| |
Ryder adjusted his tie again. There was already a buzz about the interview despite their rushed efforts. Pagosah General was also still in the media as it continued down the path of separating humans from anyone with magic.
“Okay, stop doing that. You look great.” Fane swatted his hands away and made a final adjustment to Ryder’s tie. “Since you’ve been fairly reclusive, fans are happily spreading the word for us.”
“It doesn’t hurt that he looks as good as the models on his covers,” Tamra added with a wink at Ryder.
“I am right here,” Fane grumbled even as his wife slid her arms around him.
“Yes, you are. You’re looking very handsome and are still the love of my life.”
It was bittersweet to watch their teasing as Fane’s chest puffed out and Tamra blushed before they exchanged several kisses. Rubbing a hand over his chest, Ryder cleared his throat then rolled his eyes when both looked his way. “And I’m still standing right here too.”
“This is your last chance to change your mind.” Fane released Tamra from his embrace but held her hand. “We don’t know exactly how this will go.”
Memories of chocolate and whiskey filled Ryder’s head. The need not only to find his mate but also to protect him made his muscles twitch with the need to pace, to act. “Doesn’t matter. Someone needs to do and I can.”
They all turned at the sounds of heels clicking on the tile floor. Television host Loba Tate wore her signature bright purple and an equally bright smile.
“There’s our star for the next hour. We are so pleased you selected us for your first sit-down interview, Mr. Zemar.” Loba extended a hand that sent her bangle bracelets jangling.
Ryder shook her hand and smiled. “Please call me Ryder. Thank you for working this in with such short notice.”
“I’m a fan of your books and I think we have some things in common.” She squeezed Ryder’s hand then released it without sharing more. Loba turned to gesture to a long table. “We have some drinks and snacks over there. We’d also like to take some promo shots before we sit down. If this goes the way I think it will, we could extend it and release a second show later. It will increase your publicity as well as ours.”
“We’ll check out the food while you take the pictures,” Fane agreed.
“Please do help yourself. If there’s anything you need, feel free to ask anyone. We have seats reserved in the audience or you can opt to stay backstage. That decision is yours.”
Tamra and Fane exchanged a look before she looked at Ryder. “I guess you still want us back here?”
“Yes.” Ryder didn’t need to elaborate. There’d been several discussions on how to limit the impact on his family’s life and how to protect them. The more Ryder gave to the public, the less they should expect of his loved ones. However, he wasn’t naïve enough to believe that was how it would work. His brother and sister-in-law gave stilted smiles and nodded before walking away. They continued to fight his efforts to carry burdens Ryder knew were his. His brother frequently cursed Ryder’s Alpha instincts recently. Fane’s displeasure wouldn’t stop Ryder from doing what he knew was best. His heart thudded in his chest as he wondered if his mate would welcome his protection. True Mates were supposed to be perfect for each other, but what if—
“We’ve all signed the contracts and know the perimeters of this interview, but I’d like to spend a few minutes talking, just us, off-camera. The show is meant to have a homey feel and it helps if I can connect with my guests as friends. Would you like coffee or tea?” Loba started walking toward a back hall before Ryder had agreed. “I didn’t lie when I said I’m a fan so I will beg for spoilers. I love that your stories let all humans learn and love shifter folklore and fairy tales. The genre was big for decades before Purgatory.”
She continued to lead their informal chat with a focus on books which helped Ryder relax. The pictures weren’t as difficult as he’d expected. Loba kept the conversation centered on reading and had even revealed she’d read his pen name releases. She also shared further hints that she was either a shifter or at least aware and sympathetic. He took a deep breath but could only smell the lingering scent of her perfume. It wasn’t surprising. Even the oldest books he’d found shared that shifters had always had ways to blend into society. Revealing magic didn’t negate centuries of survival instincts. Pushing aside thoughts of Loba’s nature, he walked to the edge of the curtain awaiting his cue to join the woman on stage.
Applause filled the small space when she introduced him and Ryder strode toward the stage. The informal set-up allowed him to walk through the audience. He saw several in the crowd with books and merchandise bearing his name. Taking a seat, he smiled at his host. “Thank you for inviting me, Loba. Bookworms are my people.”
The crowd burst into another round of cheers. Loba led a quick discussion of favorite authors and the book business.
“I think it’s a great mark that libraries and books have thrived so quickly. Yes, we needed to focus on hospitals and schools after all the years of destruction. However, our economy has recovered so much and art is vital to the human condition.” Loba crossed her legs at her ankles and leaned closer. “Books are my escape and I love fantasy and romance.”
