The Unmarked Mate

Safety First

Candace POV

I spent the rest of the afternoon into the evening pacing the area, following tracks. I was trying to collect my thoughts. Key word: trying.

I was alone. I have never been alone in my life.

Okay what did my parents teach us? Evaluate the situation and make a plan. "Planning was key to a good strategy", my Dad's voice popped into my head.

That worked great with capture the flag with Cam but I had never strategized a survival and rescue plan before.

Okay, stop and think. I need supplies and to evaluate the area before anyone returns. Gather information while making an immediate plan to care for myself. The basic "Save yourself from drowning before helping someone else" philosophy wasn't going to apply here. I need to do both simultaneously.

While exploring my family's emergency caches, I explored the area for clues to what happened to my family.

The tracks started about a mile off in multiple directions. All human prints funneling towards my house. The exiting tracks appeared to move towards the lake. There were no further tracks leaving the lake so I assume boat plane. But I feel like I would have seen a boat plane exit when I was running. Maybe not, I was focused on the house. But wouldn't I have heard it?

The water filtration system we built on the lake was still intact. I would have to check the well house. Both are fairly well cloaked so I would be surprised if anyone saw them. So at least with those I had water.

Looking closer at the prints they were carrying something heavy. Those footprint go deeper into the soil. My family isn't here. So unless they are hurt somewhere, it is possible the heavy items were them. I have no idea if they are dead or alive. There is no blood I can find. Why carry a dead body and remove it with you? Why not leave it? Unless they were studying the body? My breath hitched at that thought and my stomach dropped to my knees.

No I can't think like that Maybe that's a good sign they have them.

I hope that it is a good sign. That means they are alive. Please be alive. Please. This has been my mantra all day. Please be alive.

I don't understand this at all. Why would anyone want us? I know we are different but we aren't hurting anyone. We don't bother anyone. How would anyone even know we were here? I don't understand. I honestly do not get any of this.

I am getting anywhere going off on all these tangents.

I need to get somewhere safe for the night. As my stomach is growling at this point, I probably also should think of getting something to eat. I have eaten all day. I need water, food and shelter. Probably in that order.

I headed to my family's emergency caches and collected all the contents together. I made sure to cover my tracks this time. It was clear the wolves knew something and I didn't need anymore issues or dangers until I figured this out.

The contents of the caches were pretty sparse. I had a makeshift tent, a compass, a sleeping bag, a portable canteen, a spile, maybe three or four days of food, paper and pen and some other random things. I also found my mom's emergency potions. This could be used for many things and at the moment the thing I needed the most was instant fire.

Fire would be dangerous in this situation but instant fire could warm without smoke and produce light to the person who was conjuring it. Handy little potion if you knew how to use it.

There were also several wards to be able to set up a safe perimeter.

Unfortunate for me, there was no way to carry it all in one trip. I took some branches and was able to make a lean-to sling backpack of sorts so at least I could make few trips. But by the time I got everything a safe distance away (a mile or so). I was exhausted.

I didn't even have the energy to do more than put some water in the canteen with the spile and go to sleep. The cool liquid gave me enough to sustain me. I didn't have any more energy in me. My body hurts, my eyes hurt from all the tears I didn't shed, my mind ached from spinning in circles on answers I just didn't have. I didn't even bother with the tent. I got in the sleeping bag and laid down to rest.

My dreams were fitful. I kept imagining visions of what happened to my family. Caught in a fire. Dead. Men surrounding them. Guns. Potions that my Mom did not know. Magic unknown and never seen to me before. I cried out for my parents and Cam. They couldn't hear me. I felt like I was on the other side of a window watching as it all played out. I screamed and no one could hear me.

The men left with my family unconscious or dead. I didn't know. My heart just kept breaking. I was alone watching my house burn down, unable to move. Just watching on the other side of this invisible window, crying for the family I wasn't sure was alive.

The wolves showed up. They stalked the area. The big black wolf took charge.

Then the strangest thing happened. He saw me through the glass. His translucent blue green eyes caught mine. He felt me there stuck.

He walked right towards me. Somehow the glass was no longer binding me. He approached and curled around me like a dog meeting it's master after a long day at work. I was saved. Nothing would harm me. We would figure it out together. The wolf meant me no harm.

It wrapped around me like a hug. Its fur drying my eyes. Licking my face to clean up the tears that still sat on my cheeks and told me it would be okay.

I awoke. It must have been in the early morning. The moon was past its apex and stars were still visible. The sky was turning from the deep black blue of night to the light dark blue of morning.

It was a dream. I was still alone. My family was still gone. No one was here to save me. I had to save myself. Better yet if I could, I needed to save my family.

I don't know why that wolf was in my dream. Honestly it made no sense. He terrified me the first day I saw him and to see him in the middle of all this...It didn't make sense why he would comfort me. But it was just a dream, right? Dreams mean nothing.

However, if part of that dream is true, my family was still alive and they needed help. I needed to get them help. I needed to help them.