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.

enough that she’s basically a member of the family, and my littlest sister Mia has Vee wrapped

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

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

bound down the rest of the stairs, stepping over to the front door and

"I’m heading out!"

mom calls back instantly, her voice carrying from the back of

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 I like living here with my big,

you don’t want to head to

our way toward her car

laugh, giving

get out of

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

but I'l] never say that out loud

her own money, so even if it feels like a rolling death trap, I’ll act like we’re riding in luxury every

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

our own territory of Riverton,

time for Vienna to give me the third degree about Callum once again when my phone lights up with an

still coming?

don’t get

shaking her head in

Out of

of my shoulders.I resist the urge to

don’t even know the

texting him like it’s a thing?" Troll

thing.You’re the only

of my black jeans, my fingers itching to reach for it.Vienna

here tonight so you can see

sounded fun,"

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

swatting at Vee’s arm with the back of

ridiculous! You don’t know him either, Vee.You can’t judge

you should, if the cover gives you the

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

On our way! Vienna is suspiciously quiet for the rest of the

Chase, and I think

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

I don’t know

deep in Norbury’s territory, climbing out and trudging through the trees while allowing the sound of music and carrying voices

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

funk she’s been in lately, but were my reasons

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

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

fire is hot at my back, a shiver races down

"Ladies,"

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

I take it, curling my fingers around the cold neck of

and I snap my gaze back to him as he

whistled 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

a long 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

"You made it,"

the deep timbre of his voice seeping inside me and unraveling the

him and his eyes are already

the

not much of a

yours?" I ask once I swallow it down

Callum shrugs.

drinker." I narrow my eyes on

last night. Straight vodka,

an anomaly," he murmurs, his gaze sliding from me and lingering on the fire,

it.Most of the time, I like

right as he says that Chase passes him a joint.He takes

that you were saying about keeping a clear head?" I tease, eyeing the joint and watching the

as he coughs out the

edge off," he explains, holding it out

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

mouth, then travel

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

keep my eyes trained on

if

himself and takes another hit of the joint before passing it

on you." He exhales the smoke toward the fire, sinking back farther

smirk as I watch him,

you’re

meet mine and he grins menacingly, running his tongue over his straight white

"The worst, babe."

pet names, but surprisingly, I don’t hate the

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