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.

spaces and listen in on

suspicious glance, his eyes dropping to my phone screen to try to

from the nosy bastard by shoving my phone in my jacket pocket and

on and off since the night of the bonfire, mostly silly would -you-rather

so I can win

in irritation, effectively un-doing all the

great and all, but it isn’t nearly

up for me yet?" I grind out, eyes still

man, nobody’s stupid enough to take you on.Especially after the

in my chest and I scrub my hand over my

feel that dark, ugly thing building inside of me like it always does, and I know that if I can’t find a way to

only thing that seems to work is

harness my rage, channel it into something productive by setting me on enforcement tasks for the

were never public knowledge, though, so after

some drunken asshole challenged me to a

week and

they couldn’t find any more takers.I guess that’s the downside of people

trying," I grumble, barely concealing my

dig into my pocket for one but come up

waves me off

"Yeah, yeah.I will."

of the forest road.I

him, and I’ve got a pretty

he’s into her?" he

don’t have the patience for this kind of trivial shit right now, and for the life of me I still can’t figure

all logic, neither of them have seemed to take

man," I reply, swiping my hand over my

obvious." Levi grunts, clearly

why hasn’t he said anything to me? He knows I like her.""Do you like her, or do

swinging my gaze

"What’s the difference?"

if you just wanna fuck her, then what’s the problem if he’s interested, too? Don’t

his arm sideways to deliver a jab to my bicep.I don’t even flinch; I absorb the pain like

"Asshole," he mutters.

be at Serena’s birthday thing this weekend?"

friends with a few of

I fucking

his fists around the steering wheel again, his jaw set in

be my wingman, help me get Vienna and

so far back in my head that I practically see my

and

into a grin and he shoots me a

hey, if all else fails, you

"Right," I snort.

someone who can actually throw a

he sighs, waving

"I’m on it."

out of my skin, and the last place I should

the crowd that turned out for Serena’s birthday celebration, and if one more person inadvertently bumps into me as they pass by,

fuck around and kill someone,

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,