Page 11 of Make Me (Immortal Vices and Virtues: All Hallows’ Eve #1)

KASHA

T alon’s hands cradle my face like I’m something sacred, and I let myself return the kiss like maybe I am .

And for the first time in years, the hollowness doesn’t win.

This closeness should terrify me. It’s too soft. Too gentle. Too real . And after everything I’ve endured—everything I’ve buried and pretended not to be—I don’t know what to do with something that feels this…right.

Even still, I don’t pull away.

My fingers fist the front of Talon’s shirt, gripping him like he’s the only tether I have to this moment, because he is. I’ve known I needed this for months now. Not the kiss itself, but the stillness it brings, that he brings.

His mouth moves over mine like a promise, slow and intentional. Worshipful, almost, but not like I’m fragile.

Like I’m something wild he never expected to find, and now that he has, he’s never letting go.

A part of me is terrified of that, but there’s another, deeper layer reminding me that I deserve this. This is what I’ve been searching for, and I can’t be afraid now that I’ve finally found it.

When we break apart, it’s not with gasps or poetic sighs. Just the quiet thrum of two people whose lives have both changed for the better tonight.

I open my eyes and find his already on mine, his thumb brushing along my jaw in a motion so gentle I could cry from the tenderness.

No one’s ever touched me like that. Not just physically, but soul deep.

“Are you okay?” he whispers, as if he’s worried he’s asked, or even done, too much.

I nod slowly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” I admit. “But I know this feels right. This whole evening. Going to that party, finding you, speaking with Vaelora, now waiting for Natalia. It’s a lot at once, but I can’t imagine none of it having happened now that it has.”

He exhales, his shoulders relaxing as though I’ve just given him a truth he didn’t dare hope for.

“I can’t promise you anything,” I add, hating that I’ve let doubt creep in. “I sacrificed my wolf’s soul. That might not be something even the witch can fix. While I believe that we’re mates, and I’m certainly attracted to you, if I can’t get my wolf back, you might not ever have a real mate.”

“Oh, Kasha.” He grips my face, his eyes locked on mine. “You could have been human for all I cared. I just knew I needed to find you and be with you. Bonded or not, your wolf’s soul or not, it makes no difference for me. I’m yours, if you’ll have me. Full stop.”

His words hit harder than they should, and my heart starts to pound in my chest. I knew mate bonds were powerful.

I watched Spencer fall, saw what it did to her.

But I didn’t think there was a possibility of anything like that for me with this block.

Regardless of what is or isn’t, my body still reacts.

The need to be closer to him grows while my skin warms, and every part of me relaxes when he stares at me as he’s doing now with such care and determination…

If it’s not the bond, and just the sheer intensity of his presence, then I’m in trouble because I’m already coming undone.

Yet, there’s still a little voice in my head, one that I share with him, that says, “What if I can’t ever be fixed after what I’ve done? What if I’m…broken?”

The smile he gives me as he holds my stare takes my breath away, but it’s the words that follow that finally take away all my reservations.

“Then I’ll break with you,” he says without hesitation.

Gods, that answer. That fucking answer.

It burrows into me, into every empty place that’s ached for too long.

I keep my eyes focused on Talon as the silence settles between us again, allowing the warmth of his presence to soak through me.

The wind rustles nearby trees, the stars glitter overhead, and for the first time in what feels like centuries, I let myself imagine what it would be like to stop hiding .

To stop fighting the parts of me that I’ve spent a lifetime trying to erase.

To no longer feel so alone.

“Thank you,” I murmur and move to kiss him again, but my phone vibrates with a new notification.

I glance at the screen and shake my head.

Natalia: Don’t move. I’m coming to you.

“Are you sure you can trust her?” Talon says as I show him my phone.

I nod with certainty. “If Natalia can’t fix me, I doubt anyone can.”

He stands, pulling me up with him as he wraps his arms around me. “There’s nothing to be fixed. Only set free.”

“You know, for a retired tracker,” I smile widely up at him, “you’re rather good at saying all the right things.”

“Just for you.”

A loud, theatrical groan echoes from behind us. “Why do I always walk in on moments like this?”

We both turn to find Natalia striding across the grass like she owns the damn park, her long braid bouncing behind her and her scowl firmly in place. But I catch the glint in her eyes. The warmth she pretends not to have.

“Did you get everything you needed?” I ask as she sets a bag on the bench.

