Steel Beauty

“You had no right.” Gina was speaking through clenched teeth, never a good sign in a Wolf. It made him

wonder how long his mate had been playing with the alpha bitch.

“Oh, but I did. Rick made me not only manager, but part-owner of Lowell’s.” She smiled sweetly.

Ah, my curious little cat. I thought she’d find those papers.

Gina drew in a deep breath, her fury obvious. “He had no right to give you what is mine!”

“I believe it is the Alpha’s right to gift his Luna with whatever he wishes.”

Rick’s eyes widened as Chela boldly stood beside his mate, her gaze never leaving Gina’s face.

One of Gina’s minions moved forward, but Gina held up a hand. “Well, someone’s getting brave.” Thesneer on her face as she stared at Chela was met by a cold glare.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Belle’s gleeful sing-song words went right past Gina.

“Perhaps you need a lesson in who’s boss around here.” Gina stepped forward, her arm lifting, her hand

clenched into a fist.

Belle’s hand shot out so fast Rick barely saw it move, grabbing Gina’s wrist and stopping Gina’s fist aninch from Chela’s face.

The most interesting thing was, Chela didn’t even flinch. She just kept that cold, steady gaze on Gina.

That fixed, dead gaze was starting to give him the willies.

Gina howled in pain as Belle smiled vacuously. “Ireally  wouldn’t try to hit Graciela any more, okay?

That’s bad.” She shook her finger at Gina, who was desperately trying to get her wrist out of Belle’scurled hand. “Bad woof-woof.”

Half the patrons of the restaurant had their faces buried in their napkins, their shoulders shaking. The restwere openly laughing.

Rick scented blood and realized his kitty had unsheathed her claws right into Gina’s arm. Her prettygreen eyes had turned bright gold. Her expression was still as vapid as she could make it. A cheery smilegraced those full lips as she put her free hand in her pocket.

Gina managed to get her arm free of Belle’s grasp. “Bitch.”

“Oh, silly poodle. I’m not the bitch, you are, remember?” Belle shook her head sadly. “Didn’t your

mommy teach youanything  ?”

Rick swiped at his mouth, desperate to wipe the grin from his face as Gina shook with anger. To bedefeated by someone she considered inferior was bad enough, but to be defeated by someone who wasacting like a complete imbecile was intolerable to someone like her.

“Why you little—” Gina lunged forward, losing what little self-control she had.

Only to be brought up short by the air horn Belle pulled out of her pocket and set off right next to herear. The dominant female dropped, hands over her ears.

Belle let up on the button. “Not done yet.” Belle’s cheery voice floated through the sudden silence,causing more than one patron to choke out a laugh.

Mental note: take Belle’s new toy away.Rick’s ears were ringing from halfway across the room. Hecould only imagine what Gina and her coterie felt like. With another quickly hidden grin he realized Chelahad covered her ears, muffling some of the sound.

“So, here are the new rules, okay?” Belle looked dementedly happy as she started ticking things off on her fingers. “No more trying to piddle on Rick’s carpet. If anyone’s going to mark territory there, it’s me.”

Gina snarled up at Belle but rapidly pulled back when Belle brandished the air horn.

“No more beating up on the other women or I will take you to the vet and have you tutored.”

“Neutered.” Gina corrected her with a frown.

Belle leaned down and patted Gina’s cheek. “Don’t worry, sweetie,someone  would learnsomething  .”

Rick coughed as Belle straightened. He lost his fight with his grin as she winked saucily at him.

“And last, but not least, you will show deference to the Omega. Because if you don’t, youwill  regret it in a very bad, not good, terribly awful way.” She was really laying on the inane sincerity. Rick wondered what she was up to, and how much in damages he’d probably have to pay.

Gina bared her teeth at Belle. “Who’s the Omega?”

“Me.” Chela’s grin was not in any way friendly.

“You?” Gina’s laugh reminded Rick of a hyena, especially when her loyal minions joined her.

There was a gasp as Belle rapped Gina on the nose with…

Rick lost it. His Luna had just hit the dominant female with some rolled-up papers she must havegrabbed from her scooter.

God I love that woman.

“Bad woof-woof.” Belle shook her finger, completely ignoring Gina’s shocked expression. The alpha covered her nose with her hands. “No Milk-Bone for you.” Belle gave Gina that horrendously serene, vacuous smile, and Rick tensed. “Now, remember. The Omega, that’s Graciela for those of you with two-second scrolling memories, outranks all of you. So,” she clapped her hands together, setting off the air horn for a brief, shrieking moment of pain, “I want you to treat her with respect.”

“No.”

Belle looked sad as she shook her head. “Oh, honey, you’re just not the quickest bunny in the forest,are you?” Someone snickered. “It’s not me you need to be afraid of.”

Gina stood, her sneer not nearly as pronounced as it had been. “No?”

“Nope. Well, okay,sometimes  you need to be afraid of me. But not right now.”

“Then who do I have to be afraid of? Rick?”

“Nope.” That scary cheer was there again.

“Then who?”

Belle sighed, and looked at Chela. Chela never took her eyes off Gina.

Gina’s face went white as Chela let Gina and her friends have it with both barrels. Rick had no idea what Chela was doing to them, but it didnot  look pleasant. Gina was soon a sobbing wreck on the floor,curled into a ball of misery, and her friends weren’t any better.

“Now remember, poodles, the Omega outranks everyone but the Alpha, Luna, Beta and Marshall.” Belle tapped Gina on the head with the rolled-up papers. “That means you. So I would treat her with respect, or this could become a daily, perhaps anhourly  , occurrence around here.”

The savagely gleeful anticipation on Chela’s face let him know that she would probably use anyinfraction of the Luna’s new rules, intended or not, to inflict pain on Gina and her minions.