Mira smiled. "Good. You'll hunt a bear for the village. Test your new power today."
The hunting day began.
We left the large hut, the sun warming the village and making the air smell of dry earth and fresh herbs. Lira stuck to my side, smaller and lighter since the collar, her hand on my arm as if she feared falling. Her tail brushed my leg with soft touches, and her low purr vibrated against my skin. I felt her new fragility, but also a deeper bond: her trust in me made me feel responsible, not just for her body, but for her everything.
Sira and Nia were waiting for us at the village entrance, with bows and knives ready. Sira, with white ears, looked at me with bright eyes, her tail wagging playfully, but with a touch of admiration I hadn't seen before.
"Let's see what you're made of, Kai," Sira said, brushing my shoulder as she passed. "Though after that strength of yours... it almost makes me jealous not to be the one testing you first."
Nia, with gray ears, joined with a flirty smile, but her eyes showed competition, as if she wanted to outdo her.
"Yeah, and if you get tired, we'll take care of you," Nia added, her hand touching my waist a second too long. "Though with that energy... I bet you'd leave us exhausted."
Lira growled low, but submissively, only pressing closer to me. I thought: "Lira depends on me now more than ever. Her weakness makes me protective... and it excites me to know I'm her everything."
We prepared quickly: sharpened knives, bags with herbs for bait. The sun was already high when we entered the forest; the soft ground under our feet crunched with dry leaves at every step. The air smelled of pine and dampness, and I heard distant birds and the wind whispering through the branches. Lira walked slowly; her new size made her tire faster, but she didn't complain.
"The bear is usually near the river," Sira murmured, her tail brushing my thigh "accidentally," her admiration evident in how she glanced at me sideways.
We reached the river in the mid-afternoon, with the setting sun tinting the water orange. The bear appeared suddenly: enormous, with brown fur bristling, roaring gutturally and resonating in my chest. Its claws scratched the ground, kicking up dirt. The smell of savage ferocity filled the air, its hot breath reaching us.
The girls backed away, "Careful!" Nia gasped, ears flattened, her voice mixed with fear and admiration for my calm.
Lira tried to step forward to protect me, but her weak body made her stumble. "Kai...," she murmured, but the bear charged first toward her.
I stepped forward, trying to intercept. The bear rammed, its hot breath smelling of raw meat and ferocity. But a claw grazed Lira, tearing the shirt and leaving a burning cut on my skin. I felt the sharp pain, hot blood dripping, but Lira didn't have a scratch—the total protection of the contract had transferred the damage she would have received to me.
I thought: "Fuck, it hurts... but seeing her safe, depending on me... it reinforces this. I'm her shield."
The bear roared in pain when I punched its side, feeling the muscles give way under my strength, the impact vibrating in my arm like an echo. It turned quickly, claws flying. I blocked one with my arm, the impact shaking my bones, but my new strength held. The cut on my side burned, but I stayed on my feet.
I grabbed it by the neck, lifting it off the ground effortlessly despite the pain. Its weight was nothing compared to my new strength; I threw it against a tree, the crack of wood and bones echoing in the forest.
The bear got up staggering, blood dripping from its mouth. I finished it with a direct blow to the skull, feeling the crack under my fist, the flesh yielding like butter.
It fell motionless, the ground trembling a bit with the impact.
The girls gasped, approaching. Sira touched my sweaty arm, purring low, her tail wrapping around my wrist, admiration in her eyes but with a touch of jealousy toward Lira for her collar.
"You're... incredible," Sira murmured, biting her lip as her fingers trailed down my chest, competing for attention. "No one has protected us like this... I want to be like Lira someday."
Nia pressed against my other side, her hand brushing my abdomen, hot fingers on my skin, her eyes showing admiration mixed with competition toward Sira.
"You've saved us... let us reward you," Nia whispered, purring loudly as her tail brushed my thigh, pressing more than Sira to gain points.
Lira, submissive, allowed the touches, but joined in, her small hand on my hip, purring low. I thought: "Lira trusting me during the danger... it's not just submission, it's real loyalty. And the damage I absorbed... it hurts, but it saved her. This binds us more."