“Yeah, yeah.” She starts pulling items out—glass potion bottles, a silver dagger that hums with energy, and a slender chain that sparkles in the moonlight. “This won’t take long.”

I eye the blade warily. “Is that all for me? ”

“Nope.” She tosses the chain at Talon. “That one’s for him . I’ll need it wrapped around both his wrists.”

He catches it midair, holding it like it might burn him. “Why?”

“Because I’ve dealt with mates before,” she says, glancing around briefly. “Right here in this park in fact. You either let me restrain you or I go home. Your choice. But I won’t have you getting in my way. And when Kasha inevitably screams in pain, you’ll want to do just that.”

Talon snarls. “No.”

“Yes.” Natalia goes toe-to-toe, uncaring that he’s well over a foot taller than her. “I won’t have you interrupting me and getting her killed. Kasha is strong. She can handle this, and you’re going to let her.”

Talon’s low growl shakes through his chest, the sound more animal than man. He looks at me, his jaw tight and his eyes—gods, those eyes—are full of war.

I reach for his arm, squeezing gently. “Please. I’ll be safe with her. I promise.”

His breath shudders out, and after a long, tense beat, he nods.

“Fine,” he says, reluctantly handing the chain back to the witch.

Natalia steps closer, ignoring the way he looms over her.

“If anything goes wrong—” he starts.

“You’ll kill me,” she finishes breezily. “You’ll make me suffer, feed me to your wolf, grind my bones into potion powder for trade. I’ve heard it all before.”

“This won’t hold me,” Talon growls, eyes locked on Natalia as she winds the silver tighter around his wrists. Sparks flicker where magic touches skin, but he barely flinches. His muscles strain, tension rippling down his arms like he’s already preparing to break free.

She doesn’t so much as blink. With a flick of her fingers and a shove that looks almost lazy, Talon stumbles backward and lands on the bench with a heavy thud.

“Witch!” he bellows, but any further sounds are muted as his body slumps and his eyes close.

“What did you do to him?” I ask calmly, knowing there’s no point wasting time getting upset. She’ll wake him when we’re done and no sooner.

“I made sure he won’t get in my way or break my concentration as I bring you back to life.” She reaches for the dagger and grins. “Would you like to lie on the table or the ground? I need you flat while I drive this into your heart.”

My eyes widen, and I take a step back. “You’re not stabbing me with that.”

“Oh, but I am.” She twirls the blade between her fingers with unsettling grace. “Unless you don’t actually want your wolf back. In that case, we can skip the theatrics. I’ll take my fairy termites and be on my merry way. I get paid for my time either way.”

I stare at the wicked gleam of the dagger. “There isn’t another way?”

“If there was, don’t you think I’d use it?

” Her tone is exasperated. “You think I enjoy knifing people in the chest? Okay, maybe a little, but still. This is your undoing, Kasha. The spell that bound your wolf’s spirit is tethered to your heart and to your fear.

I need to pierce through it. Physically, magically, and spiritually. ”

I swallow hard, my throat dry. My brain screams at me to run, but something deeper, something older, holds me still.

No, I don’t want to keep living like this. Half-shadow. Half-breath. I’ve clung to these jagged pieces for so long that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be whole.

Still, I hesitate. My eyes flick to Talon, slumped and silent, and for one wild second I consider calling Spencer. She’d know what to do.

Except so do I.

She’d tell me what I’ve already been saying to Talon. That I need to trust Natalia and to stop procrastinating. I need to do this for myself, for the wolf I regrettably buried, and for the future I deserve.

“Okay.” My voice is low but steady.

She gestures to the table with a tilt of her head. “Then lie down.”

With a slight tremor in my steps, I move and climb up, the wood cold beneath me. I smooth my skirt and press my back flat, staring up at the stars.

“You chose a good night,” Natalia murmurs as she rearranges the items she’s brought with her. “The full moon is good for rebirth. Plus, whatever magic that fae friend of yours stirred up earlier? It’s still lingering.”

I keep quiet and focus on the night sky until she places a potion bottle in my hand. “Drink.”

I lean up on one elbow and pull the cork then immediately regret my decision. The scent is sharp and acidic, like crushed iron mixed with citrus and ash. Just breathing it in burns my throat.

Gods, this is going to suck.

I down it in one gulp, the liquid clawing at my throat like it’s trying to escape. I gag but manage to keep it down.

My head spins as everything inside me slows. Yet, I feel everything.

Anguish, death, life, grief, joy, desire, and everything in between. It all pulses through me like a live wire.