A Christmas Tail (19 page)

She took a deep breath and slowly pushed the cat back before heading down the stairs. The stench was horrible and the number of cages made her sick. Over ten girls were down here either stripped naked or in rags. Bruises covered most of their bodies.

At each cage Betsy bent down and unlatched the door, holding her hand out to the girl inside and helping her out, and then covering her in blankets that Anthony had brought down.

Betsy’s hand trembled as she opened the door to one of the cages. “Mandy,” she whispered.

“My name is Hale,” the girl cocked her head to the side, showing a fresh bruise to her head. She knew Barry would kill the man upstairs if he wasn’t dead already.

“Hale, I’m your mother. We’ve come from the States to find you and your brother,” Betsy said, and waited. What seemed like minutes was only seconds before the girl put her hand into her mother’s.

At once Barry could see the connection forming.

As soon as the girl was out, she flung her arms around Betsy. “I knew you would come, I knew it.”

****

Everything seemed to fall into place and the wall that had been around Betsy’s heart shattered as she held her first born in her arms, careful of the bruises and what appeared to be bite marks on her back. Betsy glanced up at Barry, as he slowly stepped behind her and saw the marks.

“Davis, get the women upstairs. I believe we have extra clothes in the car that we can give to Hale until we can get her new ones,” Barry ordered, taking the steps upstairs two at a time. “
Barry don’t do anything stupid, humans will be missed.”

“
Not this one
,” Barry said and Betsy knew her man would take care of things.

“Come on Hale, your younger brother is waiting for you upstairs and we have clothes you can put on for now. Can you walk?” Betsy asked as she stepped back, but Hale refused to release her all the way grabbing on to her hand even as she stumbled to the stairs.

“Hale, would you allow one of my mates to carry you upstairs? I promise he won’t hurt you. If anything, he will protect you with his life.” Betsy watched the play of emotions cross over the girl’s face as Davis came up next to her. “This is Davis. He and two others belong to me or, as they like to think, I belong to them.” She winked at her and her skinny daughter smiled.

“She has your smile, kitten,” Davis said, kissing the top of Betsy’s head and rubbing her back, knowing all she wanted to do was break down and cry.

Hale nodded, allowing Davis to lift her, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Betsy the whole time they made their way towards what could be considered the living room. There had to be over thirty girls there, starved and in clothes that were in tatters.

That’s when the idea formed in her head and she couldn’t wait to talk to Dorothy, but first she needed Isaac’s help.

“How can I help, little sister?” her brother-in-law asked, stepping up to them and grinning.

“You are scary. Isaac, I’d like you to meet your niece Hale. Hale this is my soon to be brother-in-law. He’s going to marry my sister on Christmas Eve as I marry my men.” As soon as Davis put her down, Hale scooted to her side, once more taking her hand. Jordon came running over and stopped looking at his sister for the first time.

Again it was blood recognizing blood. Seeing her injuries, her little man actually growled, shocking not only her, but Davis and Isaac.

“It’s okay little warrior, the people who did this to your sister have been taken care of,” Davis said, lifting him up into his arms.

Betsy winked at her son and turned her attention once more to Isaac. “This place is not fit for these girls. Could we take them back to the hotel for the week until a place is fixed up for them? Maybe they could spend Christmas with us? I was even thinking that we could bring those boys from the place where Jordon was staying over for Christmas too? We have so much and they have nothing and it is the time for sharing.”

Isaac leaned down and kissed her lips softly, surprising her and earning growls from her men. “What are you doing?” Barry demanded and stepped in front of her as Isaac stepped back.

“Thanking my sister for a wonderful idea. If you three hurt this lady, I’ll rip you apart. Lacey was right. She has a heart so big...” Isaac wrapped his arm around Lacey when she stepped up next to him, smiling.

“I told you my sister was amazing. I agree I think the girls should come back with us. The hotel is filled with our family and I know they would gladly take in the girls and help out. I even bet Dorothy is already at the store buying clothes and such for the girls as we speak.” Lacey laughed and so did Betsy.

