Everyone on the pews turned to look at Selena, as she began to walk gracefully towards the pulpit. Caesar’s eyes roved over her, he pulled his suit together and grinned sheepishly. The relief on his face was out of the world. In his own, myopic, cynical mind, he had thought she wouldn’t show up.
Selena got to where he stood.
“Please take the veil off her face.” the priest commanded.
Caesar stretched his hands and took the veil off, and Selena’s face was revealed.
The people in the pews inclined their heads.
Victor felt a tingle of creep up his spine and he shifted uneasily in his seat. What the hell? The girl he was looking at was extraordinarily beautiful and you have to understand, it really wasn’t about the beauty. What really hooked him was the sexuality oozing from her. Someday, some nerd or bookworm will explain it to us all and would still be wrong. Because how can you analyze something that’s made of heat, smell, the simple basic lusts that drive all creatures stupid, the unsatisfying hunger of our being and the stuff that makes the heart go like a jackhammer? This girl he was looking at as it all and you will want to take her to bed instantly, get married or go crazy.
As if by chance, magic, unforeseen forces; call it whatever you may; she turned her face from Caesar ’s and was looking at him.
Maybe she had wanted to look at Marianna or someone else; but no! she was looking at him…….she was actually looking at him. The expression on her was that of being enchanted or mesmerized.
Victor involuntarily held his breath; his body broke out in cold sweats.
With the way she was looking directly at him; he had a feeling she was experiencing what he was experiencing; no correct that, she was also experiencing what he was experiencing.
It was as if there was no else in that church; they were in a private world of their own and only what they were feeling for each other matters and nothing else counts.
The way they were staring hard at each other was already causing a commotion in the church Father Rupert was calling Selena, his words coming out fast; a disapproving look on his face. Marianna looked at Victor, then Selena like a hypnotized rabbit, her eyes wide in utter confusion. And Caesar; if looks could kill, his face, at that moment could. He was looking at Selena murderously, his body smoldering with raw fury. Unable to control himself any longer, he grabbed Selena’s face and turned it to his.
The spellbound between Victor and Selena broke. Caesar snarled into her face.
“Look at me! Damn you! Look! What the hell has come over you? I’ve you not seen a man before? Are you crazy? Damn you to hell, answer me!” His face was congested with lines of hatred, disappointment, and disbelief.
“What? What is it?” Selena said, blinking back to reality. “Oh God! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry,” and she began to cry. She put her hand to her mouth and the bouquet fell to the ground. “This is wrong!” She giggled, in between sobs, “All wrong. Christ! What has come over me? I can’t do this, Caesar …………. I can’t.” and she did something which would remain in the mind of the folks of Fur Rivers for the rest of their lives.
She lifted the hem of her gown, hunched her back and began to run down the pulpit and into the narrow aisle. The town folks, aghast, watched her as she blundered through the aisle. Caesar’s futile scream of “Selena! Come back! Come back, damn you!” followed her as she got to the church door, threw it open and flew into the streets.
……………………………
Victor watched as Selena blundered out of the church and he noticed instantly as everyone in the church turned their attention to him ; they were looking strangely at him. He turned his eyes to the pulpit. Father Rupert and Caesar were also staring hard at him. The whole church was in stone silence. Few moments later, Father Rupert broke the silence.
“Who are you young men?” His voice was croaky. “I’ve never seen your face around in this town. Did you know that girl? Are you lovers?” He fired at him.
The people in the church gasped and at that moment, Victor was quite shaken despite himself.
“Is that what you guys are? lovers?” Rupert continued. “Is that why you are here to disrupt this holy matrimony?”
Victor's lips moved to speak but words refused to come out from his mouth. How could this be? Why was this happening to him? Why does he always find himself in all these uncomfortable situations?
“You goddamn bastard!” Caesar meant eyes snapped at him, and the two veins at his temple began to swell. ‘You dare take my woman from me.” He was accused.
“I did not take your woman,” Victor said calmly, finally finding his voice. “ I don’t know that woman! I’ve never even seen her before in my life. That’s the truth!” He would never let anyone accuse him of what he didn’t know or do.
“Bullshit!” Caesar snarled. “She was looking at you. Everyone saw you both! You were both looking at yourselves just the way lost found lovers,” there was a murmur of “yes' ' from the crowd in the church, and Caesar knowing he had the backing of the church went on. “And you dare lie to our faces? Are you saying we are stupid? Are you saying we didn’t see the way you were both looking like you wanted to devour each other?” His voice was badly shaken now but he didn’t care. Who the hell is this man? Who is he? He wondered. “Just tell us the truth. You owed me and the people here the truth for disrupting what would have been something beautiful. Are you lovers? Speak!” He yelled.
