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.

while I’m the oldest of seven.She’s over here often enough that she’s basically

Little Mermaid obsession?" she queries as she follows me

say with the wave of a hand, glancing back at her

be something else.You know how she is." I bound down the 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!"

fun!" my mom calls back instantly, her voice carrying from the back

I’ve never given her a reason not to trust me, so she 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 done.Plus, I’m nineteen, so I’m technically an adult now.I just

you don’t want to head to the bar or something

as we make our way toward her car at the curb, snow

I laugh, giving her a playful

trying to get

it open and drop into the seat, rattling with a hollow, tinny sound as I close

a hunk of junk, but I'l] never say that out loud because I know

her butt off to buy it with her own money, so even if it feels like a

away from the curb, heading out of

next to our own territory of Riverton, so the drive isn’t a

Vienna to give me the third degree about Callum once again when my phone lights up with an incoming text message that I can’t help

You still coming?

just don’t

grumbles, shaking her head

Cal? Out of

my shoulders.I resist the urge to pick up my phone

even know the

texting him like

the only one making it into a

my black jeans, my fingers itching to reach for it.Vienna shoots me a dubious

not dragging me out here tonight

sounded fun," I

for the hundredth time."She’s quiet for a moment, but I can practically hear the gears turning in her head before she finally

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

him either, Vee.You can’t judge

you should, if the cover

finally giving into the urge to pick up my

our way! Vienna is suspiciously quiet for the rest of the drive, but I think part of

admit it, there's a palpable tension between her and Chase, and I think she’s nervous about

me out of the packhouse like it was on fire immediately after, like she couldn’t bear to be under the

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

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

orange glow of the fire comes into view up ahead, and I can feel the tension rolling off Vienna

she’s been in lately, but were my reasons more Callum, smiling shyly when our

big wooden chair, his long legs spread and his dark hoodie

features are partially shadowed by his hood, giving his grin this eerie, ominous quality as it

fire is hot at my back, a shiver

"Ladies,"

reappears with a

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

my gaze back to him

Vee’s hand to drag her with me over to the

knot of anxiety to form in my gut.It’s silly that I’m nervous- he invited me tonight, after all.He clearly wanted me to come, but it’s the question of why that has me holding my breath in

"You made it,"

seeping inside me and unraveling the tightness

his eyes are already on me,

he suddenly reaches out to take the bottle of beer from my hand, his fingers brushing mine and sending a zip of electricity

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

swallow it down

Callum shrugs.

a big drinker." I narrow my eyes

me last night. Straight

he murmurs, his gaze sliding from me and lingering on

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

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

keeping a clear head?" I tease, eyeing the joint and watching

chuckles slowly as he coughs

off," he explains, holding it out to

of

my mouth, then travel back up to

rumbling voice of his,

trained on

if I

another hit of the joint before passing it back to

with that.Just trying to get a read on you." He exhales the smoke toward the

smirk as I watch him,

me guess, you’re a bad boy type,

flickers back to meet mine and he grins menacingly, running his tongue

"The worst, babe."

one for pet names, but surprisingly, I don’t hate the way it sounds

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