Then he moved over to her. He unzipped his pants and took out his throbbing penis. His thrust into her made her cry out. Then she gripped him in her arms, holding him fiercely, her long legs twinning around his lean waist, her cooling body arching to his. Time stood still for them. The danger, the fight, the Fur Hunters that assaulted her that night all became distant memories.They both drifted away into an exquisite world of love and pleasure.
Victor was the first to return to reality. Very gently, he released himself from Selena and turned on the other side. She remained still, breathing in slow, gasping breaths, now relaxed like a contented cat. While Selena was sleeping, Victor lit a cigarette and did some hard thinking. He remembered his warnings to Jack. The Alpha had tossed his warnings away. He had seen what the Wolf Stopper can do firsthand, how it works and how dangerous it was. He knew it was sheer luck those Fur Hunters hadn’t fixed him on that road. He was damned lucky. But how many more like him that Jack had led into that town were lucky like him? he wondered where Jack was right that moment.What was going through the mind of that foolhardy Alpha? What about Helldog? The supposed lieutenant of the Blood River pack, that should be thinking if the Alpha’s brain was not working correctly? Victor hissed irritated.
He recalls his conversation with Jack and Helldog. Jack had asked him a good question. Why does he care? Why does he bother about what happens to the pack? He cared because they were his people. They were part of him. And somehow, even with how they banished him, treated him and judged him unfairly by not even hearing the side of his story when Safiya had used him, he still feels a kind of loyalty to them. They were his flesh and blood. His breed. His kindred. That’s why he had bothered himself about warning Jack about that damned WolfStopper. But the fool didn’t listen. Victor switched his mind to the WolfStopper. He had seen it that night. Those Wolf Stopper were still lying there on that road. He needed to have another look at it. Also, he needs to make sure there were no traces of evidence to show something occurred there. He checked the time. It was past one. There was still enough time. He got up slowly from the bed and put on a shirt. He gave Selena one last look. Then he went out into the night.
The moon was hiding behind the clouds and the air was chilly. Victor mounted his bike and fired it. He rode hard and fast on the dusty road to the scene where he had met Selena earlier. He got there and dismounted from the bike. He looked around. He fell on the WolfStopper………the one he had broken. He picked the gun pieces and dropped inside a duffel bag he had brought with him. Then there were traces of blood. There was a lot of white fine sand on the road. He began to sweep sands on the blood, using his boot to spread the sands over the bloods. He worked tortuously for thirty minutes. He looked around and nodded his satisfaction. Then he mounted his bike and rode back to the cabin. He put the Wolf Stopper pieces in the shed, and went into the cabin.
He looked around the room, thinking of what to do. His eyes fell on the dress Selena had worn that night. It was brownish and dirty. The dirt from the dusty road where she had fallen. He picked the dress up and went into the bathroom. He took a washing soap and washed the dress with his hands in a basin . He dried it thoroughly, flapped it hard so that water residue on it dried off, then he hung it on a cloth hanger and went to dry outside. He came back into the room and took a quick shower. Exhausted, he hit the bed and went to sleep.
**********************
On this brilliantly sunny morning, the woods of Fur Rivers were looking at its best. Victor felt Selena stir in his arms and he opened his eyes. She was awake. She rested her head on her hand and was staring at him, red lips curved into a smile.
“Good morning,” she purred.
“Morning,” he grunted. He brushed her hair from her face to look at the side of her face. Though the swelling had reduced, the bruises were still there faintly. He gently touched it with his finger, while looking at her face for any reaction “Does it hurt?
She shrugged “I guess a little,” she said.
He regarded her for a long moment.
“I won’t forgive you next time, Violet”
She grinned, her perfect strong white teeth dazzling at him.
“There won’t be a next time,” she said. “Well there might be,” she said mischievously Victor was about to give her a stern warning but when he saw she was joking, he looped his arms around her neck and brought her head down for a good, passionate kiss.
Much later, when Selena had freshened up and Victor had given her the now dried dress which she wore, she put her hand into her purse, then from the purse she took out something and came over to him. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking solemnly at him.
“I want you to keep this, it will protect you,”
“What is it?” Victor said, puzzled.
