Free Frost & Bothered by Gayla Drummond Page B

calmed down wasn’t an option. She’d rip me to shreds. Apologizing was, but it’s not like I’d ever done anything to her to start the whole mess.
    Terra was halfway down the hall, and she did not look happy. I decided to wait until she reached us before doing anything else.
    Danielle stopped snarling and clawing the second Terra stepped into view. The teen looked up at her before looking at me. “Put her down.”
    I obeyed, relatively certain Danielle wouldn’t charge down the stairs now that our Queen was present. She didn’t, but she did crouch down, glaring at me with slitted, orange eyes.
    Terra looked at Danielle again, and I felt a curious sense of pressure. The older woman shifted from tiger to human again, and stood naked as the day she was born in front of us. The teen asked, “What’s the problem here?”
    “Danielle doesn’t like me, and she used that as an excuse to jump all over Logan when we got here.” I heard Logan mutter something, but couldn’t make what he said out. Not that it mattered, because my explanation was the truth.
    “I call for a queens’ council to discuss the Protector’s neglect of his duties.”
    That set off some serious whispering among those watching our little drama unfold. Terra’s shoulders twitched, and her pale green eyes shot to Logan before settling on Danielle again. “Go put some clothes on. We’ll meet in the conference room.”
    Danielle shot me a smug look before turning and stalking upstairs. I blew out a breath, wondering what the hell a queens’ council was, and turned around to look at Logan. He shook his head when I started to speak, and I closed my mouth. He looked pretty grim. Great, I’d gotten him into big trouble.
    Terra gave the order to have the other queens informed, and marched away, back down the hall. I stood there until Alanna gestured for me to follow her.
    Right, I was a queen here too. With a last glance at Logan, I followed the petite brunette down the hallway.
    The conference room was down at the end, through the same door I’d seen Terra leave a few minutes before. Chairs were the only furniture present. I sat next to Alanna, and looked at Terra. She offered a tight smile in return.
    No one was talking, and I received the distinct impression we weren’t supposed to until the other queens had arrived. It was hard to stay quiet, the lovely luncheon Logan and I had shared beginning to congeal in my stomach.

EIGHT

    T en minutes passed before all the other queens joined us. Danielle glared at me as she entered the room behind Moira, the red-haired shamaness. Moira chose to sit on my other side, which was strangely comforting.
    Once all the women had arrived and sat down—there were about twenty of us in total—Terra stood up. “This council has been called by Danielle. Stand and state your reason.”
    The dark-haired woman inclined her head while rising from her seat. “I believe the Protector has neglected his duties to Queen and clan several times since I joined. His duty lies first with our Queen, and second to the clan, yet over the past few months he has forsaken his duties and placed our Queen in danger.” Danielle’s glare made it super clear who she blamed for it.
    “Part of Logan’s duties as Protector have been to lead the clan until our Queen was ready to take her place,” Alanna said. She didn’t bother standing up. “In pursuit of those duties, he’s made certain alliances. He’d be a poor leader and Protector if he failed to uphold our end of those alliances.”
    “He shouldn’t place the Queen in danger to do so,” Danielle countered.
    “You’re assuming I was in danger.” Terra smiled. “I was protected by Teague, two powerful witches and their familiars during the search for Discord’s mother.”
    The older woman inclined her head. “Perhaps you weren’t in danger then, but last night and today? What if we’d been attacked?”
    I raised my hand. “Do I get a turn?”
    Terra nodded. “Go