Chapter 122

They were all stunned, speechless. They all knew by now I'd made thunderous noises when I'd killed the aurochs as part of my payment for Margeeta, Yareela, and Yaroola.

Apparently they hadn't been able to put two and two together. They weren't having any trouble figuring out I shouldn't be fucked with now.

"He had not struck you yet John, he hadn't started to fight," Grotondo told me, as if I didn't know it.

"He has missed his chance. I do not stand around to argue when a man says he will kill me. If he wasn't going to try it he should have kept his mouth shut. Would he argue with a bear before he killed it?"

This had them stumped again and I was ready to get moving. I didn't want any of the other men to start up with me.

"Margeeta we will have to wait for Timboko's mate to pack now. Let us go and help her," I said.

"Yes John, it will be best if we help her pack and then leave," Margeeta said.

"But you have killed our best hunter and you have hurt the healer's mate," Grotondo said.

"Timboko has killed himself. What could he have been thinking? I went alone and killed three aurochs without help. Did he think he could not die the same way? Do none of you realize I can kill you all if I want to?

"I came here peacefully and anyone who got trouble from me earned it. Timboko asked for trouble and did it loudly with a strong voice.

"This rude fool on the ground got off lightly. What would you have done if he grabbed your mate's ass right in front of you and tried to carry her away to take her?" I asked, getting nothing, but a blank stare for a reply.

I noticed then a woman I hadn't seen was tending to the first man I'd hit. I supposed it was the healer. I followed Margeeta and the twins to my next new mate's sleeping place in the cave, wondering how she would take the news. I needn't have.

When we got there she had already begun packing. She stopped and came to me when we approached.

"I am Kota, Timboko's former mate. I was there and I saw what happened. Timboko had always been a strutting fool. It never caused him any trouble before because he was always the quickest and strongest man here.

"It will not cause him any trouble now either. His troubles are over. There are many furs and much food here. Since you can hunt so well we might not need the meat, but I am good with my gathering also," she said.

I was about to speak to tell her we would have to come back tomorrow and get everyone's things. There was no way I was leaving these assholes anything now. We would all just walk home and come back in a wagon tomorrow.

"John, behind you," one of the twins yelled.

Here at last was a real threat I saw as I turned. This one might have succeeded except for the warning I got. It was Daldo, the man I had hit earlier. Apparently he had recovered rather quickly. He'd been trying to sneak up behind me with a large club already raised. If he'd been able to conk me on the head with the fucker I would have ended up as dead as Timboko.

I just had time to pull the Glock and put two into his chest. They stopped his progress and even though he made a last ditch effort to swing, he couldn't connect with anything, but air. I already knew he had a mate, but the look at her as we'd left him lying was the only one I'd had. I doubted if I could recognize her on my own.

As always it seemed things were mushrooming and I just didn't have any idea what to do about it. I had sought out the Neanderthals hoping to get one of the women for another mate. It wasn't so much because I needed more women - I'd just felt I owed it to Argent. My dick had made me bargain for three and dumbasses had already provided two more and I wasn't even out of their cave yet.

The healer came walking up then and didn't even give her departed mate a glance as she walked up to us.

"I am Eileiea, the healer, and that was my mate. You have relieved this camp of another fool. They might miss my healing, but they will not miss him. I will not miss him either and I hope I will fit in with your camp. Do you have a healer there already?" she asked me, matter of factly.

"No we do not have a healer. There is a woman who is pretty good with wounds if they aren't too serious, but we do not have a real healer. I am sure you will fit in well at my camp. I am the leader and I will make sure you all fit in.

"I demand all have respect for each other in my camp and if there were fools in it I would make them leave, quickly. We will all be glad to have a healer among us," I told her, smiling.

I wondered now how I had missed this one. She was plainly a pure Neanderthal, but in my opinion she was the shining star of the race. Her features clearly belonged to her ancestors, but on her they didn't look coarse somehow, they looked completely natural and very attractive.

Her nose was wide and her lips were thick, but it all fit her so well. She was short like all the women and she seemed very muscular, but it didn't look vulgar on her. I was glad now her idiot mate had tried to brain me.

I started looking around at some of the other women speculatively then. Grotondo noticed it and seemed to get suspicious.

"Are you looking for something, John?" he asked me.

"I am looking at the women here and wondering if any more will become one of my mates before I leave. Are there more men who are tired of living?" I asked.

"I do not know whether there are more or not. I would like to tell you I am not and I have no quarrel with you. We have had some misunderstandings, but I believe most of the men now know your position.

"Those who have tried to molest you have paid for the pleasure and one has cost this camp a very good healer. It has also revealed to me I have not been as good a leader as I thought.

"Timboko was a good hunter and generally a good man, except for his tendency to bully others. The healer's mate was practically useless though, and it is my fault I gave the healer to him. I must bear the blame now since she will be leaving," Grotondo said, admitting it.

"If you have now learned you need not keep everyone just because they are here you have learned a valuable lesson. Your loss of the healer need not be so costly though. If she will do it I will let her teach another some of her magic so you will have a healer of your own.

"Also, if she will agree, I will let any sick or wounded you have come to her for treatment at my camp. If they cannot come to her I will make arrangements to bring them to her if you will do something for me in return," I told him.

"What would you have me do?" he asked.

"We now have too many things to carry. If you will guard their things while we are gone we will give you the meat they have. We will be back tomorrow with help to carry their other things away.

"If you will send your smartest unmated man with me I will teach him something which will be a great help to all of you. It might take more than one day to teach him though and he might not be able to return tomorrow," I told him.

"I see I have no choice. If I do not do as you wish you can easily kill me, or even all of us," he said.