ANDREW
The lockdown was killing him slowly. Nothing to do, Andrew just puttered around the kitchen all day waiting on reports from his managers. He tried new recipes, but they needed groceries. They didn’t have enough food for six people over several weeks.
He was dying of boredom. He watched Brenton walk in and finally grew the balls to say something.
“Boss, we need food. It’s been a week and we have little to nothing left,” Andrew leaned on the counter as Brenton sighed and nodded.
“Yeah I know.”
“And the hunters haven’t been seen around town the entire time we’ve been on lockdown except that party Sheriff caught them having,” Andrew raised his hands in a nearly begging fashion. “Let me go out and buy some food.”
“Alright,” Brenton jumped on the counter. “I’ll go with you, and let’s get Riley out of the house. She’s getting cabin fever. Zachary will be in charge of the mansion with Troy and Gabe, making sure no one attacks us here while we are gone.”
“Really?” Andrew couldn’t believe it. Brenton must have been considering this already.
“Yeah. Go get her and make sure she’s decent for the public,” Brenton gave a small smile.
Andrew ran up the stairs at top speed. He knocked on her door and tried his best to be patient. When she opened it, he picked her up and swung her.
“We can leave the house to buy groceries! We’re going to Joey’s! Get dressed!”
She was sputtering when he finally let her down.
“Come on!” He ushered her into her bedroom and went to her closet to grab jeans, a tee, and a jacket for her to wear. When he handed it to her, she had a bemused smile on her lips. He couldn’t resist kissing her, slow and hard.
“Well, Andrew,” she laughed. “I’m happy for you. This is wonderful news.”
“Brenton is coming with us. He’s got it planned out, so hurry up.” He smacked her ass, and she squealed. He grinned as she dressed and pulled her in for another kiss once she was ready, playing with her tongue until she moaned.
They met Brenton downstairs and were off. It was a fun ride. Andrew had never been more excited to go grocery shopping.
“I’m so happy to be getting out of the mansion,” Riley sighed, staring wistfully at the town as they drove through. “I hate being cooped up.”
“I agree,” Andrew grinned at her. “It’s why I love having the diner so much.”
“I’m sorry we’ve had to do this,” Brenton sounded only a tiny bit apologetic. He mostly sounded like a guy who thought he knew best. Andrew sighed and shook his head.
“I think we let them win by going on lockdown,” Andrew retorted.
“You have made that very clear,” Brenton growled. Riley looked between them. Andrew knew she hadn’t known about their fight over it.
“I just-”
“I know, Andrew,” Brenton cut him off, Andrew growled softly. They were all sitting in the front of his pickup, but Brenton was driving. Riley was sitting in the middle, sinking a little to stay out of it.
They pulled up to Joey’s, and Riley was the first in the door.
“Hey Joey! Long time no see!” She ran to the older human and hugged him.
“Look at you,” Joey held her shoulders, grinning. It had been a couple weeks since they last went grocery shopping, and Andrew knew this was the scene every time they came to Joey’s Grocery. Like Sheriff, Joey had informally adopted Riley when she landed in Wild Junction. Luckily, he was much easier going than fucking Sheriff, who was cool and all, but a bit too intense for Andrew. And nosy as shit.
Brenton and Andrew both took a cart and began moving up and down the aisles while Riley ran around and grabbed whatever she wanted, dumping it into both carts to keep them confused.
“Riley, do you really need Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and Pepperidge Farm?” Andrew heard Brenton growl softly. He smiled at the playful tone in it. “They are all cookies.”
“Yes, because they’re all three different types of cookies, and,” her voice dropped to a low whisper, “my fucking period is in like three days.”
“Fuck, let’s buy all the chocolate too,” Brenton suddenly didn’t sound like he was having a good time.
They avoided talking about her time of the month. Not because it grossed them out, but because she had really bad cramps and they couldn’t fix it. Nothing drove them crazier than a problem they couldn’t fix. Her doctor said the birth control shot she was getting should lessen those problems, but they were still waiting on that particular side effect.
Andrew was still chuckling to himself as he heard more stuff fall into Brenton’s cart. Riley was suddenly next to him, tossing in strawberry cake mix.
“Riley, I can just bake a cake.” Andrew tried to grab the mix, and she slapped his hand.