Father Rupert injected in.
“You better say the truth, young man. This is the house of God. Say the truth and set yourself free,”
Marianna, who had been stunned to speak the whole time, grabbed Victor’s arms and stared hard into his face.
“Is Selena your lover? I’ve you met her before?” Just tell the truth.” She pleaded, her eyes filled with tears.
Victor, now pissed off by all these accusations, jerked his arms free and pulled his suit together. He was mad now.
“I’ve never met her before! Y’all should get that into your suspicious heads” he snarled. “This is all some stupid misconception, that’s all there is to it,”
“Liar! You cold hearted liar” Caesar yelled. “I will fix you.” and he ran towards Victor.
He got to him and raised a clenched fist. He slammed the fist down on Victor’s face. Caught off guard, the blow tore his upper mouth and blood began to lick out.
Marianna screamed.
Victor was getting enraged now. He could feel his wolf anger seeping through his veins, that werewolf side, begging to be unleashed. And yet, he knew he had to be careful. Unleashing his anger would only bring out his werewolf side. Lots of innocent life would be lost if that happens. He could never allow that. But he could give Caesar a few lessons. That he could do.
Caesar caught him with a left punch to the face. It was a hard punch alright and Victor sucked in air as blood began trickling down the side of his mouth. His mouth was dripping seriously with blood. He moved around Caesar looking for an opening. He wanted to land one hard jolt…….just one……that would make Caesar know he was no pussy. Just one! And he’ll give himself up to whatever happens later.
Then seeing an opening, he countered back with a left and right punch to Caesar’s body, then a powerful punch to his face.
Caesar shifted back, snorting, his face red with pain. Blood was leaking from his nostrils now. It looked like wine licking from a broken glass.
Caesar came again at him. He threw a right hook. Victor stepped back and ducked. Caesar fist met empty air. Victor, using that momentum, delivered that one jolt he was looking for. He smashed his fist against Caesar’s cheekbone with the impact of a steam hammer.
Blood sprayed out of Caesar’s mouth as he cannoned into Father Rupert who was standing close by. A red, big scarlet stained the immaculate white garment of the priest.
“Good God! This is a mess.” Rupert wailed.
Caesar lay on the floor, his mouth slightly opened, his hands and legs spread out, his eyes, half opening, closing and opening again. He thought a truck had hit him.
Victor stood motionless, his eyes hard and unfeeling, his chest rising and falling.
“I don’t want this!” He growled. “I didn’t ask for any of this! I don’t want to ………” but he didn’t get to finish his words because he felt something hard hit him on the side of the head and his head exploded into a different flashing light. He heard Mariana shrilled but the sound came from a long mile off. He began to wobble on his feet, blood pouring out from the side of his head, running down to his suit and to the floor.
Caesar, having regained his strength from the punch he had received, slowly got to his feet. He inclined his head at the man who had hit Victor with a heavy bat and like a shark gunning for his prey, he raised a clenched fist and closed in on Victor.
Caesar clobbered him hard on the bridge of his nose. Victor went down on both hands and knees.He was like that for a long moment, his head dropped down, colors dancing before his eyes, his face wet with blood. The whole church was in disarray now. Some people ran out of the church while some stayed back to enjoy the pugilist scene. Caesar moved towards Victor, murder in his eyes.
Marianna, weeping helplessly, grabbed Caesar by the arms.
“You don’t have to do this! Leave him alone. He didn’t do anything to you. Leave him.” she wailed.
Caesar jerked his arm free and violently pushed her away. She doubled back and fell against a man who was standing close. They all went down together, with the man yelling and saying all sorts of religious utterances.
Victor was like that, on his hands and knees, the floor around him, a crimson or scarlet red. And he was like that till Caesar gave him a hard kick on his chin. Victor’s head snapped back and he collapsed on the hard floor. Caesar bent down and picked him up by the collar of his blood stained suit.
“You flirty dog. Next time, you watch who you are dealing with.” using the collar of Victor’s suit, Caesar began to drag him, as he walked to the church door, Victor’s blood made a red trail after them. Caesar threw the door open, lifted Victor up and drew back his fist and hit him in the face. He went sailing out of the church, sprawled out inside the gutter and lay there.