Dana Bell: Little Red

“Belle?” Rick Lowell, Alpha of the Poconos Wolves Pack, slammed shut the door of the apartment he shared with his Luna, Belle Campbell. “Belle!” He walked quickly into the master bedroom. He didn’t have time to fuck around. The party was going to start in an hour and he still had to get into his costume.

No answer. He checked the bathroom, but she wasn’t there. Bits and pieces of hair and makeup littered the surface of the countertop, letting him know that at some point she had been there. “Fuck. Where the hel did she leave my costume?”

Belle must be downstairs getting ready for the lodge’s guests. The human party would take place in the main part of the hotel. Each of the Wolves Rick had working tonight would get some time off to visit the shifter party, but the human party was a big deal for the ski lodge. To him it kicked of the Fall/Winter season, and was something he looked forward to every year.

The shifter part of the party would be held in the private area reserved for Pack functions, far enough away from the humans that they could let their animals have fun in peace.

He headed back into the bedroom, only then noticing the pile of clothing on the bed. “Thank God.” Belle had left his costume for him, neatly laid out. No guessing what he was supposed to wear… wait. He frowned down at the red checkered shirt.

“She’s dressing me as a lumberjack?” He picked up the shirt to find a pair of neatly folded red slacks under them. His eyebrows shot up. “A gay lumberjack.” His chest rumbled with a suppressed growl. Under the pants was a red cloak. “A flaming gay lumberjack.”

He ripped his phone off his belt and dialed. “Belle.”

She interrupted him before he could do more than threaten with his voice. “Put it on, no excuses.” She hung up, but he’d heard the laughter in her voice.

Oh Belle. You are in so much trouble. He ripped off his t-shirt and pulled on the flannel. When I get my paws on you, baby, you will regret this.

He turned around to sit on the bed and damn near tripped over something else she’d left on the floor. He bit his lip, torn between laughter and aggravation. Could he bring himself to wear the outfit she’d left him? And what would she do to him if he didn’t?

He had first hand knowledge of how sharp his pretty kitty’s claws could be.

So much trouble. He thought about his little Puma Luna who’d brought him so much joy along with the aggravation. But so damn worth it.

Belle sprinted through the restaurant as fast as her bad leg would let her.

Everything had to be perfect before her Wolf showed up. God knew what would happen when he did. She had the feeling her Wolfman was going to want to assert his manhood, if he dared show up in the outfit at all.

Frankly she would be surprised if he did. The idea for the matching costumes had come to her when she’d been on her way home from a doctor’s appointment in Halle. The song had been on the radio, and she’d immediately known what she wanted to do. She just hoped he could see the humor in the outfit.

She looked around the lobby of the lodge and nodded. Everything looked good here. Strange how quickly this place had become home. Rick and the other Wolves had gone out of their way to accept her. Well, almost all of them. One crazy bitch and her posse were long gone thanks to some kitty ingenuity and a liberal use of air horns.

She paused as a flash of red caught her eye, but it wasn’t Rick. If he actually wore what she’d left him she had some very interesting after-party plans for her big bad Wolf. But right now she had a crisis involving shrimp cocktail to deal with. She raced back towards Lowell’s, the restaurant she managed, eager to avert the last party crisis and enjoy her evening.

“No fucking way.” Rick stared at himself in the mirror. “I am not showing up in this getup.” He’d be the laughingstock of the shifter community. What the hel had she been thinking, putting him in something like this? He was a man, not a-

The doorbell rang. He thought for about two seconds about not answering it, but he knew who stood on the other side of that door. Being a Wolf Alpha meant that he could hear the thoughts of every single one of his people, and he could clearly hear what Ben was thinking. Ben would use the emergency key Rick had given him a long time ago, especially if he thought for some reason that Rick was chickening out on his own party.

The door slammed. Yup. I’m going to kill her. “Boss? What’s the hold… up?”

Rick glared at Ben. His Marshall’s voice had squeaked on that last word. The man was laughing so hard his devil tail was bopping like an insane baton. “Don’t. Say.

Anything .”

“Rick? Is everything all right? You feel kind of weird.” Rick closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as his Omega, dressed as a witch, stepped into the room.

“Oh. Oh my. I thought Bel e was joking when she mentioned she might do that.”

From the sounds of choked-back laughter the two of them were making it was going to be a long night.

“We’re going to have to advertise for a new Luna.”

“W-why?” Ben choked out, finally getting his unmanly attack of giggles back under control.

“Because I’m going to kil her.”

“Now Boss, don’t go overboard. There’s a certain… humor in what you’re wearing.”

Rick growled.

“Seriously. Besides, you should see what she’s wearing.”

Rick stopped growling. “That good?”

Ben nodded. “Better.”

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. “I’m not sure a fucking bikini would make up for this.” Hell, he wasn’t certain naked would make up for this. Groveling and begging for forgiveness might make up for it. He pictured Belle on her knees, her green eyes glowing with remorse, and nearly laughed.

Yeah. That’ll happen.

Chela was too busy laughing to answer, so Ben did. “C’mon man. It’s Halloween.

Have some fun with it.” Ben got a sly grin on his face. “I know Belle is.”

He eyed his Marshall. “Oh?”

“Let’s just say it’s pretty obvious she’s not wearing a bra.”

Rick whipped around so fast his long red braid smacked Ben in the nose. His icy blue eyes turned brown as his Wolf let him know he was not pleased. Nobody got to see his little kitty bouncing like that but him. “Let’s go.”

He stomped past a giggling Chela. “W-wait!”

He growled and turned back, only to find something shoved into his hands. “Don’t forget your p-prop.” And Chela was off again, her witch’s hat bobbing merrily.

Rick rolled his eyes, gritted his teeth, and headed out the door.

Belle tapped her furry foot impatiently. Thank God she’d found these cheap shoes to destroy. They were comfortable, the right color, and she didn’t feel too badly about hot gluing fake fur onto them. The heels were low enough that they didn’t hurt her hip but still high enough that they made her legs look good. She’d let her own claws loose for the shifter part of the party but painted them shiny black for the human part.

She doubted any of the humans present would know they were the real thing.

A guest strolled by and eyed her up and down. She smiled at him. Be nice.

“Welcome to the Red Wolf Lodge. Are you a guest of the lodge, or just here for the party?”

He grinned. “I’m here for the party, but I could be a guest if you want me to be.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and pointed one claw towards the party.

“The party’s in the lobby.” She put on her best hostess, I’m-a-bimbo-ignore-me smiles.