“I want to bake the cake.” She stuck her tongue out, and Andrew got her. He dove in for a long kiss, taking that tongue into his mouth and playing with it. When they separated, he had the cake mix. He put it away on a random shelf and pointed at her.
“I will teach you how to make a strawberry cake then,” Andrew grinned. “From scratch.”
“Ugh,” she gave her favorite fake groan. “Fine!” She threw her hands up.
“You might convince Brenton to buy you the entire store’s worth of sweets, but you won’t get me,” Andrew laughed. “And I’m ashamed you like all the processed stuff more than my cooking.”
“That’s not it! I can’t have you baking cookies all the time, we work.” Riley laughed. “And I want cookies.”
Andrew kissed her one more time, pulling on one of her lip rings, and looked around. People were going about their business, but a few were looking at her and Andrew. He frowned a little at the looks.
They met back up with Brenton at the fresh produce, and Riley let him pull her into his arms. Andrew thought it was a bit cute how Brenton really enjoyed just holding her all the time. It was the softest thing about their Alpha, that craving for physical contact. He also gave the most hugs to all the guys, believing that physical contact reinforced their family bonds. Andrew couldn’t find a way to fault the idea: sometimes hugs were just nice. Andrew liked hugs just as much.
He watched Brenton lean down and kiss her slowly, sensually. A promise. And heard a few gasps around them. He looked around and saw some of the staring people from earlier. Fuck.
“Hey, let’s hurry and get out of here,” Andrew whispered to them.
“I got one more thing I want,” Riley took off, ignoring the stares and condemnation in some of the faces around them. She probably didn’t even hear the gasps, too wrapped up in Brenton.
Andrew looked to Brenton, who narrowed his eyes at the people around them.
“They saw me kiss her like that earlier,” Andrew hissed, “and now you.” Brenton frowned.
“Shit, yeah let’s get out of here. She will meet us at the counter.” Brenton and Andrew both took their carts to the front. Riley was running back, grinning. She had icings and all sorts of nonsense.
“For decorating that cake,” she dropped it all in.
“Fine,” Andrew chuckled. “I could just make it-”
“From scratch, yes I know.” Riley sounded a bit like she was making fun of him. He grinned at her but had to resist the urge to smack her cute ass for it.
As Joey rang them up, a woman and her husband walked by and Andrew tensed when he opened his mouth.
“Gold digging whore,” the old man whispered. He probably thought he was speaking low enough for only Riley to hear but even Joey heard it. He stopped scanning for a second before starting again.
“You want to say that to my face, old man?” Riley growled, spinning around to see the older middle-aged couple. “You have a problem with me?” Andrew and Brenton both turned as well. Brenton’s face was one of pure unadulterated fury, his gold eyes were stone cold. Andrew had a feeling he looked similar.
“Yeah, I do,” the old man snarled. “My daughter was fired and arrested because you figured out how to spread your fucking legs to the right people.”
“Winter was fired because she was sexually harassing her fucking boss and being mean to the customers, jackass,” Riley snarled. “She was arrested because she committed fucking arson.” Fuck, these were Winter’s parents. He remembered them now, since he saw them in court when Winter was sent to juvenile detention for setting the fire.
“I fired your daughter because she deserved to be fired. You can talk to Sheriff Johnson about her arrest.” Andrew was growling.
“Doesn’t change the fact that you are obviously fucking all of these rich boys and acting like a slut,” the woman that time, who was red with anger, her face tight. “And he promoted you for doing it.” She pointed at Andrew.
“What happens in my bedroom is none of your fucking nosy business,” Riley hissed. “You know nothing about my relationships with the guys.”
“You two should get out of my store,” Joey spoke up, glaring at the couple. “I won’t tolerate that nasty behavior.”
“But you tolerate her nasty behavior? Fine, we don’t need to shop here.” The man grabbed his wife and they stormed out. Andrew felt Riley shaking with fury.
“Brenton, can you finish up?” Andrew asked softly, grabbing Riley and pulling her out before Brenton answered.
He took her all the way back to the SUV and held her tight where no one could see them.
“Are you okay, darling?” He asked her quietly.
“I’m fine,” she took a long shaky breath. “It was bound to happen eventually.”
“Yeah sure, but with everything else going on…” Andrew kissed the top of her head. “We were stupid enough not to think this through when we got together.”
