Free Denis, Cherie - Sin [Caveman Love 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) by Cherie Denis

know,” Sin admitted. “We are young and strong. We will go on until we find another good valley.”
    Em wept silently. “I am so tired and afraid, Sin.”
    Sin wiped her face. “I know, my mate. I am afraid also, but we must go on.”
    Lef pulled the last few pieces of wood from his pack and started a fire. Sin dropped two black rocks into the blaze. “Lef and I will go and see what is on the outside. Stay here and rest. When we return, we will all make a meal.”
    Em and Ria began to cry. “Do not leave us.”
    Sin put an arm around Em. “There are no strange animals in this cave. I know, for I have checked it many times. Now, rest. Lef and I will be back soon.”
    Em lifted her face for Sin’s kiss. “Be careful, Sin. I love you.”
    “We will return.”
    Em and Ria opened the fur packs and spread the bedding. Em picked one side of the cave, and Ria took the other. Next, Ria found the dried meat and vegetables while Em took a fire stick and a bowl and walked back into the cave. Earlier, the troop had walked past a clear pool of water.
    In a short time, Em returned to the fire and poured some of the water into two separate cooking bowls—one for cof and one to cook the dried vegetables in. She pushed the cooking bowls close to the fire and squatted close to Ria on the bearskin rug she had rolled out.
    Chores done, all the women could do was wait.
    “What if they don’t return?” Ria whispered.
    Em put an arm around her friend. “I do not know.”
    “Can we go on without our husbands?”
    Em shrugged. “I do not want to talk about it, Ria. They will come back.”

* * * *

    “Come with me, Em.”
    “Ah. You have returned.” She smiled and held her hand out to him.
    “You must see the new valley.”
    “Is it pretty?” Ria asked when Lef squatted next to her.
    “The new valley is better than we ever imagined.”
    “Are there others?”
    “Yes, many.”
    “They are different from us but seem friendly.”
    “Different how?” Em wondered.
    Lef laughed. “They are dark, like my brother, Let.”
    “Ah.”
    The men pulled the women to their feet. “Come. See.”
    At the entrance to the cave, a wide ledge made it easy to look out over the valley spread before them.
    Em searched for any sign of Pot. He could not be seen in this valley. The sky above was bright with the light of Tec. Below them, a small group of dark people gathered to watch them.
    The women were dressed similarly to Em and Ria, in fur or tanned skin skirts. Some wore leather coverings over their breasts. Several had babies in their arms, and one tiny one tugged at his mother’s nipple.
    “They are pretty people,” Em whispered. “They are smiling.”
    Sin laughed and raised a hand to the people waiting below. The men raised hands and signaled back. It seemed as if they were being welcomed to the valley.
    Rough rocks make a stone stairway to the valley. The four picked their way carefully down to greet the strangers.
    “Me, Weg,” the man who seemed to be the leader said, stepping forward.
    “I am Sin.” He held his hand open, palm up.
    Weg laid his open hand on Sin’s. “Welcome, my brother.”
    Sin was pleased they spoke in words similar to theirs. “Thank you, my brother.”
    Sin put his arm out to Em and pulled her forward. “This is my mate, Em.” Pointing, he continued, “This is my friend Lef and his mate, Ria.”
    Weg nodded. “Welcome. What brings you to our valley?”
    The dark people behind Weg stepped closer to listen.
    Sin looked up. These people were so tall, their skin dusky and smooth. They were a beautiful people. The men were heavily muscled from hard work, and the women were pretty, with large breasts and long legs. Even their babies were pretty.
    “Our valley was filled with the boiling man-juice of Pot when he exploded. Our clan moved on as fast as we could. There were this many of us.” He held up both hands to show his fingers. “We found a new valley, but the juice of Pot followed us, killing