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.

seven.She’s over here often enough that she’s basically

she queries as she follows me down the

last week," I say with the wave of a hand, glancing back at her over

she is." I bound down the rest of the stairs, stepping over to the front door and calling

"I’m heading out!"

calls back instantly, her voice carrying from the back of

parenting goes- 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 haven’t moved out because

to head to the bar or

toward her car at

I laugh, giving her a

trying to get out

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

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

own money, so even if it

engine starts with a groan and we pull away from the curb, heading out of town

next to our own territory of

again when my phone lights up with an incoming text message

You still coming?

don’t get

shaking her head

mean, Cal? Out of all

my shoulders.I resist the urge to pick up my

don’t even know

suddenly texting him

only one making it into

of my black jeans,

me out here tonight so you

bonfire sounded fun," I say

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

swatting at Vee’s arm with the back

Vee.You can’t judge a book by

you should, if the cover gives you

urge to pick up my phone

for the rest of the drive, but I think part of that is her own anxiety

a palpable tension between her and Chase, and I think she’s nervous about

fire immediately after, like she couldn’t bear to be under the same roof while

I don’t

park among a bunch of other cars at the side of a forest road deep in Norbury’s territory, climbing out and trudging through the trees while allowing the sound of music and

orange glow of the fire comes into view up ahead, and I can feel the tension rolling off Vienna in waves, making me second

her out of the funk she’s been in lately, but were my reasons

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

his hood, giving his grin this eerie, ominous quality as it

hot at my back, a shiver races down

"Ladies,"

my temporary trance when he reappears with a

my fingers around the cold neck of

my attention back to Cal, and I snap my gaze back

at, but I find myself blindly following his command, reaching for Vee’s hand to drag her with me over to the bench.I sink down onto it, Vienna taking the

moment, he doesn't say anything, the tension of his silence causing a knot of anxiety to form in my gut.It’s silly that I’m nervous- he invited me tonight, after all.He clearly wanted

"You made it,"

the deep timbre of his voice seeping inside me

turn to look at him and his eyes are already on me, focused

to respond, but my breath gets caught somewhere in my throat when he suddenly reaches out to take the bottle of beer from my hand, his fingers brushing mine and sending a zip of electricity running through my body.I barely conceal my flinch, watching as he brings the beer bottle to his mouth, pops

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

once I swallow it

Callum shrugs.

I narrow my

fooled me last night. Straight vodka, was

lingering on the fire, the reflection of the flames dancing in

me off and I needed it.Most of

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

about keeping a clear head?" I tease, eyeing the joint and watching the cherry glowing red with his

slowly as he

edge off," he explains, holding it out to me in

want?" I sink my teeth into the cushion of

then travel back up to Meet

aren’t you?" he asks in that deep, rumbling voice of his, and my heart beats a little faster,

trained on his, arching a

what if I

hit of

get a read on you." He exhales the smoke toward the fire, sinking back farther in

a smirk as I watch him, the picture of a

guess, you’re a bad

and he grins menacingly, running his tongue over his

"The worst, babe."

don’t hate the

his stare, like he’s daring me to be the first to look