“Yeah, but I don’t regret any of it,” Riley mumbled into his chest. “You are all mine, I’m yours and it’s my life. Perfection in my eyes. Fuck people like them. They can’t judge me for this. This has nothing to do with them.”
“Oh, darling,” Andrew groaned. “Stay with me when we get home? We haven’t had much time together. All the other guys have been hogging you.”
“I can do that,” she whispered to him.
Brenton walked up, and they loaded up the bed of the pickup. They drove home in silence except for Brenton’s apologies about what happened in the store. Riley told him the same thing she’d told Andrew. They all belonged together, and that was what she wanted.
Nothing had happened at home, and Andrew left everyone else to deal with the groceries. They knew where everything went, and he would need to clean it all up later anyway to start dinner.
He pulled Riley all the way to his room, not hers. He’d had something on his mind for a while, and it was time for it to happen. After what happened in the store, all he wanted was a good moment with their girl.
“Andrew!” She was laughing as he pulled her clothing off, kissing everything he exposed.
“Shh,” he chuckled, tossing her on the bed once she was nude. She was still laughing as he grabbed her legs and got between them, sucking her clit. She stopped laughing at that, throwing her head back. He grinned, sending one lick deep in her to make her scream. He ate her out for a long time, through one orgasm and then a second.
But this wasn’t what he wanted. He flipped her over and stripped his clothing off, looking down at the now boneless woman he loved. Oh yeah, he loved her. He wasn’t scared of that, even if none of them ever said those words. He knew all the guys were madly in love with her, but they wanted her to say it. To all of them.
“Darling, you’ve been keeping a secret from me,” he growled, grabbing a bottle from a draw in his night stand.
“Have I?” She was sleepy and wistful. He was going to ruin that for her but at least she was relaxed. He popped the bottle open.
“You have,” he chuckled. He put a drop of the lube on two of his fingers, lathering them up, preparing them. He kneed her legs open. She was ass up and the sight was fucking perfect, in Andrew’s opinion. Andrew loved a nice ass and it was time to show Riley just how much. He slid the two lubed fingers into her tight backdoor and she screamed in pleasure. “Brenton and Zachary have been playing with you here and you never told me. But they did.”
“Oh fuck, Andrew!” She was gripping the sheets and looking back at him. “I didn’t know-”
“I love a gorgeous ass, darling. And I want yours before they get to it.” He bit down on her ass cheek, pumping his fingers in her slowly. She was already screaming, and he wondered just how loud she would get once he was balls deep in her.
“Andrew! Oh God! Please!” She was panting, desperate for his cock, and he growled happily, hard as a fucking rock. She liked to call him sweet, but right now he never felt more primal and dominant. He’ll show her fucking sweet, he snarled internally, grinning.
“You sure? You want to let me to fuck you here?” He was growling near constantly now and shoved his fingers down to his knuckles. She screamed a yes, nodding her head vigorously, jerky, sending those golden blonde waves flying, her amber eyes glazed.
He pulled the fingers out and lubed up his cock, also applying it liberally to her ass, fingering more inside her. He wanted this to go smoothly.
She was panting in anticipation as he stood off the bed and lined himself up, pressing the head of his cock to her pink, tight little hole.
“You know to stay relaxed, right darling?” He searched her face.
“Yes, please Andrew,” she moaned back him.
“I want you to play with your clit while I’m in you. Don’t stop,” he growled, pushing into her slowly. His head was in, and she was hollering, letting the entire house know where she was. She had kept them all awake at least once a week because she could be so loud. Andrew loved it.
He continued to slowly ease in. At about half-way, he pulled back a little, letting her noises wash over him.
“So fucking tight, darling,” he snarled. “Fucking heaven.”
He slowly shoved in all the way, seating himself balls-deep. He felt her muscles react, squeezing him as he stayed there for a long time. Riley needed to adjust to it. He knew she’d had plugs, beads, and fingers in her before but a cock as thick as his was an altogether different beast.
“Please, Andrew! Fuck me, please!” She was begging him, and he groaned. She was doing as he asked, rubbing her own clit to help her climax.
He rocked slowly to start, fucking her with long, practiced strokes as she screamed his name and to a God he knew she didn’t believe in.
“Harder!”
