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.

be able to sneak into small spaces and listen in on everyone’s private

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

to conceal it from the nosy bastard by shoving my phone in my

and I have been texting on and off since the night of the bonfire, mostly silly would -you-rather hypotheticals that I can’t even remember how we

so I can win this bet, right?

stupid game makes my skin prickle in irritation, effectively un-doing all the progress I made on de- stressing by cutting up the mountain

and all, but it isn’t nearly enough to keep my particular

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

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

growl rumbles in my chest and I scrub my hand over my

know that if I can’t find a way

seems

rage, channel it into something productive by setting me on enforcement tasks

public knowledge, though, so after he died, those opportunities died with

me to a fight one night, and I achieved

boys to watch, so they found me another opponent the next week and encouraged me to do it again, turning it into a

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

I grumble, barely

my pocket for one but

me off like it’s

"Yeah, yeah.I will."

in his seat, his jaw twitching as he navigates the curves of the forest road.I don’t miss how tense his shoulders are and the way he’s white knuckling

I’ve got a pretty good idea as to what that might

he’s into her?"

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

friend is ridiculously hot, and beyond all logic,

swiping my hand over

clearly not liking my

anything to me? He knows I like her.""Do you like her, or do you just

challenge, swinging my gaze on him.He

"What’s the difference?"

what’s the problem if he’s

fist and swinging his arm sideways to deliver a

"Asshole," he mutters.

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

a few

you know?" Because I fucking pay

around the steering wheel again, his jaw

she shows, I’m gonna make my move.Maybe you can be my wingman, help me get Vienna

head that I practically

fight and I'll

grin and he shoots me a side-eyed glance, waggling his

all else fails, you can always fight

"Right," I snort.

me someone who can actually

sighs, waving

"I’m on it."

fight.I'm so on edge by Saturday night that I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin, and the last place I should probably be is

ever seen it with the crowd that turned out for Serena’s birthday celebration, and if one more person inadvertently bumps into me as they pass by, I'm liable to lose my

wants to see that.I might fuck around and kill someone, and Alpha Vaughn isn’t

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