“You’re right, I should have remembered.” Betsy placed her hand on Barry’s stiff back. “Barry, it was nothing, relax. We’re going to need more cars though. Isaac, are you going to have any problems...” He was already shaking his head.

“Nope, there is one good thing about having the king around and his pull in this city is amazing. Talhrn is already calling the officials and informing them. Rhodes and Zanger are going to take the first bunch of girls over in our limos as soon as they get their belongings.”

Betsy looked down at Hale. “Do you have anything you want to retrieve before we leave?”

Hale shook her head. “They took everything we had and burned it, but could my best friend stay with us? We’ve been together since we were six.” Hale looked around until she spotted her friend across the room and held out her hand. The girl came stumbling over, her leg bruised.

“This is Candy. They hurt her leg when she was trying to help me,” Hale stated, holding her friend. “Candy, this is my mom and my little brother. I guess this guy is her boyfriend along with him?”

Barry laughed and moved to the chair where there were more blankets, pulling two from the pile. “Wrap yourselves in these. We’ll have to carry you to the cars since none of you have shoes. And we are more than boyfriends, but we will explain that later, but for now your girlfriend is welcome in our rooms with us.”

For the next hour they watched as all the girls were carried out of the house and into waiting limos. Even Talhrn and Dee showed up to help. Talhrn glanced around the house. “This place should be burned down. The children are not going to want to come back to a place that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.” Talhrn glanced at Barry and he shrugged.

“
Already on it. I counted thirteen shifters, did you?”
Talhrn nodded. “They are part of us. We will find homes for all of them. They won’t be going back to a group home.” He glanced behind him and shook his head. “It looks like we will be adding to our family. I can now see why the
Tetraheros
wanted these women with us. Their hearts are as big as they are.” Dee had her arms wrapped around a smaller girl who had black hair and big green eyes.

“Well, she’s not the only one. I think it would be wrong to split these two up?” she looked up at Barry and he smiled.

“I was thinking the same thing. Jordon, it looks like you have two sisters to deal with now,” Barry ruffled the boy’s hair and he laughed.

“I’ll protect them both too,” he said and the four of them laughed as Hale reached over and squeezed his leg.

“And we’ll protect you, little brother,” she whispered and tears filled Betsy’s eyes as Orion came in.

“Come, our car is here. You were right, Dorothy is waiting with a room full of new clothes. I don’t know how she hid it from everyone. Even her husband was amazed and a little pissed she didn’t mention any of this to him.”

Lacey and Betsy laughed before turning to the children. “Are you two going to be okay if your new dads carry you to the car?” They both nodded as Orion leaned down and lifted Candy up in his arms.

“Girl, we need to get some food into you. Wait until you meet my mom. She’s going to spoil you three rotten,” Orion stated as Barry lifted Hale up in his arms while Davis carried Jordon.

Betsy followed with Lacey behind her.

“You know, I think you just made a room full of girls very happy. You are amazing, my dear sister,” Lacey said staring at two other girls as they climbed into the limo.

“I get the feeling Dee isn’t going to be the only one taking a child into her heart?” Betsy asked and Lacey turned to see Isaac and Dan smiling.

“We have no problem with it. Come, we’ll share their limo so we can get to know them,” Isaac said and held out his hand to Lacey.

Betsy watched as her sister and her men got into the car with the two other girls. Hale spoke up. “Those two took the brunt of the punishments always trying to help us and the others.” Betsy turned to her.

“Then it’s fitting that they are with my sister since she and her mates are royalty among our kind,” Betsy stated, shocking her daughters.

As soon as they were all in the limo, the girls started throwing out questions. Barry laughed and whistled. “Hold on. Let us tell you the story of your mom and aunt, and then you can ask the questions.” He looked at her and she nodded.

“You do it. I don’t like to repeat it too much, but let’s not get too graphic.” She nodded to Jordon.

For what seemed like hours, which really was only thirty minutes (but the whole way to the hotel), Barry told her children the story of her life. It would be told once and only once because Betsy wanted to put that part of her life behind her as did her sister.

As Barry finished the story, all three kids looked at her and hugged her at once. The three of them had tears rolling down their faces as they hugged her.

