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 a member of the family, and my

Little Mermaid obsession?" she queries as she follows

last week," I say with the wave of a hand, glancing

stairs, stepping over to the front door and

"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 decent hour, because that’s what I’ve always done.Plus, I’m nineteen, so I’m technically an adult now.I just

want to head

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

laugh, giving her a

trying to get out

I pull it open and drop into the seat, rattling with a

never say that out loud because

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

from the curb, heading out of town and

own territory of Riverton, so the drive isn’t a long

again when my phone lights up with an incoming text message that I

You still

don’t get

shaking her

Out of

so much," I reply with a casual shrug of my shoulders.I resist the urge to pick up my phone and text him back, knowing that Vee will

don’t even know the

you suddenly texting him like

not a thing.You’re the only one making

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

out here tonight

sounded fun," I say

time."She’s quiet for a moment, but I

at Vee’s arm with the back of

know him either, Vee.You

you should, if the cover gives you the heebie

head, finally giving into the urge to

Vienna is suspiciously quiet for the rest of the drive, but I

between her and Chase, and I think she’s nervous about seeing him again after the way last

it was on fire immediately after, like she couldn’t bear to be under the same

jealousy, I don’t know

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

of the fire comes into view up ahead, and I can feel the tension rolling off Vienna in waves, making me second guess whether it was

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

his long legs spread and his dark hoodie slung up

his grin this eerie, ominous quality as it forms

is hot at my back, a shiver races

"Ladies,"

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

it, curling my

back to Cal, and I snap my gaze back to him as he nods to the empty bench

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

gut.It’s silly that I’m nervous- he invited me tonight, after all.He clearly wanted me to come, but it’s

"You made it,"

deep timbre of his voice seeping inside me and

him and his

of his hood that only a sliver of his blue-green 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 beer from

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

ask once I swallow it down and notice that he’s empty

Callum shrugs.

drinker." I narrow

fooled me last night. Straight vodka, was

sliding from me and lingering on the fire, the reflection of the

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

a joint.He

about keeping a clear head?" I tease, eyeing

slowly as he coughs

takes the edge off," he explains, holding it out to me

want?" I sink my teeth into the cushion of my lower lip, giving a little shake of

eyes dip to my mouth, then travel

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

trained on his, arching a

if I

another hit of the joint

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

I watch him, the picture of a teenage

guess, you’re a bad boy type,

to meet mine and he grins menacingly, running his tongue over

"The worst, babe."

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

like he’s daring me