He left himself wide open, and Tex swung his right fist. The blow connected beautifully with Bankim’s chin.

  Tex surprised himself with how powerful the punch was. Not that he was a weakling; he’d always packed a wallop. But this time, his fist was a wrecking ball.

  Bankim turned into a bobblehead. Tex followed up with a left-fisted jab to the mouth, making the young man stagger backwards.

  The men groaned at the blows. “Ooooooh!” “Gods! He felt that one!”

  They talked excitedly.

  “The stranger is fast.”

  “Look how he holds his arms—he guards himself.”

  “His skills and strength are greater than a normal man’s.”

  “You… think it’s true, what the elf said?”

  “Come on Bankim! Hit him! Do something!”

  Bankim quickly regained his balance. He spat out part of a front tooth and looked at Tex with a burning red face. He continued swinging wildly, but Tex could see his punches from a mile away.

  Bankim shouted indignantly: “You… You fight like a coward! S-stop running away!”

  The men weren’t buying it.

  “No, he doesn’t!” they jeered. “You’re just making excuses, Bankim.”

  The hothead circled Tex, except now he stayed beyond the range of Tex’s punches.

  “You’re learning!” Tex said with a grin.

  Flustered, Bankim clenched his fists and stepped forward. But Tex did a spinning roundhouse kick, landing the blow on Bankim’s temple.

  He crashed onto the hard sand like a giant sack of potatoes, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Tex stood over him, his muscles rippling, his mind soaring.

  Once again, adrenaline pulsed through his body. He felt his too-tight jeans squeezing his bulging quads and glutes. Glancing around, his eyes were magnetically drawn to the beautiful, scantily clad girls.

  Everything else faded away. His heavy balls tightened, and his long cock filled with blood, straining against his jeans. His brain quickly transitioned from fight-mode to fuck-mode.

  But the men’s voices brought him back to his senses.

  They discussed the fight enthusiastically:

  “What was that?” cried one man with a bushy beard.

  “Gods! Have you ever seen anything like it?” his friend replied.

  “He’s smart, that’s what it is!” the bushy beard averred, tapping his finger against his temple. “He fights with his head! That’s what it is!”

  Neesha observed the overall reaction with her chin in the air and a complacent smile on her lips. Emi was also extremely proud.

  Tex scanned the crowd and found Utu. The warrior woman gloated over Bankim’s bloodied, unconscious face. Tex traced his eyes over her strong hips and sun-browned skin.

  Is she mine now? Is that how this works? I am her “alpha” and chief?

  It was hard to imagine this wild woman submitting to any man’s rule.

  She turned her intense eyes towards him and met his gaze. Tex’s thoughts must have been written on his face because Utu immediately turned crimson. For a second, her lips parted and a luscious look came into her eye — but then she tossed her head disdainfully and averted her gaze.

  As for the other girls, they seemed impressed. The feline glanced at Tex approvingly and then stared at the defeated Bankim with a sadistic fascination, her tail luxuriously flicking back and forth.

  The petite girl stood close to her bear-breasted friend, clutching her arm. The two women watched Tex with big eyes, whispering to one another.

  Tex caught Utu’s eye again. She scowled, but he cheekily held her gaze, smirking. Utu’s eyes widened in surprise. Her lips parted, and a flush came into her cheeks. The hard bumps of her nipples protruded beneath the animal hide fabric.

  She turned to the men, not caring that her nipples were showing — in fact, she puffed her chest out even more.

  “Get him out of here!” she said, pointing disdainfully at Bankim. The young brute was sitting up and rubbing his jaw. “I don’t want to see his face again. I don’t want to see any of you again.”

  “Alright,” Yarolk said testily. “We’re leaving.” Then he looked at Tex with an almost reverential air. “There is no doubt you’ve earned the right to lay claim to this tribe, Sir,” he said with a slight tremor in his voice. “May I… ask your name?”

  “Tex.”

  “I am Yarolk.” He bowed his head. “It is an honor to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Tex said.

