she missed her putting the filling in and placing it back in the oven. The woman turned around and leaned back on the counter, looking across to Candace.

“So, how did you meet your husband?” Candace asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from her.

“Oh,” she smiled instantly. “That is a story and one that is probably too long to discuss. But the short version is, I didn’t like Jace at first because I blamed him for my past. My mother was part of a group. You can imagine them similar to a gang, and they came after me because of my mother. I ended up in a terrible car accident and I lost everything. Jace was there, and he helped me through it all. Protected me, essentially saved me.”

Captured with every word she spoke, Candace wanted to really know the details of the story. Why was her mom part of a gang? What did they want? What information were they looking for?

She opened her mouth to get more answers, but stopped short when she felt a familiar feeling warm her entire body.