She took hand and put the necklace chain in it. Victor stared at it. It was a necklace with a gold chain. Attached to it was an elephant tusk made with gold. He examined it critically. He had a feeling this was no fugazi. This was real gold.
“It belonged to my dad,” she said. “He gave it to me right after my mama died and he adopted me. It has always been with me. It will protect you from harm and bring you good luck. It is very powerful. It will protect you Victor, as long as you have it with you.”
Victor was touched by her love for him.
“But I can’t take this from you. You need it more than I do,” he protested, still dazzled by her care for him.
“I won't have it with you, Victor. Knowing that it's with you will make me happy. Will you do this for me, please?” She was looking at him, her Violet eyes lovely, beseeching.
Victor stared at the necklace for a long moment. He moistened his lips with his tongue.
“Then I’ll keep it,” he said, knowing the huge sacrifice she was making by giving him this chain, knowing she just relied on it for protection and comfort during dark times. He unhooked the chain hooks and wore it around his neck. He got to his feet and went to a mirror and looked himself over.
The light from the sun coming through the cabin window reflected from the tusk gold onto the ceiling. It made a dancing, brilliant pattern overhead.
Selena stood up from the bed and came over to him. They both regarded themselves in the mirror. Then Victor took her in his arms and kissed her. After a while, she pulled away from him.
“I must go now. Lionel will be mad if I get to work late,”
“I don’t think so,” Victor replied. “With everything that happened yesterday, everyone would be scared shitless. The heat has got to cool off before folks start moving around freely. You shouldn’t be bothered about what Lionel is gonna say.”
But she shook her head adamantly.
“I know, but I can’t afford to go to work late. I’ve never had any issue with Lionel. And I don’t want to start now. Please try to understand my love” she pleaded with him.
Victor inclined his head.
“It’s fine! It’s okay. You just watch that old sucker.” he said stiffly “Lionel?” She said and laughed. “Why Victor, what is it with you and Lionel?”
“I don’t know. I can’t say. But one hill I’m gonna die on is that: people don’t change and there’s absolutely nothing anyone can say to change my mind on that. Humans are known to be creatures of habits and Lionel I believe still has that nasty habit in him.” the seriousness in his eyes jolted her, sending a spider of fear up her spine.
“Baby, you don’t have to bother about Lionel. He only comes once a week to the store. And he never even stays long. Anything he wants me to do, he will communicate it with me on the phone, that’s all”
Victor lifted his shoulders and let it fall.
“Okay, if you say so. But if he fucks around with you, he’s gonna pay hard! And that’s on God!” there was a dark glint in his eyes and it frightened Selena now, but inwardly she was pleased to see how much he cared about her.
She took his hand in hers and kissed it gently.
“Lionel wouldn’t try anything. He’s one of the most respectable men in the town. All he does is mind his real estate business,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Anyways, you know I am a tough girl. Lionel wouldn’t dare fool around with me.”
Victor wanted to remind her that a respectable man would never be part of a group of men that raped women,but he didn’t say any of these things, Instead he said this;
“How’s your dad doing? Heard from him?”
Selena's face changed instantly to a dark hue.
“I don’t wanna talk about him,” she said coldly. She drew in a long slow breath and grimaced. “He called like crazy yesterday while I was still in my house. I guess with the whole fight and everything going on, he wanted to check on me. I didn’t pick his call.”
“You’ve got to fix things with your dad, Violet. That man ain’t so bad. Fine he’s done something terrible but he ain’t so bad. Just a man at the wrong place and time. I believe he must have learnt his lessons too,” Victor was even shocked at himself for saying all this. Sam was among the people that did his family dirty and yet somehow, he felt sympathy towards the old man.
“Can you please not talk about him?” She was staring at him with a painful intensity.
Victor sensing the hostility in her voice, inclined his head. He wasn’t annoyed with her. He clearly understood how she was feeling.
“Let’s go, Violet”
They both went out into the hot, early sun. Victor went to the shed, rolled out his bike and fired it. Selena came over to him and mounted it. She clasped her hands around his waist and leaned into him, so that her breasts were pressing hard into his broad back. He revved the bike, releasing a white, thick exhaust smoke and rolled away.
He drove hard and fast to that junction, separated the town’s main gate from the woods and stopped. Selena got off the bike. She touched his face with her fingers, then leaning forward she kissed his mouth.