  The men helped Bankim to his feet and led him away like a drunk. Tex watched as they carried away the two dead men. He noticed the redhead wore a shoulder strap with items tied to it, including a waterskin.

  Yarolk saw him eyeing it. “Do you need a waterskin? Please… Take it.” He added quietly: “Not that you need my permission.”

  “I do need a waterskin,” Tex said cautiously. “But I wouldn’t presume to take it. It wouldn’t be… proper.”

  “You’re the Prophesied Hero,” Yarolk rasped, amazed by his own words. “You can do what you like.”

  Tex cleared his throat. He still reflexively wanted to deny that he was the Prophesied Hero, but that would mean contradicting Neesha after she’d made such a dramatic proclamation on his behalf.

  It would have been disloyal as well as ungrateful.

  Besides, he could no longer deny it with the same certainty he had before. There was so much he didn’t understand.

  He flexed his right bicep, making it swell into a rock-hard mass of muscle, and looked at his bulging, veiny forearm.

  “Well… I don’t claim to be a hero, personally” Tex said. “But even if I am, that doesn’t mean I’m going to just take something that isn’t mine.”

  “It’s the spoils of war,” Yarolk replied, “and quite proper for you to take it.”

  Tex nodded slowly. “Alright.”

  He took the redhead’s shoulder strap, and the items attached to it: these included a bone dagger, a flaking tool made from a piece of antler, and the waterskin.

  Tex and all the women waited somewhat awkwardly as the bachelor group went away.

  Utu and the other girls in her little tribe watched with an air of impatience and expectation, preening their hair, crossing their arms, or cocking their hips, as the last of the bachelors departed into the trees and headed downriver.

  When the last bachelor had disappeared, Utu turned and stepped towards Tex, holding her spear. Her face hardened.

  “We owe you nothing,” she said flatly. “I thank you for your help, but don’t think that you own us now — even if you are the Prophesied Hero. We will go our separate ways.”

  Chapter seventeen

  THE PETITE GIRL’S mouth fell open. Her friend’s confused frown intensified. The feline’s ears went back.

  Even Tex blinked in surprise, but he quickly recovered himself. “Understood,” he shrugged. “Do what you want, of course.”

  Utu’s eyes widened for a second. Then she squinted at him. “Yes! I will do what I want.”

  She looked downriver. The herd was out of sight.

  “Hunting elk, eh?” Tex said casually.

  The warrior woman balled her fists. “We were before those stupid bachelors showed up.”

  “I’m sorry they messed up your hunt,” Tex said.

  Utu’s mouth tightened into a line. “I could have killed them just for that. We haven’t had a proper meal in two days—and they ruin our hunt for the sake of raping us!” She sighed. “But this is not your problem… We... we can take care of ourselves.”

  “I’m sure you can, but we killed a big buck. I’d like to share it with you; it’s way more than we can eat.”

  Utu’s face softened, but she avoided eye contact. “No… No, we couldn’t do that,” she protested.

  “Sure you could,” Tex murmured, raking his eyes over her broad hips and big tits.

  She looked up, catching him in the act — not that he cared. She stood up straighter and looked aside with scorn, but her cheeks flushed, and her nipples hardened beneath the animal hide.

  “Come on, I’ll show you the buck.”

  Her eyes softened slightly, and she gave him an unguarded look. “My name is Utu.”

  “I’m Tex.” He introduced Neesha and Emi. Utu acknowledged them coldly. Then she introduced the other girls.

  The petite girl was named Grendel. When Utu introduced her, she immediately turned red, and panic came into her eyes. She opened her mouth, probably to say hello, but only a squeak came out.

  This made the bear-chested girl laugh, so that her perfect tits bobbed up and down. Utu introduced her as Zila. On hearing her name, she smiled disarmingly and inclined her head.

  The feline was called Bmimi. Her ears crumpled at the sound of her name, and she batted her big eyes at Tex. “Hi,” she breathed.

  There was a noticeable coldness or awkwardness — Tex wasn’t sure exactly — between the elves and the other women.

