Bongani whimpered down below me as I denied him a way to relieve himself as I looked around the hut at the colpsed and satisfied pair of women that I had control over. The drunken feeling of controlling people filled me. Knowing that I was listened to, respected, and sought after made something inside me supremely happy.

  “Clean up and rouse those two my male, I feel like lounging near the bathing river. I’m going to go collect Aphiwe and we will be together, as my followers.” I stepped out of the hut and looked at the setting sun. It would soon be a deep night time with a full moon to light the world. I would not go hut to hut tonight stealing away the minds of others. I had so much on my mind I wouldn’t be able to function much longer if I kept trying to push myself.

  I walked through the huts towards the training grounds and found Aphiwe working hard, her body glistening in sweat and coated in dust. When she saw me she beamed out a smile and waved at me. “Sister! Watch!” She assumed the stance I had taught her and did something quite close to the perfect thrust.

  “Good job little one. Come, you’ve earned some rexation.” I waited for her to set down the staff and scooped her up into my arms much to her squealing delight. Her small arms wrapped around my neck as I carried her warm, sweaty body towards the food.

  “I’ve practiced real hard today Sister,” Mumbled Aphiwe into my ear.

  “I see that, you left rivets into the ground. You’re going to make a good warrior one day. I’ve also had a busy day and we are going to rex by the river.” I shifted her into one of my arms, easily supporting her body as I scooped up dried meats and berries into a sack. My pcement high in the matriarchy made no one question my actions as I prepared enough food for my group.

  Just as I was turning away the elder Dare stepped up to me. With a half bow she looked at my feet, “Powerful Aphelele I have a request.”

  I stopped and looked at her seriously. “Dare, elder one. What is your request of me?”

  “Would you challenge my mate for me? Would you take me into your circle?” She kept her shoulders hunched ready to be denied. I had to pause and think deeply about what I would say in return.

  “Give me a night to think about this Dare, I make no promises. Would you tell me more about why you wish to leave your mate?” This would be a dangerous path to walk. I would be challenging who would normally be my better to take a mate well beyond her years for bearing children. Still, her fwed body was beautiful to me now in a way I had never thought it would be just a few days ago.

  “My mate smelled what had happened st night. She is threatening to sh me if I do not tell her who had taken me in the middle of the night. I won’t tell them, if you don’t want me I will take the beating. I just ask you don’t do it again unless you take me into your circle.” Dare knelt before me looking at my feet with defeat in her shoulders.

  “You’ve been issued a quest by Hathor. Cim Dare and bring her to safety. Reward: Binding Roots.”

  I was exhausted from my combat earlier today but maybe I would be able to do something about this by challenging her to a ter day. Still though, I needed rest and recovery. “Come with me Dare,” I was speaking without thinking. My mouth going before my mind, “I will protect you if she comes.”

  “Thank you Aphelele,” Dare pressed her forehead into the dirt and groveled. The normal sense of superiority I would relish in was gone from my chest.

  “Stand Dare, carry this food. I don’t wish for you to grovel at my feet.” I set the bag in her hands while she looked up and me. “Come,” I commanded while I shifted Aphiwe in my arms as she looked at me curiously.

  “Who is that Sister? What was she talking about?” Aphiwe’s eyes were locked on the elder woman of the cn.

  “She is someone I showed kindness to. She asked to come and be with us.” I told her as I moved through the huts.

  “I didn’t think people could change groups and mates,” Aphiwe tore her eyes from Dare and looked at me.

  “It takes a challenge for this to happen. One of combat, the stronger of the two assumes all the mates of the other. Dare belongs to an elderly huntress, one that has neglected her.” I shifted my arms putting Aphiwe to my hip.

  “Why would you challenge for such an old mate?” Aphiwe wouldn’t understand. “Doesn't that mean if you lose you lose all of us?”

  “Sometimes the gods will ask you to do something, it is always something difficult. But listen to the gods and do what they ask or you will be punished greatly.” I looked over my shoulder to the shuffling Dare, “That, and we should take care of our mates. Not threaten them.”

  Aphiwe nodded and set her chin back on my shoulder. “Ok, don’t lose.”

  “I never do,” I filled myself with confidence as I left the safety of the huts going to the river where we bathed and washed that which is soiled. The sky was scarlett and the thin cloud cover was purple in the coming twilight.

  Haloor, Bongani, and Melokuhle were by the river waiting for us as I approached with Aphiwe and Dare. I set down the girl and took her hand as we got closer. Knowing they were waiting for me I stopped before the goup. “Tonight we eat as one, I have Dare here with us tonight. Treat her as one of us. We will soak our bodies in the blessed water and rex together.”

  We all approached one of the thin trees and sat in the dusk shade as the food was spread out from the sack. I picked up some of the dried meat and pulled Aphiwe into my p wrapping myself around her protectively. That strange feeling in my chest grew every moment I was with the little girl. I handed her torn food and berries as the sounds of meals started to fill the air.

  “M-m-mistress Aphelele?” Bongani called out amongst the group. He was sitting away from the circle waiting for whatever scraps we would spare for him.

  “Speak Bongani,” I commanded. I focused on being patient knowing that most males seemed to talk awhile to speak their minds.

  “M-m-may I go wait in the r-r-river?” He asked burying his face into the dirt.

  I took a closer look at him. The fur on his neck and back going into his short hair. His body was healed and he showed no signs of discomfort. “Come to me Bongani,” I demanded.

  As he approached I could hear his stomach rumble and groan as he knelt next to me. He knelt once more showing difference to me crawling onto the ground. “I-I-I j-just… It’s h-hard to w-w-wait.”