Fuck, he couldn’t deny her that. He grabbed her hips and thrust faster, making her ass shake as he picked up the tempo and force. They rocked the bed, her voice echoing in the room. Andrew panted from the feeling her tight muscles wrapped around him.
He loved anal, and Riley did too, if her screams of pleasure told him anything.
She came in an explosion and Andrew grunted, trying to continue. He wasn’t ready to be done but her muscles squeezed him tighter than anything he’d ever felt, and he came deep in her ass, roaring.
They stayed like that for a long time, him buried deep in her, trying to stay on his feet. She was slowly sliding off her knees and elbows onto her stomach.
“Oh God, Andrew,” she moaned. “That was fucking fantastic.”
“I thought you would enjoy it as much as I do,” he chuckled, finally easing out of her slowly. He was soft from the large load he’s released. “I’m going to shower, somehow. You should too, we’re both covered in lube.”
She moaned and nodded, but didn’t move. He had to carry her to the shower and bathe her. It was slow and easy, both of them exhausted from the afternoon of excitement.
She fell asleep in bed instead of getting up for dinner, and he ran his hand through her hair.
“Oh darling,” he chuckled, wishing he could pass out with her but he had dinner to make for the pride.
He let her stay there, stretching as he wandered into the kitchen to find all the guys hanging out.
Troy and Gabe both had laptops and waved at him, watching knowingly. Zachary shouldered him playfully, making Andrew do it back. They entered a shoulder-off and Andrew lost, hitting the wall with a thud. He couldn’t beat the big fucking tiger, but it was a fun little game between them. Brenton was sitting on the counter, frowning at a bunch of stuff set out from the shopping trip.
“Finally here to make dinner?” Brenton picked up a drink, took a sip, and Andrew wondered how he kept his expression so mild all the time.
“Yeah, sorry I’m a little later than usual,” Andrew grinned, shaking his head. His long hair was down from the shower, shaking with him. He was the only guy in the pride with long hair, and he liked it. He started keeping it long because his hair never cooperated when it was short, sticking up in nearly a hundred different directions, and he got tired of the buzz cuts that most places decided he needed.
“Oh, we know,” Brenton’s lips curled into a bored smile. “Where’s our girl? She not hungry, or will she be down closer to dinner?”
“She’s passed out in my room.” Andrew’s grin was sheepish, now, and he felt his ears heat up at the thought of where she was. And where he just was, balls deep in her ass. “I couldn’t bring myself to wake her.”
“We’ll give her an hour then someone will go get her for dinner,” Brenton chuckled.
“Give her two hours, I’m making a new recipe tonight,” Andrew had a variety of vegetables in front of him.
“Oh, what’s cooking, chef?” Zachary leaned on the counter next to him, looking over the things in front of him.
“Main course: Seafood pot pies. As for everything else, I’m doing a vegetable roast, a fruit salad, and a pasta salad just to round out the table and have enough,” Andrew went into the fridge and got out all the meats. “The pot pies will have salmon, shrimp, scallops, and crab for meats. So, I hope you fucking cats are ready for a treat.”
“Oh fuck, Andrew, I love you,” Troy’s awed voice hit him, and he laughed, looking to the snow leopard.
“Come over here and prove it,” Andrew winked at Troy, who laughed back to him.
“Pervert,” Troy grinned. “But if you want…” Troy stood up playfully. “I’m game if you are.”
Andrew couldn’t contain himself. Troy and Gabe always were on the gray end of straight with each other, but neither ever confirmed the real status of that… brotherhood. It was fine. None of them really cared, as long as the leopard brothers were happy. Andrew grabbed his crotch and waggled his eyebrows at Troy, who fell out of his chair in laughter. Zachary was howling, and Brenton was giving his signature grin, shaking his head at the antics of the pride. Oh, if only Riley could see this, Andrew chuckled to himself. She had before, and it was always a delight when she got involved.
“Alright, all of you,” Brenton waved his hand around. “Get dinner done, please.”
They joked around the entire two hours, and, as Brenton brought Riley down, Andrew realized they found what they had been missing. They all watched her sit down at the table, Andrew’s own heart too full for words for a moment.
For a long time, the pride had been cold, taking one step in front of the other and unable to really feel true passion for the world they lived in. Now they had a fire to warm their hands to, a dangerous and unruly thing but theirs. And she was smiling at him, thanking him for dinner, those warm amber eyes glittering in happiness.