  Nevertheless, they all busied themselves setting up campfires while Tex got to work gutting and skinning the animal. Neesha and Emi built one campfire while Utu and her girls made another nearby.

  Tex’s mind still reeled from all that had happened. As he worked, he kept glancing at his muscular arms and legs in disbelief. The more he thought about it, the more it freaked him out.

  “You got bigger,” Emi said, watching him.

  Tex put down his knife and looked at her. “Yeah... What happened? Do you understand it?”

  “The gods favored you.”

  “Y-you think so?”

  She nodded. “What else would it be? Besides, I saw the blue light swirling up from the river and flowing around you.”

  “Blue light? I didn’t see any blue light.”

  “That’s because humans can’t see spiritual energy. But it was the river god, that’s what I think. It must have recognized you as the Prophesied Hero, so it blessed you with an abundance of masculine power.”

  Tex sat there with his mouth ajar as Emi’s words sank in. “Holy shit. That’s awesome.”

  It’s like winning the 60 million dollar lottery, only way better, Tex thought as he got back to work.

  Meanwhile, Utu and the other girls ran around setting up stones and collecting kindling. There was no mistaking that Grendel, Bmimi, and Zila regarded Utu as their leader.

  The warrior woman spoke and moved with authority over them, and they always looked to her when there was any question of what to do.

  Tex wondered where Zila and Bmimi came from and why they weren’t with their people. And what was Zila, anyway? Tex frequently gawked at her pear-shaped body — he couldn’t help it. Her hips were so broad, her thighs so big and round. And her tits were always jiggling and bouncing with every little vibration.

  Glancing at her frowning brow, he suddenly realized… She was a Neanderthal! Or something similar.

  He ran a hand through his hair and smirked. I’d never would have expected a Neanderthal to be so… fucking hot!

  Tex tried to concentrate on his work, but Zila kept making eyes at him. To be fair, maybe she was encouraged, since he kept checking her out. Once in a while, she’d find an excuse to walk by, making an adorable face and batting her eyes at him.

  She was surprisingly cute for a Neanderthal.

  At the same time, Neesha and Emi found every reason to talk to him.

  “Tex! Tex!” Emi lisped, traipsing up to him.

  She rested her hands on his shoulders, practically leaning on him. Tex looked up at her, somewhat surprised.

  “I was just wondering if you wanted us to cook all the meat now,” she breathed.

  Tex gave her a quizzical smile. First, the campfire was close enough that she easily could have spoken to him without getting up.

  And second, the question was completely unnecessary; they’d already decided that the elves would cook all the meat he portioned out for them while Utu and the others would dry some of it.

  “Yes,” Tex drawled. “Cook all the meat now.”

  “Okay, Tex!”

  She smiled coquettishly and ran back to the fire, giggling. It was impossible not to drink in the sight of her legs and her beautiful hair.

  Damn it, I’m elbow-deep in a giant animal carcass and I’ve got a fucking boner from all these girls.

  Tearing his eyes away from Emi’s legs, he saw Zila was staring at him conspicuously. It was clear from the expressions on Grendel and Bmimi’s faces that they had also observed him leering at the little elf.

  Zila arched her back and stuck her tits out, but Utu murmured something disapprovingly, and Zila returned her attention to the campfire.

  As for Utu, Text couldn’t get a read on her. She seemed irritable in general and particularly prickly towards Neesha and Emi. She ignored Tex, and it wasn’t clear if she wanted his attention or not.

  ***

  Dripping meat smoked over the crackling flames as they ate their food. Tex was content with enjoying his meal in silence, but all the women fidgeted, feeling as though it was awkward not to talk.

  The Neanderthal spoke first. “Tex wear a strange clothing.”

  He smiled at her funny way of expressing herself. Evidently, she hadn’t learned elvish until later in life.

  Tex told them about how he came from “across the Deep,” and the story of his adventure up to that point. They were exceedingly impressed with the fact that he’d single-handedly taken on a pack of Skrillings and a bachelor group — all to rescue women.

  “And the wicked shall tremble before him,” Grendel murmured.

  “What about you ladies?” Tex said. “How did you come to be together?”