  I raised my hand as he flinched heavily waiting for the strike that most of the women would give him for his insolence and compint. Instead I reached forward and grabbed a chunk of meat and a few berries. I pced them in his hands, “Eat.”

  “B-b-but…”

  “I said eat,” I growled at him much to the surprise of all the women around me. Their ears were swiveled to me their bodies taught and ready to spring at the male for eating without the women being satisfied first. I scanned my eyes over them, challenging them to override my decision. All of them backed down.

  Tentatively and slowly Bongani began to eat the food I had given him. All the women were still waiting as I grabbed some more food for myself and began to eat once more ignoring the kindness I had just shown to the lesser male of the cn. I motioned to the food, “That goes for everyone. Don’t waste the food.”

  All of them were tense as they ate at the same time as a male did. Melokuhle and Dare were much more hesitant than Haloor who’s cn must see males as more equal than our own. Their ears were tense and I could see the hackles on their back raised as I kept a rexed dominant atmosphere around me.

  Aphiwe seemed entirely unaffected. The years of eating st washed away any of her hesitation to eat whenever she could. I pet between her ears and scratched gently as she purred at the constant food and attention given to her. Bongani was soon pushing food back to me, his stomach satisfied with two thirds of what I had given him.

  I took it from him and much to the dismay and horror to the others put the food back in the center. Melokuhle growled, “You put soiled food back to us? Touched by a male?”

  I stared at her with anger boiling in my chest, “The food is still good if I say it is good. Do you wish to challenge me to stop being my mate?” I growled in return as we stared at one another with hackles raising.

  She bent her head down and bared her teeth at Bongani, “Just cause we need him for breeding doesn’t mean he is near our equal. Food touched by males has been tainted.”

  I set Aphiwe down carefully as she looked on with wide eyes between the two of us. I bared my own teeth as Dare cowered to the side and Bongani hid his face from the group. Haloor looked on with fascination at the confrontation that was building between Melokuhle and I.

  There was no further warning, Melokuhle unched herself at Bongani as he pressed himself into the ground seeking to prostrate himself as much as possible. I collided with her in mid air smming our bodies together in a sp of flesh as we toppled off to the side. I heard Aphiwe gasp and scuttle back as Bongani froze and shook in pce his scent of fear flooding the air as Dare pushed herself away from Melokuhle and I.

  Haloor of all people snatched up Aphiwe and pulled her away from the fight as Melokuhle and I tumbled along the ground grappling for supremacy. Melokuhle let out ferocious growls and raked her nails along my flesh as I rolled on top of her and fought to mount her chest to start raining blows down on her to put her in her pce.

  She bucked, knocking me off her chest while my bance was still settling and she lunged once more for Bongani, seizing him by the back of the neck in one of her hands before I snatched her away. I dragged her by the ankle away from the male as he whimpered. Welts along the back of his neck where Melokuhle had scratched him heavily at that moment.

  Melokuhle rolled back over and kicked viciously at my chest and face. “It is my right to punish a disobedient male!”

  I pushed her legs away as I cmped a hand on her hip leaning down to pin her as I raised a fist bringing it down like a hammer into her sor plexus. “YOU LISTEN TO ME! I TOLD HIM TO EAT!”

  She was able to flex her stomach enough to absorb the blow. She leapt at me bringing her hands into my hair and grabbing me by my mane. She wrenched my head while bringing a knee towards my face. I forced myself down and to the side narrowly dodging the blow as little bits of my hair were ripped from my scalp.

  I grabbed her by the leg and twisted it viciously, pinning it at a painful anger across my body and wrenched, causing Melokuhle to let out a scream of pain as I brought her leg to the brink of breaking. “SUBMIT MELOKUHLE!”

  She growled and raged, thrashing and trying to free herself as I held her in pce. After a minute of her struggling with me on the edge of crippling her she stilled. Deep huffling breaths filled the air as I waited for Melokuhle to calm herself. Bongani had finally built up the courage to scramble away from the fight as Aphiwe and the other women looked on in shock that we had cshed so quickly and fiercely.

  Melokuhle let out a whimper as I put more pressure on her leg, “I submit…” It was barely a whisper so I twisted a little more, “I submit!”

  I let her go and she stayed still on the ground where I left her. Her hands went to her knee that was put through the wringer and she cupped it to her chest. She looked at me with hurt eyes as gnced away after a barest moment.

  I stood before them all, “We are stronger together. We had enough food to spare, I decided he would eat with us. Challenge me again and I will punish you more harshly.”

  “Yes Aphelele,” Melokuhle and Aphiwe spoke together. The girl did not approach me as I stood there breathing with my hackles still on end.

  I pounded my chest twice, dust leaving me in waves, “I lead! I bring you food! I bring you safety! Listen or leave!”

  All the women cowered around me as I seethed with adrenaline and anger. They all made themselves small and looked at the ground not daring to look at me in return.

  “Now, eat.” It was a growl and command, “I’m going to the river. Join me when you are done.”

  I stalked off as I ignored the others and stripped off my wrap stepping into the river of lukewarm water. I sat submitting everything under my breasts into it as the slow river flowed around me. I could smell the stink of Bongani’s fear approaching and grunted. “Come male,” I called without looking.

  He waded into the water and curled up quietly nearby. “M-m-mistress,” He intoned.

  “Tend to my shoulders,” My voice was harsh and I still seethed from having to put Melokuhle into her pce. His hands were barely strong enough to work at some of the tension in my body as he rubbed the thick muscles of my shoulders and arms. I waited for everyone to join me.