Page 15 of Make Me (Immortal Vices and Virtues: All Hallows’ Eve #1)

KASHA

I t’s not until the first golden streaks of sunlight stretch across my bedroom ceiling that I finally leave the warmth of my bed.

And even then, it’s not because I want to.

It’s because I need sustenance. After a night spent being ravaged by Talon, I already know I’ll need to start taking better care of myself if I have any hope of keeping up with the man fate sent me.

Still flushed with contentment and wearing nothing but his shirt, I pad into the kitchen, intent on throwing together something quick to bring back for us both. But apparently, Talon didn’t want to be alone in bed.

He rounds the corner a second later, hair adorably mussed, wearing only black boxers and a scowl that’s more amused than annoyed. He tosses my phone onto the counter and leans there like he owns the place. Though, given the events of the last twelve hours, he kind of does.

“Someone is yelling at you,” he grumbles. “That thing won’t shut up. ”

I pick my phone up, thumbing the screen to life. Spencer. Of course.

A flurry of missed calls and texts light up the display, and I wince.

I didn’t check in with her after leaving the ball.

And now that I’m reading through the frantic messages— OMG, did I get you killed?

Why haven’t you responded? I’m on my way with Drake.

Murder for breakfast sounds good to me —I should probably feel bad.

But then Talon steps behind me, grabs my ass like it’s his favorite thing in the world, and steals the carton of eggs from the fridge with his other hand.

“Let me,” he says, also reaching for a bowl above me.

A laugh escapes me, light and easy, as I start to call Spencer. It rings once before she picks up, sounding breathless and furious.

“You’re in so much trouble when I get there.”

“Unless you want to see me half-naked, I’d turn around and go back home.”

Silence.

Then, in the background, Drake’s voice: “Shit. Why are you going pale? Is she actually in trouble?”

I raise my voice so he can hear me. “I’m fine, Drake. Take her home. She doesn’t need to storm my place with pitchforks.”

“Wait,” Spencer cuts in, snapping out of her dramatic stupor before I can hang up. “Why can’t I come over? Is someone there with you?”

My gaze slides to Talon. He’s shirtless, cooking in my kitchen like he belongs here, and my chest squeezes in the best possible way.

“You were right about that party, Spence. ”

“Holy shit,” she murmurs. “Did you actually find your mate?”

“I did. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to get back to him,” I tell her joyfully.

“I swear to the gods, Kasha?—”

“I’ll come by soon to explain,” I interrupt sweetly. “And by soon, I mean maybe in a few days. After I’ve…been thoroughly bonded.”

“You better not?—”

“I love you, Spencer,” I cut her off again, a wicked grin tugging at my lips, “and I’d never harm my future niece or nephew, but if you show up at my house right now, I’ll find a way to… Magically give you hiccups for the rest of your life.”

I hear Drake in the background again. “Come on, my Dove.”

“Put me down!” she screeches as I hang up, snorting.

“Thank the gods for that man,” I murmur.

When I glance back, Talon is watching me, amusement and affection all over his face.

“Am I going to have to pass some kind of best friend test to stay in your life?”

I step up to him, loop my arms around his neck, and press a kiss to his jaw. “Absolutely not. Spencer will love you once she meets you. But I’m not ready to share you just yet. Is that okay?”

He slides his hands around my waist, drawing me flush against him. “You can keep me locked in this house for the next few decades if you want.”

A purr rumbles in my throat. “Tempting offer.”

“Consider it done. ”

And just like that, it hits me.

The peace.

The kind of quiet happiness I’ve never really trusted, let alone claimed for myself. And maybe that’s what makes this moment so life-altering. Not just the fact that I have a mate and that I have my wolf back, but I’m finally free.

There’s no more hiding or just surviving this life.

The contentment that fills me is unlike anything I’ve experienced, and as I hold onto this moment, I realize something that cements my peace.

I never needed a coin to decide my fate. I just needed me. All of me.

Now I have her and so much more.

A future worth holding onto with everything I am and everything I’ll become.