A Christmas Tail (2 page)

All laughter and playing around stopped as guns were drawn and the girl on the ground was forgotten.

The man grinned. “Looks like we have a hunt boys,” the man looked down at the tied-up girl. “I’ll be back,” he stated, but Betsy knew he wouldn’t because he would be the first one to die tonight. It was time to have some fun.

Chapter One

He was furious. “Where are you, little kitten?” Barry ground his teeth together and turned to see Isaac next to him, his hand landing on his shoulder, squeezing it. Even after the incident with Orion, he had never felt so scared, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“We’ll find her, but if Abby is right, you three are going to have to take it real slow with her. She doesn’t trust anyone, not even Abby and Lacey from what Abby has mentioned,” Isaac said, and stepped aside, allowing Abby to move between them.

“There was one place Betsy seemed drawn to. It’s a long shot, but when we took a drive to the new home site we went for a run. She took off and I found her. Betsy was marking one of the houses. The house was actually out of place among all the new ones, but I could see why she liked it. It was a log cabin with a wrap-around porch. It even had a tree house in the back for children. Betsy climbed up in it and started to laugh. It was the first time I’ve heard her laugh. Then the tears started and she remembered her kids weren’t with her.”

Barry stared down at the cat next to him, seeing the house Abby was talking about in his mind. One thing good about being part Demon was that he had certain abilities that others didn’t and right now he wasn’t ashamed of using them.

“You see the house?” Isaac asked, staring at him and shocking him. “You forget the ceremony we just had?”

He nodded, his head and called to Orion and Davis. “Let’s go! We’ll meet you back at the warehouse when we find her.”

“We’ll be right behind you,” Lacey said and grabbed onto Isaac’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“We’re going, but only because I know you won’t settle down until you find her. Dan, Andrew, bring the cars. Abby, we’re going to have a long talk about you two taking off like that.” Isaac stated before he vanished before his eyes.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go,” Davis placed his hand on Barry’s shoulder, as did Orion, ready to leave.

For so long Barry had refused to listen to Davis and Orion about him being the
Orak
, but when Orion had been hurt last year, it was all it took to get him claim his position, killing those that threatened what was his.

Barry turned his attention to Orion, the skin around his gray eyes crinkled up as he smiled. “And we are grateful you have finally taken your position, but you know it’s not your fault I was hurt. Not, let’s get our little lost kitten before she comes to harm.”

Those last words twisted in his gut as Barry transported them to the exact house he had seen in Abby’s head. Isaac had a hold of Lacey as she growled. Loud music could be heard a few streets down along with gunfire.

“I’m taking Lacey back to her home, Dan and the others will be here soon.” Isaac lifted a furious Lacey up and disappeared but not before Barry had heard the mention of a cage.

Orion and Davis spread out on alert. Their little kitten had been here. The three of them stopped and looked to the east when they heard her cat roar. Something or someone had pissed their kitten off.

“Let’ go,” he ordered and the three of them spread out, searching for Betsy and hunting for what it was that had pissed her off. Bones snapped and muscles stretched as the three of them shifted. Barry the massive black tiger he’d been born as, Orion the jaguar, and Davis, a leopard.

Following what was left of Betsy’s prints and scent, he crept around the corner of one house and down the road to turn left onto a dead end street when he heard the gunfire again along with screams. The beast inside rose, demanding he kill those who would threaten what was his. Early on Barry had learned to control the demon side of his nature, but right now it was a challenge. He crouched down and listened.

“Drake, go to the left, I know I hit that cat once. She won’t be hard to take down now,” one thug said, earning a death sentence in Barry’s book. Focusing in on his voice and his movements, Orion shot past Barry and took the man down before he could. Barry grinned inside knowing Orion didn’t want him taking any chances and was protecting him, but he was going to have to back down a little.

“
Find Betsy, she needs you Sir,
” Orion stated before he sank his fangs into the man’s neck. The other human was dead also as Davis took him to the ground.

