The Pride spent a week catching Andrew up on everything that had happened in the forty-eight hours he’d been out of commission. They also coddled him, tucked him into bed, and treated him like he needed to be handled like glass.

Today he was going to cook, though. And nothing they did could stop him.

He felt smothered. He’d never been the one who needed to be taken care of. He was the one who took care of all of them. He had learned to cook, divided up chores, and was responsible for the house so they could feel safe—so they could live quietly.

He didn’t want to admit he might need the help.

For the entire week, it had eaten at him.

The problem he refused to admit to them. Because if they knew, he wouldn’t be allowed to do anything, anymore. He could lose his place in the Pride and in the family.

He opened a recipe book he ordered offline and sighed at the recipe he wanted to try. 2 eggs per serving. Milk. Flour. Vanilla extract. He ran through all the ingredients, like normal, before going to the fridge to pull them out.

He pulled out everything and rechecked the recipe as Troy and Gabe wandered into the kitchen and passed him. He was happy that they didn’t stop and ask him if he needed help. They then ruined that.

“Hey, Andrew” Troy walked back in. “Need any help?”

“No,” Andrew groaned. “You aren’t coming anywhere near my kitchen. And we aren’t eating another dinner consisting of takeout.”

“Okay,” Gabe chuckled. “We’re still setting Jessie up with her own place, so we’ll be back later.”

“How’s she doing?” Andrew asked quickly. He was curious. A pregnant female was now going to settle down in Wild Junction, a strange occurrence. And she’d saved his life. He owed her.

“Good. Apparently, the baby is healthy. We’ve tried tracking down the possible fathers but so far, nothing. She’s resigned herself to a life of single motherhood, at this point, but Brenton and Riley have already promised her that we would help in any way.” Troy told him, with a smile. “She had wanted to be more helpful with everything but…”

“She was helpful enough,” Andrew mumbled.

“She was,” Gabe agreed, “and now she’s buddy-buddy with Riley and Abigail. It’s terrifying.”

“And Phoebe, that human Riley used to hang out with. She’s apparently really cool,” Troy groaned. “We now have a gaggle of women running around Wild Junction. Those four tore up Rocker’s the other night.”

Andrew chuckled with a nod. He’d heard Riley get home, singing at the top her lungs as Brenton carried her inside. He’d been laying around in the den when Brenton dropped her on a couch. She then proceeded to fuck him while Andrew just watched in semi-shock, and mostly amusement.

They were all living their lives again, slowly but surely. They were fixing things they’d neglected, relationships that had fallen to the wayside, building a real life for themselves, knowing that their worst enemies were gone.

Except him. He was carrying a secret. He was broken, and he didn’t know if he could tell anyone.

“Go on, you two, and help her.” Andrew told them.

Andrew waited for the leopards to leave before refocusing on the recipe. He mixed, added dashes of salt, stirred.

It was a meat pie that he’d never tried before. It was a pretty pedestrian item, but he figured if the Pride liked it, he could add it to the diner’s menu and see how the town enjoyed it.

He slid the two pies he’d prepared into the preheated oven and set the timer. Forty-five minutes. He slowly sat down at the bar and waited.

“Andrew?” Riley’s voice made him turn, and he smiled at her. The swelling around his face had decreased enough that he could use both eyes and he was insanely happy for that, just so he could see her face.

“Hey, darling,” Andrew purred as she walked over to him.

“Cooking? You must have decided that Brenton’s coddling was too much?” She asked with a smile. Andrew groaned.

“Yes. And Troy’s… and Gabe’s. And yours, actually.” Andrew chuckled. She laughed softly and kissed his cheek.

“Well, we’re all just following Brenton’s lead,” Riley whispered with a small pout.

“Liar,” Andrew growled softly. “Troy and Gabe, yes. You? You are just enjoying being able to tell me what to do.” He watched a smile spread over her face.

“Yes, I am. Does this mean I’m higher in the ranks than you?” She teased in a small growl.

“No,” Andrew purred, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Prove it,” she whispered, and Andrew pulled her close slowly into a kiss. It was a soft kiss, it had to be, since his face was all fucked up. He and Zachary were also banned from… strenuous activity until they were healed. Andrew hated it.

“You know I can’t,” he snarled. “Don’t tease me.”

“Did you hear what happened to Brenton this morning?” She asked. Andrew frowned. He’d been told something… but he couldn’t remember what it was.

“Uh,” he searched for the words. “Remind me, I must not have been paying attention when he told me…”

He knew he’d spoken to Brenton about something…

“Some guys pledged their eternal support to the Kingson Pride, astounded by our ‘resilience and personal strength in times of great peril.’” Riley laughed. “They weren’t a part of Lana’s scheme.”

Andrew honestly didn’t know what she was talking about. And that made him not okay. He continued to listen to her talk about this meeting Andrew was sure he’d heard about before. He’d been with Brenton just earlier in the day…

He zoned out, thinking about it.

“Andrew, your timer is going off,” Riley chuckled. “Earth to Andrew?”

“What timer?” Andrew frowned.

“Oh, love,” Riley whispered. “You put something in the oven.”

“Fuck,” Andrew growled, rushing over to the oven as it went off. “I don’t know… what’s going on with me.”

“Andrew, how often is this happening?” Riley asked softly as he pulled the meat pies out.

“I normally remember things when someone else mentions them,” Andrew whispered. “But some things are going missing completely.”

“How much is going missing completely?” Riley inquired with a warning in her tone. She wasn’t going to accept him pulling rank or trying to hedge the conversation.

“Twice in the last week,” he sighed. “I remember meeting with Brenton after his meeting this morning, but I don’t remember what was said. And the other thing… something about the Kudo Pride.”

“They offered us their support as apologies for being used as a go-between for the assassins,” Riley told him as he set the pies out to cool.

“That,” he mumbled. Tears pricked his eyes. He had a great memory. He could memorize recipes and now he was constantly checking them, just in case. And now things were slipping.

“Andrew,” Riley sounded so sad, and Andrew felt his breath catch in his throat. “Tanaka said you might deal with this. And it could be permanent. You should have told us.”

“I was always the one who took care of everyone,” Andrew whispered. “Always.”

“Let us take care of you,” Riley pleaded. “Let us do this for you. You didn’t deserve this. You just wanted to be something for Brenton and the Pride, and it got you hurt. Let us take care of you for a little while.”

“It’s hard,” Andrew whispered. He didn’t want to lose his role in the Pride…

“Are you done in here?” She asked him softly. He nodded and let her take his hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Riley, I’m not allowed to do any strenuous activity.” Andrew growled softly.

“Then I’ll make this easy for you,” Riley chuckled. “But I think you need to relax and lay in bed. After that, we’re going to call Doctor Tanaka and tell him what’s going on.”

“You better make this good enough that I forget that second part,” Andrew purred at her, following her up to her room.

“I’ll do my best,” Riley chuckled, “but you need some loving.”

He did. Goddamn it, he really did.

She got her door for them and locked it behind her. He pulled her to his body and slowly, and so gently, kissed her. He let her rain kisses across his bruised and battered face as he tugged her shirt up.

“Slow,” Riley whispered, pulling back from him. He let her undress him instead. He felt tears in his eyes as she kissed every inch of him. He backed up and sat on the bed at her direction, a light push. Completely nude, he watched her kneel down in front of him and lick the underside of his shaft.

“Oh, fuck,” he groaned, closing his eyes for a moment. “Darling…”

“Hush,” Riley chuckled. He opened his eyes to see her take the tip of his cock in her mouth. He watched as she went further, making him moan.

He didn’t want it to end, but his balls tightened when she was able to take all of him. He hissed and wrapped a hand in her hair and pulled her back gently.

“Please,” he groaned. “Don’t end me like this. You’ll completely undo me if you keep that up.”

She laughed and got to her feet, letting his hand fall from her hair. He took her waist in both hands and pulled her close to stand between his thighs.

He tugged her shirt up and purred when she didn’t stop him. He kissed her breasts as he revealed them, loving the soft, creamy skin. He threw her shirt away and unclipped her bra, letting in fall to the floor between them. He didn’t care about the black lace or the dainty bows. He only cared about being with her and remembering it.

He took one of her nipples into his mouth and listened to her gasp. He ran his tongue over it and felt goosebumps raise on her skin. He purred, gently palming her other breast, making her back arch so they were pushed out to him even more. His free hand roamed down and undid her jeans, and she pushed them down, along with whatever little thong she had on.

“Naughty,” he growled, getting a glimpse of it around her ankles.

“You like it,” she purred.

“I do,” he chuckled.

“Lay back on the bed for me, Andrew,” she whispered, and he scooted back so his back was against the still-cracked headboard. They really needed to replace it, but Andrew heard a small rumor from Zachary about a plan to get her a completely new and bigger bed.

