Page 241 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“Hey, John. What’s going on?”

“I was returning your call.”

“I didn’t call you.” I frowned at the phone.

“You called Cade a couple of days ago?” he asked.

“Did Cade not listen to the voicemail?” I asked.

Bells said what she did was bad, but I didn’t think there was a universe in which Cade would actually be able to hate her.

“Cade is... indisposed. I’m trying to stay up to date, and I was making sure nothing bad was going on, since you mostly text.”

“What do you mean he’s indisposed?” I asked and that made Violet look up from her book.

“He’s... shit. Okay. He’s having some problems with his wolf, and he fell off his horse almost a week ago. He’s laid up in bed with a broken leg and hopped up on painkillers.”

“What problems?” I asked and put the phone on speakerphone.

“We think he’s depressed. The council keeps reminding him that he needs a Luna, and his wolf won’t take anyone but Bells, so they’ve been arguing.”

“Cade really doesn’t want Bells?” I wanted to clarify, because the man I knew would have given up everything if it meant being with Bells.

It seemed I was right, though, because John snorted at my question.

“Are you kidding? You know what happened, Chris. Cade’s been in love with Bells since they were children. It’s Bells who doesn’t love him.”

“But... didn’t he get Bells’ first message?” Violet asked.

“What message, and what do you mean first?”

“Bells called him after he left, asking for another chance, but Cade never called her back, so she figured he wanted nothing to do with her.”

A string of curses came through the phone, and I had to push it further away from me with how loud they were.

“Please tell me you’re kidding? No, actually, please tell me you’re not fucking kidding,” John pleaded.

“I’m serious. Bells was crushed when he never called her back,” Violet replied.

“He never got a voicemail. He broke his phone before he left the pack, and decided to get a new number when he got here, so he’d have a local number.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve texted and called Cade when I told him what happened to Adam.” Violet looked confused.

“You called his new number,” John insisted.

“No, I didn’t.”

“You did,” I said, my heart sinking. “I updated your phone when John gave me his new number. I thought I told you about it.”

“Oh,” Violet slumped back in her seat.

“I need to tell Cade. Maybe that’ll help his wolf. When was the second message?”

“The one you think is from me. Bells borrowed my phone when she realized her contact for Cade wasn’t working anymore." I told him.

“Shit. He’s so out of it, he hasn’t looked at his phone in almost a week.”

“Why haven’t you called Aunt Nat?” Vi asked.

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