Broken Bond

Chapter 4

VANESSA

Here’s the thing- I don’t give out my phone number to guys.

Ever.So imagine my surprise when I was stocking the coolers at work this morning and my phone vibrated against the bar top with an incoming text message from Callum Conway.

His number wasn’t saved in my phone, but I immediately knew the message was from him, and it didn’t take long for me to figure out how he got ahold of my digits.

The sneaky devil must’ve sent himself a text from my phone when he was checking out my music last night.

If it were anybody else, I’d probably be annoyed with the underhanded way he went about getting my number, but instead I found myself smiling down at my phone, heart pounding as I considered how to respond.

Exchanging messages is harmless, right? At least that’s what I kept telling myself as we texted back and forth all morning while I smiled down at my phone like a fool.

I might’ve gotten away with it, too, if I wasn’t working the same shift as my best friend.

Vienna knows I don’t give my number out, so she was baffled by the fact that I was so caught up in texting with Callum, and honestly, same.

All of this is so foreign to me, but there’s just something about Cal.

He’s bold without being sleazy.

Clever without being cliché.

And for the first time, I'm...curious.

A lot of girls my age date around, Vienna included, but I never have.

She thinks I’m crazy, and she’s said as much when I’ve turned down dates or refuted advances from good-looking, smooth -talking guys that other girls would jump at the chance to go out with.

Call me a hopeless romantic, but I’ve never seen the point of dating or getting close to someone when I have a fated mate out there somewhere waiting for me.

Humans talk about soulmates, but in shifter culture, finding that person is a very real possibility.

Once we turn eighteen, every full moon presents a chance for us to find them.

Our packs shift and run together under the light of the moon, and if you’re lucky enough to be in the proximity of your fated mate on one of those nights, you’ll feel it- the pull.

My parents say it’s like an irresistible force that draws you to your mate, and once you lay eyes on one another, BAM! The bond snaps into place.

Even though all of us have a fated mate out there, not everyone is lucky enough to find theirs.

Statistically, less than half of us will actually find them and get to experience that magical fated mate bond, but I’m an optimist.

My parents are fated mates, and I’ve seen how deep that connection goes.

They really are two halves of a whole.

I want that for myself, and I’ll hold out as long as I have to in order to find my other half.

Which is why it’s so out of character for me to be acting the way I am right now, carefully applying my makeup and straightening my hair, changing my clothes five times before settling on an outfit that screams casual, yet sexy.

I’m nervous.I don’t get nervous around guys.

What the hell has gotten into me?

"It’s not too late to back out, you know,"

Vienna sighs from the doorway of my bedroom, and I’m not sure if it’s due to her own apprehension or if she’s sensing mine.

I know she’s just as anxious about seeing Chase tonight, but she’s gone the opposite way of me, putting minimal effort into her hair, makeup, and attire.

She's trying to send the message that she doesn’t care enough to dress up for him, but I think she looks even more beautiful when she goes casual and lets her natural beauty shine through.

If the Alpha has designs on playing it aloof with her again tonight, he doesn’t stand a chance.I shake my head as I cross the room to Vienna.

"Nice try,"

I laugh, snatching her by the arm and threading mine through the crook of her elbow.

"We’re doing this."

"But it's like ten degrees outside," she grumbles as I pull her toward the staircase.

"Let it go, Vee.The cold never bothered me anyway."

She stops in her tracks, hitting me with a dubious stare and raising a brow at my Disney reference.

"Frozen? Really, Ness?" I giggle, starting down the stairs and yanking her with me.

"It’s Mia’s favorite right now."

Her lips pull into a smile at the mention of my four-year-old sister.

the oldest of seven.She’s over here often enough that she’s basically a member of the family, and my littlest sister

her Little Mermaid obsession?" she queries as she follows me

wave of a hand, glancing back at her over

rest of the stairs, stepping over to the front door and calling out to my mom as I slide my feet into my

"I’m heading out!"

mom calls back instantly, her

doesn’t give me the third degree or question where I’m going.She knows I'll be responsible and come home at a decent hour, because that’s what I’ve always

to head to the bar or

we make our way toward her

laugh, giving her

to get

door creaks on its hinges as I pull it open and drop into the

but I'l] never say that out

it feels like a rolling death trap, I’ll act like we’re riding in

and we pull away from the curb, heading out of town

of

give me the third degree about Callum once again when my phone lights up with an incoming

You still coming?

don’t get

grumbles, shaking her head

Out of

shoulders.I resist the urge to pick up my phone and text him back, knowing that Vee will

don’t even know

are you suddenly texting him like it’s a thing?" Troll

not a thing.You’re the only one making it

the thigh of my black jeans, my fingers itching

here tonight so you can

bonfire sounded fun," I say

a moment, but I can

bark out a laugh, swatting at Vee’s arm with the back

You don’t know him either, Vee.You

the cover gives you

urge to pick up my phone and reply to Callum’s

is suspiciously quiet for the rest of the drive, but I think part

if she won’t admit it, there's a palpable tension between her and Chase, and I think she’s nervous about seeing him again after the way

on fire

that’s not jealousy, I don’t know what

at the side of a forest road deep in Norbury’s territory, climbing out and

off Vienna in waves, making me second guess whether it was the right decision to drag

for her, to bust her out of the funk she’s been in lately,

reclined back ina big wooden chair, his long legs

hood, giving his grin this eerie, ominous quality

hot at my back, a shiver races down

"Ladies,"

drawls, shaking me out of my temporary trance when he reappears with a bottle of beer in each hand, offering them to Vee and

appreciatively as I take it, curling my fingers around the cold

gaze back to him as he nods to

whistled at, but I find myself blindly following his command, reaching for Vee’s hand to drag her with

a knot of anxiety to form in my gut.It’s silly that I’m nervous- he invited me tonight, after all.He

"You made it,"

timbre of his voice seeping inside me and unraveling the tightness in the

to look at him and his eyes are already on

when he suddenly reaches out to take the bottle of beer from

from the bottle.I’m not much of a beer drinker, but right now,

swallow it down and notice

Callum shrugs.

drinker." I narrow my eyes

fooled me last night.

and lingering on the fire,

needed it.Most of the time, I like to keep

a joint.He takes it between his fingers, raising it

tease,

as he

off," he explains, holding it out

teeth into the cushion of my lower lip, giving a little shake of my

travel back up

in that deep, rumbling voice of his, and my heart beats a little faster, my thighs squeezing

trained on his, arching a

what if I

another hit of the joint before passing it back to

to get a read on you." He exhales

lips twitch into a smirk as I watch him, the picture of a teenage

guess, you’re a bad

back to meet mine and he grins

"The worst, babe."

don’t hate the

still pinning me with his stare, like he’s daring