The Mouse and The Wolf - Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Before I knew it, we became officially a couple. At least to me, it sounded very official when Thisalee introduced me to her friends as her boyfriend. I probably gave the worst first impression since I was internally screaming in happiness, hence unable to form intellect sentences. Or sentences in general.
The next thing I knew, my friend group of four had expanded to seven when Thisalee and her friends, Aurora and Darcy, started tagging along wherever we went. The guys didn't mind since the girls were fun and witty people. They were already friends with Ryder – no surprise there – so integrating our two groups happened smoothly.
And it felt right. I had no idea how to describe it. As the days passed and we became great friends, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was how things should be. The seven of us. I hadn't even realized something had been missing, not until Thisalee stepped into my life. I honestly couldn't even imagine a life without her. The three of them brought so many fun things into our lives that the difference felt like night and day. I didn't know about the others, but I felt like I was finally complete.
Everything was simple. Perfect.
Until it was not.
We all had found bowling as one of our favorite pastime activities, so one night we decided to go out and have fun after yet another stressful week of exams was over. We had a blast and stayed until closing time, and when we were ushered out, none of us wanted to go home yet. We just walked around for an hour as a big, noisy, happy group.
"Thisalee!!"
I groaned in frustration when I recognized Pretty Boy's voice. The good mood took a hit. None of us were happy to see that douchebag walking toward us with a few buddies trailing behind.
"Let's just keep walking," Thisalee muttered, and we turned left in hopes of avoiding Pretty Boy.
But no. The asshole followed us, yelling after Thisalee.
"Leave me alone!" Thisalee finally replied, turning around to face the guy who had caught up with us. "I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore!"
"You heard her," said Ryder as he stepped in front of Pretty Boy and pushed him back when he tried to get around him. "You better get the fuck out of here," he added in a more demanding voice, but the guy didn't take the hint.
"You belong with me, Thisalee! Not with a lamb like him!" Pretty Boy screeched, his face red.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked, stepping next to Ryder. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"
"You need to leave her alone! You're not worthy of being her mate!" Pretty Boy yelled at my face, and I could smell the booze in his breath.
"Mate?" I repeated with a chuckle, but I couldn't continue since Ryder was getting angrier by the second.
"Watch it," he growled at him, forcing him to take another step back. "You better get the fuck out of here, or else..."
"Or else what?" Pretty Boy asked but started retreating and turned to look at Thisalee. "You will be mine!"
"Oh my goddess, just take the hint already!" Aurora said angrily. "She doesn't even care about you!"
"Just leave," Thisalee said, turned around, and continued marching.
Ryder and I waited until Pretty Boy and his henchmen turned around and finally took off after swearing I'd get what's coming for me. Once he was out of view, we followed the rest of our group.
"He's persistent," I said and sighed when I caught up with Thisalee.
"He's a jerk..." she muttered back.
The mood was completely ruined. Thisalee kept her head down and arms crossed over her chest as we walked. She gave me only one-word answers, and the rest of our party was just as silent.
I was mad at Pretty Boy. Why was he still harassing Thisalee? I was not letting it slide next time. I had to step up and make sure he would leave her alone once and for all. I was done with him.
But I guess he was done with me as well.
I had to spend the next day at the library to stay on schedule with schoolwork. At least I had Ryder to keep me company since he was falling dangerously behind, but I really wished Thisalee was there as well. She had a family thing, so I hadn't seen her all day, which was bringing my mood down. We hadn't talked much since the short encounter with Pretty Boy, and for some reason, I feared she was avoiding me.
I couldn't get rid of that nagging thought. Once the library closed, and Ryder and I were heading out, I texted her to ask if she had time to meet me at the dorms. My worries faded a little since she replied almost right away, telling me she'd be there shortly. Ryder had a date, so I told him goodnight and we took our different paths.
The shortest way to the dorms led through a tiny patch of trees the officials proudly called a park, so I headed that way. I didn't really pay attention to my surroundings as I typed another message to Thisalee. I did hear someone running behind me.
I thought nothing of it.
Not until someone pressed a hand over my mouth, yanking me back so hard I almost lost my balance. I tried to yell when another pair of hands grabbed my arm, and the two assailants tried to drag me toward the street. I could see a van parked close by with its side door wide open.
The first thought crossing my mind was, 'Why the hell would anyone want to kidnap me?!' The second one made more sense as I finally understood I was in actual danger: I had to fight back! I tried to kick and hit my way to freedom, but whoever was holding me didn't budge. They were unrealistically strong! I had no way in the world to fight back!
"Keep quiet!" the guy behind me hissed in my ear.
Pretty Boy!
I fought back even harder and managed to bite his hand as hard as I could. That finally made him let go of me, but as a revenge, he kicked me. He kicked me so hard I could hear my ribs breaking. I was barely conscious during the next couple of moments, but soon I realized I was lying on the ground, looking up. The two guys stood there above me. Pretty Boy was bleeding. I was proud of that.
"I told you to stay away from Thisalee," he growled and kicked me again, not as hard this time, but hard enough. I gasped for air as the pain started burning in my side, and tried to get up, but Pretty Boy easily pushed me back onto the ground.
"We need to get the hell out of here!" the other guy spoke hastily in a hushed tone.
"He'll make too much noise if we move him," Pretty Boy said. "I'll just kill him here."
Kill me...?
"Fool! Someone could see us!"
They were actually planning on killing me!
"See what? A couple of wolves?" Pretty Boy muttered with a chuckle.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but then, all of a sudden, his face started moving. His fucking face was changing! And not just that, his entire body changed in front of my eyes! I had to be hallucinating! What I saw was not real!
He turned into a wolf. Into a freaking wolf! That was not real. There was no way it was real!
Then his words sank in. He was going to kill me. The wolf in front of me growled almost silently as his friend turned into a wolf as well. I tried to get away from them, but the second I started crawling away, the pain nearly devoured me. Still, I wiggled around onto my stomach, trying to get up on my feet, but at that moment, something heavy hit my back, stopping me. The wolf was growling right next to my ear, and then...
Pain... His fangs tore their way into my shoulder through my jacket. He shook his head harshly, probably tearing my muscles and bones apart. I screamed and yelled in pain, trying to fight the thing off my back, but the second one joined in on the fun.
I was going to die. I really was going to die. Ripped to shreds...
Thisalee... I'm sorry...
I was at the edge of passing out, so what I saw next was probably just a dream. Another big wolf flew out of the darkness, hitting the two that were biting me everywhere they could. They backed off, but the pain didn't go away. It was too late, I knew that.
"Rayleigh!"
Thisalee...?
I was rolled on my back by a pair of gentle arms, and when I forced my eyes open, I saw Thisalee crying above me. I tried to tell her how much I loved her, but nothing came out. I heard loud growls close by, and when I turned to see what was going on, I saw two new wolves, their backs turned to me. One gray, one white.
"You'll be all right," Thisalee spoke between her sobs. "I'm not letting you die."
I looked back up at her and smiled. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, but I was happy. At least I managed to see her one more time.
And then I died.
Only to be born again.