Ryder chuckled as expected. “I’m happy to help with that. I grew up with a grandfather who loved to tell stories he’d heard from his grandmother. We lost not only lives but our culture during those dark years.”
“I’m not a fan of calling those years of suffering Purgatory, but I can understand the label. We did all suffer through economic crashes, wild weather, disease, and even wars. Things continue to improve. I wouldn’t have been able to do this job even twenty years ago.” Loba paused to sip from her mug. “I don’t want this to be a history lesson, but I think it’s important to remember.”
“Our history is certainly important,” Ryder agreed.
“We’ll leave that to another show...and you all know the one I mean.” Loba waited for the audience’s laughter to settle down. “I want to talk about your fantasy world and where you get the inspiration for it.”
Ryder took a deep breath and smiled. “I’m always happy to talk about love and magic.”
They spent the next few minutes discussing his fictional world of powerful warriors, spells and potions, and even royal court intrigue. Ryder enjoyed sharing hidden details that included city and character names as well as color choices. Loba did ask for spoilers but also accepted Ryder’s coy denials.
“But you must admit that the latest books include more romance. Do you have a special someone in your life inspiring that change?” Loba waggled her brows as the audience cooed and laughed.
“Actually, another book series has inspired those changes. I found it difficult to deny that theme in my writing so yes, there’s more romance.”
Loba clasped her hands together with a gasp. “Are you about to recommend a new author for us?”
“I am, but my interest is a bit self-serving.” Ryder leaned back in his chair and rested one ankle on his knee. He glanced at the audience to find many leaning forward in their seats.
“Who is this author? Have you gotten into publishing?”
“The author is Zari Arielle.” He needed another breath to continue despite the excited buzz filling the room. “It’s my pen name.”
The buzz became a loud roar and even Loba’s mouth fell open briefly. Ryder could almost see the dollar signs flash in her eyes when she snapped her mouth shut and grinned. He hoped his next revelation brought an equal amount of excitement from all. “I was inspired by real life when writing the Feral Love series.”
Silence followed before a thunderous eruption of noise drowned out even Loba’s attempts to respond. She kept a smile on her face and gave him a small nod. After a few more seconds, she rapped her mug on the desk to gain silence.
“Yes, yes, we all want to find out about the dreamy author’s love life, but we need to be able to hear him. Quiet down, you wild things.” Loba stood to make the request with a laugh then resumed her seat as the sounds gradually quietened. “Please tell me you’re going to share what inspired Feral Love.”
Ryder dropped his foot onto the floor and rested his elbows on his thighs. He remained silent for several seconds as he looked out at the crowd. “It was the search for my True Mate that inspired the new fantasy romance theme.”
Dollar signs again flashed in Loba’s eyes and she rubbed her hands together. “And True Mates are your fictional equivalent of soulmates in the Feral series, right?”
“Actually, True Mates are an old shifter tale.” He paused at the gasps from the audience. Ryder turned to give them all a smile. “My life as a shifter has always inspired my writing, this is just a new facet to it.”
###
RYDER SLUMPED INTO the backseat of Fane’s car and massaged his temples.
“That went even better than we expected and we were right to pick Loba. If she’s not a shifter, she’s at least a business savvy, power-hungry shark in the human sense.” Fane tapped a hand against the steering wheel. “Social media has exploded and most of the response is positive. Rankings on all books are already rising and we’ve gotten requests for more interviews.”
“When do we address the hospital?” Ryder knew less about politics and business than Fane and Tamra so they had spearheaded their plan.
Tamra twisted in her seat to meet his gaze. “We have a few allies who will be showing their support over the next few days. After that, we’ll announce a partnership with some shifter-friendly charities and you’ll have more appearances.”
“Then we’ll take on the Governor,” Fane added.
“Do you have—” Ryder didn’t get any further before Tamra addressed his concerns.
“Yes, we have a schedule for you and some bullet points to start working in. We want your fans and everyone else already thinking about the Hospital before we take it on.”
Fane slapped the steering wheel. “I don’t think you even know this, Ryder, but several of the actors on your show have already shown you support and some have reached out to volunteer their help. They make appearances at hospitals in characters already and we’ll schedule more.”
Ryder let his head fall back on the seat. “I’m going to skip tonight’s family dinner. I want to write.”
Tamra and Fane exchanged a look before she smiled at him. “Of course. We’ll take you home.”
Once alone, Ryder again had the whiskey sitting on his desk. It was surprisingly easy to block out the real-world issues by focusing on his dream mate. The story came alive more easily than anything he’d written.
‘The plan was simple – break into the castle and free the Prince. After that, all he had to do was convince the royal a peasant like him was worthy of his love.’