Steel Beauty

“Oh.”

“I know things are different in the Prides.”

You think?In the Pride a female like Gina would have been Outcast long before now for her treatmentof the “weaker” females. Not that any of the “weaker” females would have stood for it. They would havefound many, many ways to make Gina’s life miserable…

“I know that grin. The Grinch gets that grin every Christmas on my TV.”

Belle motioned Chela closer. “I havea plan  .”

“Does it have tweezers, very hot water, and Sea Breeze astringent in it?”

Belle waited, hoping Chela would explain what the hell she was talking about.

“Um. Never mind.”

“Oh, no. You can’t just let that one sit in my brain and percolate.”

Chela choked on a laugh. “My father made my mother very, very angry one day before he went to workon a big project.”

“Uh-huh. Men do that to women.”

“He called her from work and told her he was very sore after a long day, and that he wouldn’t be back

until the next day.”

“Why not?”

“He works construction in New York, and the drive can be murder when you’re hurting. Anyway, he

asked what he could do to soothe his muscles.”

“Oh, boy.”

“Yeah. She told him to take a very long, very hot shower, as hot as he could stand. Then, when he got

out, he was to splash Sea Breeze all over his body.”

“But…that would…” Belle’s eyes widened as she realized exactly how much pain splashing astringent

into wide open pores would be caused.

“Yeah. He had to sit in a cold tub forhours  . He called her and cursed her in three different languages

and didn’t come home for a month.”

“Didn’t that cause problems?” Now that she’d lived with Rick, even if it was only for a day, she couldn’t

imagine spending a month away from him.

“Oh, yes, but his other mate went up and took care of him. Then she and Mom got into a fight—”

“Othermate?”

Chela gulped, and Belle wondered exactly what her expression looked like to make the previouslyfriendly woman look wary. “Yes. It happens sometimes, that a Wolf finds he has two mates.”

Not my mate.

“It’s very rare, though, and unfortunately was the cause of a lot of my parents’ fighting.”

“Where are they now?”

“My mom lives in Santa Fe. My father and Brenda live in Texas.”

“So they don’t live together?”

Chela shrugged. “My father flies up to see my mom once a month. Now that they don’t have to livetogether, they actually get along fairly well. My mom doesn’t have to take care of him anymore; Brendadoes all of that.”

“Huh.”

Belle started when she felt Chela’s hand on her arm. “Don’t worry about it, Luna. Rick has only onemate.”

Belle felt her anger drain away at Chela’s touch, felt the brush of the other woman’s power as it soothedher Puma. She looked at the other woman in wonder as the knowledge of what was going on movedthrough her with swift assurance. “You’re the Omega.”

Chela’s hand drew back, her expression startled. “What?”

What?How the hell… What the…

It was like knowing Rick’s eyes were blue, or that drinking water would quench your thirst, or that Gina

Maldonado was a bitch in both senses of the word.

Belle bit her lip, wondering how to fix what she’d just blurted out. She knew she was right, but how tomake Chela see it? “Trust me, nobody these days takes me from pissed to pleased with just one touch.”

“Not even Rick?”

She shook her head slowly, watching the other woman’s face carefully. Belle wasn’t certain how tomake Chela see what was so clear to her. “Do me a favor, will you?”

“Sure.”

Chela still looked wary. She’d have to fix that. “I want you to think,really  think, about how the Packfeels right now.”

Chela’s head tilted to the side and she frowned. “How the Pack feels?”

“Are they angry? Are they upset? Who’s fighting right now? Who’s in need of a shoulder to cry on?”

Chela’s brow furrowed.

“C’mon, Chela, I know you know the answer. I can feel it in you.” Belle felt something strange moving

within her as she concentrated on Chela. “Tell me.”

And that something whipped out of Belle and wrapped around Chela, cocooning her in Belle’s strength.

Chela’s eyes blanked. “Gina is supremely pissed, and heading to the restaurant. Her flunkies are spoilingfor a fight. Rick is distracted. Not sure why. Ben is…” Chela looked startled before a muffled laugherupted. “Um. Not going there.”

Huh. Go Ben.“How does the Pack as a whole feel?”

Chela’s eyes slowly focused back on her, a wide smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “Hopeful.”

Belle matched Chela’s smile. “We need to talk to Rick. And I have an idea of how to deal with Gina.”

“You do?”

“Uh-huh.” Belle outlined her plan to the new Pack Omega. The look of wonder on Chela’s face was a

balm, but the unholy glee that eventually replaced it was even better.

Just as she stood to get settled into her scooter, Chela’s hand landed on her arm. “Luna?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Rick stepped into Lowell’s, prepared to meet Belle for lunch, and stopped cold.

Gina was hovering over his mate, snarling at her, right in the middle of Lowell’s dining area. Patrons,shifters all, watched with amusement as Belle stood there, her expression one of vapid confusion. Thescooter was right behind her, what looked like paperwork shoved willy-nilly into the basket. Her canerested against the seat as she stood under her own power and faced her rival.

“Who authorized these changes?”

Belle looked innocently baffled. “I did.”

Rick grinned at the sound of his mate’s voice. He stepped back and prepared to be entertained,crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall.

Gina had no idea what was about to happen, and he had no intention of enlightening her. He’d been onthe receiving end ofthis  mood often enough that there was no way he could not recognize it.