Free Frost & Bothered by Gayla Drummond Page A

along?”
    “Nope. I like her too. She’d probably have fun.”
    “Okay, but I’ll warn you that I’ll probably be a nervous wreck until she’s home.”
    I released my legs and moved to my knees again. Leaning over the picnic basket, I crooked my finger at him. “Come here.”
    Logan leaned forward. “What?”
    I kissed him. Just a quick smackeroo on the lips. “Thank you.”
    “For what?”
    “Trusting me. My first meal in my new home. Being a total sweetheart. Take your pick, dude.”
    He turned slightly pink while I spoke. “Oh. Uh, we’d probably better get going.”
    “Right.” I climbed to my feet and looked at the fire. A little concentration, and no more flames. I added a touch of cryokinesis to cool the remains. “Let’s go.”

    A clan member I didn’t know by name yet was on guard duty at the door. He greeted us before saying, “Soames wants to talk to you. Something about your case.”
    “Okay, thanks.” I wondered if I’d missed a call and pulled out my phone to check while following Logan to the stairs.
    “You’re neglecting your duties.” We both stopped and looked up. Danielle stood at the top of the flight. She looked pissed, her eyes narrowed and her lips a thin slash across her face. She glared down with her arms crossed. “Your place is with the Queen.”
    “I know my place, and my duties to our Queen.” Logan’s voice was the same silky growl he’d used to stop us from sniping at each other while we were searching for my mom. I shivered, and he added, “Apparently better than you do.”
    “Ooh, burn,” I murmured.
    “Discord.”
    “Sorry.”
    Danielle growled. “You fail to show proper respect.”
    I didn’t know if she meant me or him, but Logan responded as though she meant him. “I’ve shown you nothing but proper respect since you joined the clan.”
    “That’s the problem,” I said, and they both looked at me. Oops. “Sorry. My mouth isn’t always under my control.”
    The guy on guard duty chuckled. Danielle’s face reddened. “And you. You don’t belong here among us. You’re an insult to our status, parading around in your sad excuse of tiger skin, pretending yourself an equal to our Queen.”
    “That’s enough,” Logan said.
    “No, it is not,” she yelled, and I flinched. Danielle had a serious set of lungs on her. “She’s an affront to us. Makes us a mockery to others. She weakens us, and she weakens you.”
    Her shout had opened doors on the first floor. People began gathering in the hallway. Down at the far end, I saw Terra come out of a room, with Alanna and other teenagers on her heels.
    My mouth ran away with me again. “Wow, you really are a queen. A drama queen.”
    Logan sighed. “Discord, please.”
    “Yeah, I know, I’m not helping, but holy freaking crap.” I dropped my phone into my purse. “I hate drama. You,” I pointed up at Danielle. “Don’t like me. Fine. That’s something I can deal with. But back off of Logan.”
    “I am a queen of this clan.”
    “Newsflash: I am too.”
    Danielle laughed, and it was a nasty, sharp sound. “You’re human.”
    “Eh, there’s been some debate about that.” I waved my hand. “Point being, whether you like it or not, we’re equals here.”
    “You’re not my equal.” She dropped her arms, her fingers flexing.
    I sort of lost my mind as Ginger appeared behind her. My delusion pulled a theatrical vampire pose, baring her teeth and lifting her clawed hands in the air as though she were about to attack Danielle. “Yeah? How about you come say that to my face?”
    Totally the wrong thing to say to her. Logan grabbed my arm when Danielle snarled and leaped, shifting as she came toward us. I threw up my hand, stopping her in mid-flight with my telekinesis. She thrashed, her tail thumping off the wall and railing, her claws shredding air.
    Logan released my arm and stepped back. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out what the hell I should do now. Letting her go before she