“She needs all three of us. We’ll speak tonight Orion,” Barry stated and continued to follow the small drops of her blood which lead him to where the cars were parked. Betsy knelt before a woman, untying her hands and arms. “There is a blanket over there in the car. Would you get it for me? She’s going into shock,” Betsy asked as her gaze met his.

After he shifted, Barry moved to the car, doing as she asked. “You’re hurt,” he knelt down next to them wrapping the blanket around the woman’s naked body.

“I’ll live. It’s just a scrape, but we really need to get her to a hospital. She’s not doing good.” Their little kitten ripped off her shirt and started to tear it into pieces.

“What are you doing?” he snarled and took off his coat, trying to cover her up, seeing where she had been shot in the side. She was right it was a scrape, but still seeing her hurt he want to kill the man who had done it himself.

“I’m trying to wrap he leg and stop the bleeding. That pig stabbed her a few times.” Betsy rolled her and took his coat as Dan and Anthony pulled up in their vehicle, followed by other warriors who spread out forming a circle around them in case there were others around.

“We need two men to take the woman to the nearest hospital and we’re going to need a clean-up around the corner,” he stated to Anthony. Davis and Orion moved next to Betsy as she wrapped the woman’s wounds.

“There were four  men here, two are down to the right, but the other two ran.” Betsy glanced up at him. “None of them saw me change though, but they should be dead for what they have done to her.” Their kitten snarled and stood as one of the warriors came over and scooped the woman up into his arms, careful of her injuries.

“They won’t get far. Our men will find them. Where are you going?” Barry asked, following Betsy away from the scene. “You need to go back to your place and rest,” Barry placed his hand on her shoulder and she swung around to glare at him.

“I don’t have a place. I’ve never had a home since that night, don’t you get it? I don’t know how to do what Lacey has done with her men.” She slowly turned away from him and started moving again. “I wouldn’t even know how to set up a home,” she whispered as she stopped in front of the house he had seen in Abby’s head and stared up at it.

“What did you mean ‘you’ve never had a home’? Haven’t you had your own place over the years since you got away?” Barry couldn’t believe what she’d said. He stood beside her and stared down at her while Orion and Davis moved closer.

“No time, and I couldn’t stay in one place long.” She glanced up at him. “They.. My father and his people found me twice, but I got away each time.” Betsy turned and started to move up onto the porch, running her hand over the wooden railing. “With him gone...” she paused and turned to look at the door. “Maybe it’s time to set up a place, one for my children, while I search for them.” She reached for the handle and turned it, but it was locked.

“While we search for them. Orion,” Barry nodded to the door and pulled Betsy back so Orion could open it. “The three of us will help you do both, Betsy. We’re not going anywhere. What is important to you is also important to us now. There is no us without you.” He placed his finger over her lips, stopping her words.

“We know it will take time for you to get used to us, and for us to get used to having you around, but we are meant to be together, fates have decreed it and I for one do not want to mess with them.” He tapped her nose and watched her frown.

“The fates? They’re real and you know them? Now I know I’m over my head here,” Betsy said and stepped inside as soon as Orion opened the door for her.

“I’ve met two of them. Quiet nice, as long as you don’t piss them off. This is bigger than it looks.” Barry stated looking at the grand entrance to the house. He moved into the family area with Betsy. “I love that wall with the fireplace. I can see the children’s stockings hanging there for Santa Claus,” he teased, nudging Betsy with his shoulder, but that’s when he noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks and his heart seemed to seize up.

“What? What’s wrong?” Barry stepped in front of her. Orion moved to cover her back while Davis checked the rooms.

“It’s me, everything is fine,” Betsy said putting her small hand on his shoulder before moving around him to the fireplace. “I think it’s going to take one of those Christmas miracles I’ve heard of to find my babies. Did you know I didn’t even get a chance to hold them? They were cut out of me and taken away?” Betsy ran her hand over the fireplace mantle.