“Come here,” he growled. She crawled across the bed to him, and he held his breath as she straddled him. He slid a hand between her legs and used his other hand to pull her face to his. He rolled a thumb over her clit and covered her cry with a kiss. He slid two fingers into her, happy to know she was already completely wet for him. He already knew she was turned on, he could smell it, but something about feeling that wetness was a pleasure.

She broke the kiss and moaned into his shoulder. He growled as she bit down, and he pumped his fingers faster. He wanted more. He wanted to roll her over and worship that ass he loved so much, but that wasn’t in the cards for at least a month.

Then she accidentally hit the stitches on his side and he groaned, letting his head fall back to the headboard. A worse idea. That made his skull rattle and he could feel every single facial fracture he had.

“Fuck,” Andrew cursed. The pain made him stop the important work he wanted to be focused on.

“Oh, Andrew,” Riley looked horrified. “I’m sorry! This was a bad idea.”

“Don’t move,” he growled, throwing in every ounce of dominance he had into the command as she tried to get off his lap. “I’ll be fine. Let me have this, Riley.”

He watched her eyes go wide, and she settled back where he wanted her. He didn’t normally throw rank around, not in bed. Here, he wanted them to be equals, but he wasn’t going to be left with blue balls because she felt bad.

“This happened to me,” Andrew continued to growl, “and it sucks, but I’ll survive. And Riley, don’t take away my pride by treating me like an invalid. I fought for the Pride, and I won, like I always have. Like I always will.”

“Andrew,” she breathed out, gently touching his bruised cheek. “I know but… I never thought it would be you.”

“I’m not built for it… any of it,” Andrew swallowed. “I’ve always been what Brenton needed from me. Housekeeper, cook, political mind when they couldn’t manage on their own… I promised myself as a child that my Alpha deserved my best. But… my friend, Brenton, deserved everything. Anything. And I’ll give him that, no matter what. And, darling? I’ll give you that.”

“Why?” Riley whispered, looking teary.

“Because Jameson once told me that I would be thrown away.” Andrew held back tears too. “And I haven’t been. But… it’s possible now. I’m broken.”

“No,” Riley cried out to him, holding his cheeks gingerly. “No, Andrew, we would never throw you away. You belong with us, even if you want to only run the diner and be comfortable. Even if you need a little help. You’re mine. I would never let anyone push you aside. Brenton would never do that to you either. Zachary, Troy, and Gabe will always be at your side. You belong to us.”

Andrew cried softly, those old things Jameson said to him coming to the surface. Who did he believe, Riley or the man that raised him? A man he killed to protect his brothers.

Riley kissed him, and he gasped as she slid down on him. He hadn’t expected that.

“Darling,” he growled softly, as she gently wiped his face.

“Mine,” she whispered. “I love you. More than you can ever know.”

He let her ride him, groaning at every stroke. He held her close, letting her whisper sweet nothings to him as she took him. She reminded him that she loved him, reminded him that they all did, in their own ways.

He let his hands roam, remembering her, every single inch. The new scars from their war to survive. The tattoos he loved to see on her precious creamy skin. The dusty rose of her nipples.

She picked up her speed as he let a hand drift lower again and rub her clit softly. A gentle touch to send her over the edge and take him with her.

He listened to her cry out at his touch and felt her climax begin. She rode him through it, the rippling of her inner walls driving him mad.

He took her chin with his free hand and pulled her face to his. He kissed her as he followed her, shooting deep into her.

They were both left panting and wet-faced. They had both cried. Andrew wiped the tear tracks off her cheeks.

“I love you,” he whispered, full of emotion.

“I love you too,” she whispered back. “Forever and ever. Through it all.”

“I should talk to Brenton about this, shouldn’t I?” He asked, holding her to his chest. She didn’t fully relax, probably afraid of hitting his stitches again.

“You should. I can make the call to Tanaka and let him know. I’ll get an appointment scheduled.”

He swallowed more tears before they could start. He was broken. He didn’t know if he could be fixed.

But he had her. She would help him through this. He could trust that.

Now, he needed to tell his friend and Alpha.

* * *

The meat pies were a success. Riley had helped him prepare the rest of dinner, which they kept simple. Green beans, mashed potatoes. Simple.

After dinner, Andrew found Brenton just standing in the backyard, looking out over the woods.

“Anything wrong?” Andrew called out, kicking off his shoes to enjoy the grass beneath his feet.

“I am lonely,” Brenton whispered. “And I am not sure why.”

Andrew sighed, walking closer. It looked like Brenton had something he needed help with as well.

“When did it start?” Andrew asked, moving to stand next to Brenton. They had been here before, as youths. They stood like this while waiting for Zachary, Troy, and Gabe to come back after hiding Jameson’s body away. Andrew had been a wreck… so had Brenton.

Here they were again. Both wrecks.

“The moment I killed Lana.” Brenton said, devoid of emotion. “I would do it again. In a heartbeat. She was never really my family… but she also was the only one who understood.”

“She also tried to kill us… a number of times,” Andrew reminded him. He’d always told Brenton to handle her, and Brenton had always stepped back. He would kill any of their enemies… except her. Brenton always had a soft spot for the few family members he had left. His uncle Cameron. His aunt, Lana. The last connections he had to his parents and the bloodlines that had made him.

It was that tiny soft spot that had started this mess.

“She understood what it meant to be a Kingson and the pressure the rest of the world dropped on you,” Andrew agreed, continuing when Brenton didn’t. “She was also a cunning, dangerous woman who wouldn’t miss you. She wouldn’t feel lonely. She would go have a bunch of kids, finally, and take the figurative throne. Don’t miss her.”

“I don’t want it.” Brenton mumbled. “To be the last. Damn, Andrew… this is my family. This. If I could make you all Kingsons with me, I fucking would. You all deserve it, being here with me and for me all these years. Loving the same woman as me. I would give you my name for that. And then I wouldn’t be alone…”

Andrew choked on that, his eyes filling with tears.

“I need to tell you something, Brenton,” Andrew whispered. He couldn’t keep it to himself and Riley any longer.

“Let’s hear it,” Brenton sighed, looking sadly at Andrew.

“I’m having… some short-term memory problems… Riley and I scheduled an appointment with Tanaka and a specialist for next week.” Andrew said it as fast as he could. “I don’t remember the exact day…”

That hurt. Andrew couldn’t remember. He had it on his phone, but he didn’t want to check it.

He felt big arms wrap around him and stood, a little paralyzed, for a moment. Brenton was hugging him. This wasn’t a rare thing, he just hadn’t been expecting it.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Brenton asked, a small growl in the question as he nearly crushed Andrew.

“I was scared,” Andrew muttered, “that it would be too much of a problem for you to want me around anymore.”

“You were my first friend, Andrew,” Brenton groaned, pulling back. He held Andrew’s shoulders, and Andrew felt unnerved by Brenton’s gaze. “I am sorry, but I own your dumb ass. You are not going anywhere. You humble me. You remind me that normal people are out there and that they are capable of incredible things. And I love you like a brother.”

“I won’t be as good as I once was,” Andrew pressed the topic and Brenton chuckled.

“Andrew, I was never letting you get involved again, anyway. You have done enough and more. You never had to prove yourself to me. Funny enough, when we were kids, I just wanted to prove myself to you. The older one that knew what real hard work was. Fuck, man.”

Andrew pulled Brenton back into the hug and, silently, they stood in the grass until a soft laugh could be heard. Andrew snuck a glance and saw Riley smiling at them. The face she wore was very much an ‘I told you so,’ which made him laugh too.

“We are going to help you,” Brenton chuckled. “Every step of the way. If this is permanent, then fine. We can deal with that. Andrew, it is over. There is no one left for us to fight. With Lana gone, no one is going to stand up and try again. I have spent the last week telling every feline shifter on the earth that we are out. There is no reason to mess with us.” Brenton put his forehead to Andrew’s so gently, Andrew wondered if they were even touching or if they were just that close. “You can be whatever you want to be. House husband, diner owner, chef… Andrew… you do not have to be anything for me anymore, except you. And here. You need to be here. For her, for me. For Troy and Gabe, who still, somehow need a father-figure, or at least an older brother who is around. For Zachary, who needs someone to soften him a bit.”

“Plus, who’s going to watch me get completely fucked sideways?” Riley teased and both males turned to her. Andrew bared his teeth in a grin as Brenton growled low, readying himself to go after her.

She stuck her tongue out, and Brenton snarled. Andrew laughed as Brenton ran after her. She was quick as hell, but Brenton had longer legs. Andrew walked slowly, knowing he would find them in her room when he got there. Brenton would keep the door unlocked for him.

He felt lighter. Things were still dark for him. He just had to trust his family to help him through this. And hope that he never forgot a single minute of his time with them.

He could be whatever he wanted and not what he was needed to be. He could step back from the politics. He could fight with them, for them… and he could live a quiet happy life when fighting wasn’t necessary.

He also had an idea. He would need Riley’s help though. And Zachary’s. Troy and Gabe would just need to agree to it.