Zuri nodded in agreement and noticed many others did, too. Some even said, “Yes.”
The man stepped into the light, revealing himself to have blond hair and blue eyes and to be at least six feet tall, possibly even taller. Behind him came a brown-haired man a few inches shorter than him, and last was a brown-haired woman. None of them was fat, but they weren’t underweight either, so Zuri assumed they had adequate food in their village. Maybe they did know where her people could get some chickens and sheep to breed for food.
Taking a deep breath, Zuri said, “Have you eaten? I can cook you some rice.”
“Thank you, but we brought food with us and have eaten already,” replied the woman.
Arthur took charge again. “Please join us for a drink of water at least, and tell us about your village. Do you live near here?”
Adena poured them each some water, and the three people sat together on the opposite side of the campfire from Arthur. Zuri knew they’d identified him as the leader, and the person they should speak to.
“My name is Koby. We moved into this area a year ago and have a farm not far from here where we keep a few animals and grow vegetables. We saw your truck and wondered why you were here, instead of at the grain warehouse, but now we understand you need more than just food.”
“Grain warehouse?”
“We can get grain near here?”
“It’s about a half mile farther on. We get all our grain there. A bag of rice and a bag of wheat, a couple bags of corn, lasts us for a month or more,” said the woman.
“Don’t you want to stockpile your own supply in case other people find it, too?” asked Adena.
“Is it all good? None of it has gone bad after all these years?” asked Luke.
“It’s been stored properly, and it’s no more than five years old. Maybe even not that old, so it’s good to eat. And if other people need it, they’re free to take it, as we are. We can move on,” added Koby.
“Only five years old?”
“Where did it come from?”
“Are people selling grain?”
“But you can’t move on until all your vegetables are harvested, and how will you transport them safely?”
Half a dozen people spoke at once, peppering the newcomers with questions. Koby held up his hand and laughed. “One at a time, please. But how about you tell me a little about yourselves first?”
Arthur introduced each person, then told them about their village no longer being able to feed themselves as the fields were getting run down and the animals had died or been eaten. “Only recently, Adena and Zuri led us to the vehicles and some canned food and bottled water and other things, stockpiled for over fifty years, that enabled us to come looking for food and supplies,” he concluded.
“Fifty-year-old canned food and water? I think you’ll find it’s much fresher than that. I can’t believe it could be good to eat after so long,” said the second man, who Koby introduced as Pagan.
“It was stored in a cave with the vehicles, so in an even temperature with no contaminants,” said Luke.
“Everything had been there since our ancestors first journeyed to the village,” added Adena.
“May I see the bottles? Each district designed their own shape and size. I might recognize where it came from, which would tell us when it was manufactured,” said the woman, Ruby.
One of the men climbed into the back of the truck and returned with a bottle, which he handed to Ruby. As soon as she saw it, she laughed. “No, that’s a Mountains bottle. See the tiny picture of a mountain here. They were still operating until about five years ago.”
“Luke, when did the canned food supplies we originally had run out?” asked Arthur.
Zuri watched as Luke counted up dates in his head, his lips moving silently. “Winter four years ago.”
“And when did Tom break his ankle and stop going foraging for us?”
“About three or four months before that.”
“Are you saying such things were freely available up until four years ago? And that Tom, and presumably at least one other person from the village, knew this and was bringing in food without telling any of us? Not just getting things from the forest?” asked Udo.
“I reckon that’s why Tom broke his ankle. He went out alone after his good friend George stopped going with him. George got too old and frail to leave the village. Tom went alone and broke his ankle,” said Luke.
“And no one told us about it. They lied to us and said it was food we’d had stored since the beginning,” said Udo.
“Which is why we believed this water was stored, too,” added Collin.
“Why did they lie to us?” asked Adena, her faced creased as if she was about to cry.
Luke answered, “I expect the leaders didn’t want us to know we were never self-sufficient, that we relied on scavenging to bridge the gap.”
There was silence for a while then Koby said, “Tomorrow we’ll take you to where there’re many chickens and some sheep. I think it used to be a farm, and the animals are tame and stay there.”
“Is it at your village? Will the other people be happy about us taking some animals?” asked Zuri.
“We no longer have a village. We…left,” said Pagan, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
“But you’ve obviously learned to feed and care for yourselves more than adequately,” said Luke gently.
Koby slung his arms across Pagan’s and Ruby’s shoulders, hugging each of them to his sides. “We three are together. Some people weren’t happy about that.”
Again it was Luke who spoke, gently and wisely. “Zuri, Tau, and Udo are together. We have accepted them for the fine people they are. You three are welcome among us as well.”
“Especially if you can get us meat and eggs,” said Ghedi, his face split by a broad grin.
The tension was broken. Everyone laughed, and then Arthur started asking questions of Koby about where the grain and animals were located. Luke brought out his maps, and one of the men quietly replenished the fire, making it burn bright enough for Luke to write notes.
* * * *
Koby, Pagan, and Ruby stood by the side of the road, waving to the dusty white truck as it drove slowly down the dirt road leading to the highway. Once again Koby was in the middle, guarding Ruby and Pagan protectively.
“They’re going to have trouble keeping those chickens in the truck whenever they get in and out.” Ruby was almost giggling.
“They’ll hold them. The real fun will be once they net some fish back at that lake and have to transport them in the crates they’re using for chicken nesting boxes,” said Pagan, his brown eyes sparkling with happiness.
“It’s going to be lonely by ourselves again. I love you both beyond everything, but it was lovely to talk to other people once more. I miss not seeing any other women.” Ruby’s mouth turned down, and she was no longer laughing.
“We can’t go back though. We’re not welcome,” said Koby, hugging both his partners tight to his side.
“I know. Besides, it’s more than time we collected our own grain and returned home. The tomatoes will be ready to pick,” added Pagan.
“And we can fuck in a real bed again,” added Koby, turning them toward their own vehicle.
* * * *
It had been two days since Arthur’s group returned to the village, happily wheeling in barrow-loads of chickens, grain, and other goods for those who’d stayed at home to marvel over. They would need to make several more trips back to the cave to finish unloading the truck, but that night, Zuri, Tau, and Udo were in their own bed, naked, and both men were slamming into Zuri as if they’d never had sex before, instead of only abstaining for two weeks.
Zuri dug her nails in Udo’s shoulders, twisting her hips and clenching her inner muscles on both cocks as the orgasm rose inside her. It’d been so long, and she needed them so much. She let go with one hand and reached behind her to grip Tau’s thigh. His muscles were so lean yet strong, as he pumped powerf
ully into her ass, causing that wonderful excitement deep inside her to rise higher and higher.
“I love you both so much. I’ve missed us being together like this,” she said softly. She slid her foot up and down the men’s legs, wanting to take a more active part in their lovemaking then buried her face in Udo’s shoulders, breathing in his scent, reveling in it, before pushing back hard, driving Tau’s cock deeper into her ass.
Both men were panting now, and Zuri could feel the sweat running between their bodies, bodies pressed so tightly together from hip to breasts.
“I love you both, too, always and forever,” said Udo as he thrust deep, and cum poured from his cock into her cunt.
“Always and forever,” echoed Tau, pumping once, twice, then jetting his seed into her ass.
“Me, too,” Zuri whispered, her body shaking in a wonderful orgasm. “Always and forever.”
THE END
WWW.BERENGARIABROWN.COM
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Berengaria is a multi-published author of erotic romance: contemporary, paranormal (ghosts, vampires, fairies, and werewolves), and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance, so that is what she writes: one man/one woman; two women; two men; two men/one woman; three men; two women/one man…Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily ever after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.
Also by Berengaria Brown
Ménage Amour: Elinor’s Stronghold 1: Pillaging Elinor’s Castle
Ménage Amour: Elinor’s Stronghold 2:
Defending Rhyannon’s Inheritance
Ménage Amour: Elinor’s Stronghold 3: Restoring Garnet’s Heart
Ménage Amour: Elinor’s Stronghold 4: Bringing Claire Home
For all other titles, please visit
http://www.bookstrand.com/berengaria-brown
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Brown, Berengaria - Forbidden Future [Embrace the Future 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 7