“I lucked out and heard my father talking about getting back my children, just to see if they had a drop of my mother’s blood in them, but they were never lucky enough to find them. He couldn’t even remember where they had been left Hell, they could be dead, but I would know if they were. Wouldn’t I?” She glanced back at him, lost and looking for an answer. For some kind of hope.

“There is always hope and my mother always told me a Mother knows if her child is hurt or dead. We lost my brother a while back and she knew it almost immediately,” Orion stated, stepping to her side and placing a kiss on top of her head. “In the mean time, we can fix this place up the four of us. Make it ours.”

She stared at him for a minute than her gaze went to Davis and then to Barry, before shaking her head and staring down at the floor. “You’re wanting something I don’t think I can give you. I’ve never been with a man who didn’t force himself on me and...” Betsy looked down at her hands. “I’m not pretty. Scars cover my body.” Betsy lifted her gaze to him. “Maybe there’s been a mistake? You should have someone who is beautiful, not someone who has so many hang ups.”

He held out his hand. “Come here Betsy.” Barry waited until she slowly made her way to him, placing her small scarred hand into his.

“First there is no mistake. You are our
meru
.” He lifted up her hand and kissed every single scar on her hand. “As far as the scars, I consider them as badges of courage, each one, and I can’t wait to see them all. Beauty in my mind is the whole package my little kitten.”

****

She wanted to yank her hand back away from this man that made her skin warm and her stomach seemed to knot, but Betsy knew they were her mates. The cat inside purred as Barry kissed her scars, his gaze never leaving hers. Lowering her gaze, Betsy even noticed her nipples were hard and exposed to their view as his coat was not zipped up.

“Sorry,” she took her hand away and started to zip the coat up to cover her naked skin, but Barry covered her hand, stopping her.

“There is no need to hide yourself, we enjoy looking at you, but it is cold in here.” The man released her but not before she got a glimpse of the cat inside him. Betsy stiffened as her cat pushed forward. “Sorry, sometimes he is a little impatient, but as I was saying: Tomorrow I’ll call and we’ll have all the utilities turned on here. If I’m not correct Dan has some family we can get over here to make sure everything is working before we start filling the place.” Orion pulled her down the hall and into the kitchen.

There were no appliances, but she loved the middle island and all the cabinets were in great shape, done in maple. The hardwood floor continued into the kitchen, which she loved. There was a nook in the room to the left for a nice table in front of a giant bay window, which looked out onto the woods that surrounded the complex.

Betsy walked around the room taking in every detail, still trying to comprehend that this could be her home. She could actually have a place to call her own, something she’d never believed possible. Quietly, Betsy stepped out of the kitchen and moved up the wooden stairs to the second floor. The first thing she noticed was an open loft overlooking the larger family room that could be used for play area, an office or even a library.

“It could be many things, but I see it as a library for our children. I can see you sitting in a nice rocker reading to our little ones,” Barry said, coming up to her. “You’d be surprised at the collection of books the three of us have, but I’m afraid some of them would have to be placed in our private quarters. They’re not for little ones to read.”

“You? What kind of books?” she looked up and noticed Barry staring at her, smiling.

“All sorts. I’ve even read a few good erotic romance books, even though they were somewhat science fiction. It’s really interesting to see how these people create different worlds.” He wrapped his arm around her and guided her to the next room. “You would be surprised at how close a few authors got at their descriptions of places. Matter of fact, we had to visit one such author to make sure she wasn’t from another planet visiting here.”

“Really? What happened?” Betsy asked taking in the first room which would make a great bedroom for a child.

Orion laughed. “What happened? One of the males from said planet she was describing had been mentally contacting her and slowly showing her information so she would become used to his world when he claimed her as his mate. It seems we are not the only ones who can mate with humans.”

Orion pulled her out of the room and down to the next room. “He didn’t know she was an author and that she’d use the information for a book. Needless to say, when he got here and found out, things were interesting. Akaos had a nice talk with the man and made sure the males of that planet were more careful. But the woman is doing well on his planet. Matter of fact, Davis doesn’t she write on his world now?” Orion asked and Davis nodded his head and joined them in the next room.