Oh yeah, Rudolph, you'll go down in my history...

Howliday greetings, shapeshifter lovers.

Apologies for the late post, but life got in the way... all the stuff that has to get done. I hope you are having a wonderfully tingly holiday season. Anyhoo, once again, I'm riding the coattails of Pat's flash scene from yesterday, which I adored!
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Oh yeah, Rudolph, you'll go down in my history...

"Empty as a glass of rum egg nog at Duff McDuff's tavern," Satriani muttered under her breath. She stuffed her gloved hands deeper into her pockets and continued her *looking at the Christmas lights* stroll through the neighborhoods surrounding her little cozy nest of a house.

She'd had her fill of the spectacular extravaganzas on previous nights, appreciating the ostentatious blasts of colored flashing lights and over-the-top creative designs. But tonight, her bleak mood directed her footsteps to those houses that had been simply yet lovingly decorated by the shapeshifter and supernatural families in Talbot's Peak.

Hearing tires on frigid asphalt, Satriana halted and half-turned. The SUV slowly progressed down the street. Recognizing Louie's ride, and what appeared to be Mayor Gil sitting beside the owner of Rattigan's, she gave a wave.

"Have a favorite this year?" Louie belted out from his partly rolled down window.

"Too many fantastic displays this year," Satriani hollered. "But I always like the Santa and his reindeer-on-the-roof ones the best."

Louie gave an acknowledging grunt. "What about the reindeer in the sleigh? He's got this hellacious whip and he's driving thirteen Santas. Kinda amusing, doncha think?"

"Yeah, amusing." Satriani giggled. "And the lead Santa has one eye-blinding red nose."

"One too many hot toddies." Louie smirked good-naturedly, and like the rat shifter he was. "Have a merry little Christmas."

"You too," Satriani shouted as Louie whirred his window back up as if the wintry frostiness was about to nip his nose, and his posterior.

Satriani continued her stroll along the snow-cleared sidewalk. What the heck? Why not head for Rudolph with the whip and Santa with the red nose? She didn't have anything better to do on this beyond-brisk Montana evening. Her Muse had gone mysteriously silent, and she couldn't put one word to paper, let alone on the computer screen. Dammit, not for the last week.

Well, her emptiness wasn't exactly mysterious. She'd been burning the proverbial big fat candle on both ends for the last five years. Ever since the last of her own oddball family had passed on to the Great Beyond, and there was a mere pittance left to live on.

Yeah, all to survive...to, at least, have a home, and enough food...she'd written steamy romance novels on the paranormal side. Oh, she'd tried to find a regular ole job in the beginning. But it had been a litany of excuses, and there'd never been one offer of employment.

Satriani blamed it on her eyes...for the most part. They were too bright, too high-strangeness spooky, as one of her ex-boyfriends said. "Like big shiny blue Christmas bulbs," another ex had stated just before dumping her.

Grimacing at the irony of that memory, given the holiday season, Satriani forced her clenched hands to open. That was another thing. No dates. Okay, to be honest, she hadn't even tried to attract any man. Too busy. Way too busy.

With her thoughts humming to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Satriani turned the corner, and moved toward the large impressive ranch house at the end of the cul-de-sac. Lead Santa's nose lit her way, a blaze of red illumination that covered the sidewalk.

To her knowledge she'd never met the owners of the mostly stone, early sixties ranch. The population in the Peak had skyrocketed the last several years, with her being one of those who now called the town home.

With her gaze captured by the reindeer driver who stood poised with his slashing-the-air whip, Satriani studied the realistic, life-size design. Amazingly detailed, Mr. Buck Reindeer wore a long Santa jacket and hat. His antlers were trimmed like a Christmas tree, the sparkly bulbs and golden trim made to appear windblown.

"What the...!" Curtains covering the huge front window snapped apart. Satriani stopped in her tracks, about twenty yards away, as an indoor spotlight switched on highlighting a beautifully dressed Christmas tree placed across the room.

Hearing "Santa Claus is coming to town" blare from speakers obviously placed outside the house, Satriani murmured again, "What the...?" Her jaw dropped, and her mouth hung open as a man... and hubba hubba! what a man... slid across the floor, wearing... well, nothing but a red satin thong and candy-stripe socks.

She froze, her eyes bulging from their sockets. Mr. Red Thong Calendar Model gyrated his hips and shook his bare booty to the popular holiday song. Hell, good effing lord! he could have danced at a male strip club with the sex-hot performance he put on.

Maybe he did for all she knew.

Was anyone else watching? For an instant, Satriani scoped her surroundings, but saw no one around. The neighbor's windows were dark, except for Christmas decorations. If someone else was enjoying the show, Satriani couldn't tell.

Heat surged from her core, spreading throughout her body until her cheeks flamed. Probably as bright as Lead Santa's neon nose, she figured... all while, her unexpected gift pranced like a rutting reindeer to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

Her feet moved of their volition, closer and closer, until she stood staring at his spectacular assets from not ten feet away. "Oh how this girl loved him," Satriani sang in a whisper. "As she shouted out with glee. Oh yeah, Rudolph, you'll go down in my history... and stay in my memory."

As if he knew he had an audience, Nearly Naked Sexy Man looked directly at her, then spun around. Satriani quivered inside, and another flare of heat shot though her. What a delicious smexy ass. Not to mention his gorgeously muscled thighs... his gorgeous everything.

Her jaw dropped again as he swiftly wrapped a string of lights around his chest, then reached for the glittery silver star atop the tree. Placing it above his head, he strode toward his front door.

Oh no! Satriani turned her upper body to leave quickly. Then, she tried to twist around, but her feet refused to budge. The door whipped open. Her eyes flew open.

And there he stood, Mr. Red Thong Man, tiny colored lights blinking on his yummy, hard muscley chest, the star held over his head... held over a longish, mahogany colored mane. And over a face that was contoured to perfection... over eyes that were chocolatey brown and twinkling.

"I've tried every way to meet you, Satriani."

Enveloped in his ultra deep voice, still she managed, "Meet me?"

Before Satriani knew it, he'd grasped her wrist, and pulled her inside his house. "Just don't call me Rudolph. My name is Zrexar, and yes, I'm a reindeer shapeshifter."

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Wishing you love and passion on the wild side ...

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance