Broken Bond

Chapter 5

CALLUM

The Cedar Ridge ski resort is a winter tourist trap that sits just outside the edge of the six-pack’s territory, owned and operated by the six shifter packs that reside within.

Since we generally keep to ourselves, the ski resort was built as an income stream to keep our towns afloat, as well as the Cedar Ridge brewery just down the road.

The ski resort is shuttered in the summer months, but the brewery is open all year round so we have consistent revenue.

It’s a smart setup, but it also tempts us into wandering off-territory more than we probably should.

My boys and I spend a lot of time at the ski resort in the winter, though we generally stay away from the human tourists as best we can since one of the fundamental rules of shifter culture is to keep our existence a secret.

We’ve all been snowboarding for years, and we take full advantage of the fact that we've got a full-service ski resort right in our backyards.

The runs here are second to none, and while the guests staying at the resort pay hundreds of dollars a day for lift tickets and equipment rental, the six of us just show up whenever we want to board, free of charge.

It’s a pretty sweet setup, one that I never take for granted.

There’s a big lodge at the heart of the ski resort where the guests stay, complete with a restaurant and bar.

We’ve typically steered clear of the lodge in the past to avoid tangling with the human population, but ever since Chase discovered that Vienna works there, it has become a regular stop- off after we come down from the mountain.

I’ve been less against it since learning that Nessa works there, too, but I’ve yet to catch her on a shift.

Ever since the potential rogue sighting the other night, our packs have been on high alert.

Chase, ever the opportunist, somehow manipulated that into getting Vienna to give him a ride home at the end of her shift today under the guise of protection, so it’s just Levi and I in his truck as we depart the ski resort, Miles and Dare hopping in to ride with Alec like they usually do.

Right as we’re about to pull out of the parking lot, my phone vibrates with an incoming call, the name ‘Fuckface’ appearing on the screen.

He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.

I mash the red button to ignore the call, tossing my phone into the cupholder in the center console of Levi’s truck

"Troy again?" Levi asks, shooting me a side- eyed glance as he pulls out onto the forest road to head back to Norbury.

I grunt in confirmation and scrub a hand over my face.

I know I can’t avoid my stepdad forever- it’s only a matter of time before he gets sick of me dicking his calls and shows up at my door to ruin my fucking day in person- but for now, I don’t have the energy to listen to his bullshit.

It’s quiet in the cab of Levi’s truck, so I flick the button to turn on the radio, scrolling through the stations to find something worth listening to.

I finally land on one when my phone vibrates loudly against the cupholder and I bristle, glancing down at what’s visible of the screen.

It isn’t Fuckface calling twice in a row, though - it’s an incoming text.

I pick it up to get a better look, snorting when I read the message.

Vanessa: Would you rather be 11 feet tall or 9 inches tall?

Shaking my head with a chuckle, I open it up and start typing out a response.

Callum: Definitely 11 feet.

Chicks dig tall dudes.

You? Vanessa: Nine inches.

into small spaces and listen in on everyone’s private conversations like a

Levi darts me a suspicious glance, his eyes dropping to my phone screen to try to sneak a

it from the nosy bastard by shoving my phone in

off since the night of the bonfire, mostly silly would -you-rather hypotheticals that I can’t even remember how

conversation going so I can win this bet, right?

un-doing all the progress I made on de- stressing by cutting up the mountain all

but it isn’t nearly

for me yet?" I grind

take you on.Especially

rumbles in my chest and I scrub my hand over

me like it always does, and I know that if I can’t find a way to let it out soon, it'll start to take

thing that seems to work is

it into something productive by setting me on enforcement tasks for the

so after

some drunken asshole challenged me to

another opponent the next week and encouraged me to do it

find any more takers.I guess that’s the downside of people being scared of

I grumble, barely concealing

joint.I dig into my pocket

waves me off

"Yeah, yeah.I will."

forest road.I don’t miss how tense his

I’ve got a pretty

into her?" he

heave a sigh, flopping my head backwards against the headrest.I don’t have the patience for this kind of trivial shit right now, and for the life of me I still can’t figure out why Chase and Levi are fighting over Vienna like a couple of

when her friend is ridiculously hot, and beyond all logic, neither of them have

man," I reply, swiping my hand over

obvious." Levi grunts, clearly not liking

he said anything to me? He knows I like her.""Do

swinging my gaze on him.He

"What’s the difference?"

if he’s interested, too? Don’t act like you’re

tears a hand off the wheel, balling his fist and swinging his arm sideways to deliver a jab

"Asshole," he mutters.

after a beat, "You think she’ll be at Serena’s birthday thing this weekend?" I

with a few of the Lunas, isn’t

Because I fucking

steering wheel again, his jaw

can be my wingman, help me

back in my head that I practically see my skull.As if I'd need his

and I'll consider it,"

grin and he shoots me a side-eyed glance,

else fails, you can always

"Right," I snort.

someone who can actually throw a punch,

waving me off

"I’m on it."

on edge by Saturday night that I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my

out for Serena’s birthday celebration, and if one more person inadvertently bumps into me

me when I say nobody wants to see that.I might fuck around and kill someone, and Alpha Vaughn isn’t around anymore to help

the arm of some other dude, and his agitation is rubbing off on me, only further fueling my own.I shouldn’t stay here.I know it, but