  “Grendel and I are Aramantha,” Utu said proudly. “Our tribes rule this island. Bmimi has been with us since she was a kitten, and—”

  “A kitten?” Tex smiled.

  Bmimi looked away coyly and flicked her tail back and forth.

  “Yes,” Utu said. “Our chief, Randaval, was a good man. He found her in the forest all alone. He knew her parents and siblings had been killed by a predator, so he saved her.”

  “And Zila?”

  “The cavewoman joined us two winters ago.”

  Zila perked up and stuck her chest out, making it almost impossible for Tex not to look at her boobs.

  “Come from Oyko!” she said enthusiastically.

  “The Oyko are her people,” Utu explained.

  Zila’s unibrow bent into a frown. “Skrilling make big war. Kill many Oyko, and… how you say that?”

  “Slavery,” Utu said. “They killed the men and took the women and children as slaves.”

  “Hmm!” Zila nodded. “Take a slaves.”

  “Her people lived on the closest island to this one.”

  Zila’s eyes brightened. “Island is so beautiful! Have many flower.”

  Tex smiled. It was cute how eager she was to tell him about herself.

  Tex wondered what happened to their chief, Randaval, and why there were only four of them. But when he put the questions to Utu, the mood went sour. The warrior woman muttered something, and the others looked away awkwardly.

  Tex didn’t pursue the subject any further. They ate the rest of the meal in silence.

  Zila was the first to speak. She stood up and announced that she was taking a bath.

  Then she turned around, loosened the animal hide, and pushed it down, revealing the voluptuous globes of her ass. Leaning forward, she slowly pushed the skirt down her broad thighs and past her knees. As she did so, she bent over farther, so that Tex saw her sex.

  Whipping her hair, she looked over her shoulder to see what effect she’d had on him.

  He was utterly enthralled. A pterodactyl could have pecked his head and he wouldn’t have noticed.

  All the other females looked at the Neanderthal like they wanted to strangle her. But Zila stepped out of her skirt and walked to the water with a swagger in her hips.

  “Bath time bath time!” she said in a sing-song voice.

  Suddenly Utu was blocking Tex’s view. Reaching behind her head, she untied a string. Her top fell to the ground as her naked breasts bounced free, pale triangles on her skin where the animal hide had been. She had big areolas with long, erect nipples.

  Tex clenched his jaw and tried to adjust his jeans… They were so damn tight.

  Seeing that she’d stolen the show, Utu smirked triumphantly and slowly unclasped the animal-tooth thread around her waist and uncovered a bush of dark hair between her powerful hips.

  But Neesha and Emi suddenly stepped right in front of him, blocking his view. Within seconds, he was looking at their naked, nubile bodies.

  “Aren’t you getting undressed?” Neesha said over her shoulder as she and Emi skipped towards the water, giggling.

  “Yeah,” Tex grunted, unbuckling his belt.

  Standing up, he saw Grendel naked, her arms crossed over her small breasts. Taking ginger steps with her tender bare feet, she made her way over the rocks towards the water.

  She seemed so cute and innocent that Tex almost felt guilty about leering at her incredibly tiny waist and pert little behind.

  Bmimi followed Grendel. Her skirt dropped to the ground among her feet. She turned her head in Tex’s direction as he pulled his jeans down — but she didn’t quite look at him. She just curled her tail up and stuck her butt out.

  Her handful-sized breasts were extremely perky, and her fit butt was round and tight. She sashayed over the rocks, hips swaying luxuriously.

  Tex walked down to the shore with his hard-on bouncing in the breeze, not giving a fuck.

  Chapter eighteen

  EMI AND NEESHA immediately splashed towards him and stayed close beside him the whole time, as if to guard him from the other women.

  “Let us wash you, Tex!” they mewled, taking his arms and making him sit in the shallow water. They rubbed their hands all over him and washed his hair while Utu shot scornful glances at Neesha.

  Tex was ready to put Neesha on all fours and fuck her in the shallow water when a massive shadow passed over them.

  The girls screamed.

  “Terror Bird!”