“You are like us,” Hale stated, pulling back staring up at her.

“Yes, and you are like me Hale. Soon you will awaken your cat inside. Candy, I’m still trying to figure out what cat you are.”

“She’s not a cat, she’s a wolf,” Barry smiled and looked at Orion. “Your father Orion’s base animal is a wolf, so you won’t be alone there Candy.” The girl relaxed and stared at Orion.

Yes, bonds were forming and Betsy couldn’t be any happier as they pulled up in front of the hotel. Outside Dorothy stood waiting with two bags in her hand as each of her men lifted a child out of the car.

“Here, is one bag for Candy and one for Hale. There should be enough clothes and shoes to get them started. We can shop later for more. So far each girl has found a room. Your sisters have shown up earlier and have taken to quite a few of the girls. Even Opal took two of the girls up to her room, but god help us if she teaches them her ways,” Dorothy said laughing and Isaac moaned coming out their limo.

“Did by chance Rhodes and Zanger meet her?” Isaac hoped and Dorothy laughed.

“Oh my god, it was so funny. Both Rhodes and Zanger came into the hotel lobby and in minutes both men had pies thrown in their faces. I had ordered pies for the girls to take up to their rooms. Anyway, Opal hissed and pointed at each of them, telling them she was not theirs. She grabbed the two girls and disappeared up in her room.”

By the time Dorothy finished the story in the lobby, Isaac, Barry, Orion and Davis were laughing so hard that Betsy thought for sure they would drop the children in their arms. “Put the children down before you drop them,” Betsy said, shaking her head, but trying to hold back the laugh as she noticed Rhodes and Zanger coming for her.

“You! You did this to us. You stuck us with a hell cat on purpose,” they both growled, but she could see the smile in their eyes as they tried to get the black or blueberry pies off their faces.

Finally Betsy let loose as did Lacey, laughing so hard the children started too. “Think this is funny, do you little girls?” Rhodes looked at Hale and Candy. “Do you know what uncles do to little nieces who laugh at them? Smear blueberry pie all over them.” Rhodes said and pretended to go grab a pie.

Both girls squealed and hid behind her, laughing.

“Come on you three, baths are in order. Then we’ll order pizza.” All three shouted and they headed to the elevator.

Chapter Thirteen

For the next few days family arrived, laughing and getting to know the new additions to their families. Barry watched in the lobby with Betsy and Jordon as the boys from the group home came into the lobby that was filled with family. From what Isaac had told her, there would be over twenty boys on the bus from Jordon’s home. It had taken a few extra days of Talhrn’s magic and Isaac’s contacts to get the officials to agree to allow them to come, let alone have every girl adopted into families here.

Barry smiled, remembering when it became official yesterday that both Hale and Candy were now part of their family and no one could take them away. Looking down at Betsy, he couldn’t help but feel proud as she took on the mother role like she had been doing it all her life.

Tonight Barry, Orion and Davis would inform her that their house was now fully ready for all of them.

“Look, there’s Doug and Marty,” Jordon squealed and rushed to his friends. They had bruises on their faces and, by the looks of it, on their bodies also.

Barry glanced down at Betsy and moaned. “We’re going to need a bigger house,” he teased as Betsy smiled.

“No, a crowded house is love and we have plenty of it for those two boys. After all, they’ll have three fathers who happen to have big shoulders for those who need it,” she whispered, thanking him with her eyes for the other night.

He pulled her into a tight hug. “Anytime you need to cry, it will be in our arms not alone, kitten.” Barry kissed the top of her head. After getting the children to sleep the first night, Betsy had grabbed a blanket and stepped outside on the terrace in the cold to curl up on a chair.

Davis had found her sobbing and frozen bringing her back inside. They warmed her up and sat with her as she cried and finally fell asleep in their arms.

The relief of having her children close and knowing the extent of the pain her children had endured, some of which was similar to what she had experienced as a child was too much to hold in for Betsy.

“Mom, can Doug and Marty stay with us? We’ll be good,” Jordon asked, coming up to her and hugging her.

“I don’t mind at all. What about you, Barry?” She looked up and he grinned.