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 a member of

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

week," I say with the wave of a

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

"I’m heading out!"

back instantly, her

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

you don’t want to head to

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

I laugh, giving her a playful

to get

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

but I'l] never say that out loud because I know how proud she is of

to buy it with her own money, so even if 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 Riverton,

enough time for 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 but smile

still

just don’t

grumbles, shaking her

mean, Cal? Out

with a casual shrug of my shoulders.I resist the urge to pick up my phone and text him back, knowing that Vee will see it as me being too

even know the

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

the only one making it

a hole in the thigh of my black jeans, my fingers

not dragging me out here

fun," I say

was either this or watching Frozen with Mia for the hundredth time."She’s quiet for a moment, but I can practically hear the gears turning in her head before she finally mumbles, "he just gives me

out a laugh, swatting at Vee’s

don’t know him either, Vee.You can’t

cover gives you

head, finally giving into the urge to pick up my phone and reply to

rest of the drive, but I think part of that

it, there's a palpable tension between her and Chase, and I

packhouse like it was on fire immediately after, like she couldn’t bear

jealousy, I don’t

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

the tension rolling off Vienna in waves, making me second guess whether it was

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

chair, his long legs spread and his dark hoodie slung up over his

are partially shadowed by his hood, giving his

my back, a shiver

"Ladies,"

when he reappears with a bottle of beer in each hand, offering them to Vee

take it, curling my fingers around

and I snap my gaze back to him as he nods to the empty bench beside his

following his command, reaching for Vee’s hand to drag her with me over to

that I’m nervous- he

"You made it,"

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

at him and his eyes are already on

irises are visible.I part my lips to respond, but my breath gets caught somewhere in my throat when he suddenly reaches out to take the bottle of

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

it down and

Callum shrugs.

drinker." I

night. Straight

sliding from me and lingering on

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

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

you were saying about keeping a clear head?" I tease,

as he coughs out the

explains, holding it

the cushion of my lower lip, giving

dip to my mouth, then travel back up to

in that deep, rumbling voice of

eyes trained on his, arching

if I

to himself and takes another hit of the joint before passing

with that.Just trying to get a read on you." He exhales the smoke toward the fire, sinking back farther in

into a smirk as I watch him, the

you’re a bad boy

meet mine and he grins menacingly, running

"The worst, babe."

surprisingly, I don’t hate the way

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