Chapter 25

Rachel POV

The Late Late Show

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Rachel Flores, everyone!"

My performance had gone off without a hitch. The studio audience went wild for the live take on "Love at the First Sight." I felt as if I were flying as the host welcomed me to come sit beside his desk.

"Now, I was told by a little bird known as our producer---you're going to name the man who was the inspiration for 'Love at the First Sight' tonight! Live! On our show!"

I looked into the crowd where I saw Nathan clapping along with the rest of the studio audience. He was beaming at me with so much joy I couldn't question his dedication to me.

I didn't deserve Nathan, but I was going to keep him as long as I could all the same.

"Yes."

The host gestured to me to continue, grinning at me as if we were the only two people in the room instead of in front of several hundred people, "Go ahead! Dazzle us, Rachel! Who is the lucky man who inspired so much love in you?"

"Nathan Lewis," I stated with the confidence I could only attribute to the man himself.

Nathan supported me in a way no one ever had. My father had used me. My brother had needed me. My mate hadn't wanted me after my lies which started our relationship. I was lucky to have Nathan to stand at my side much less to stand there beaming with pride.

"I hear he's basically werewolf royalty. Is that right? He's a prince or something? Does that make you a full moon Cinderella?"

I laughed at the idea, shaking my head, "I don't know if I would go so far as to say Cinderella. Nathan will be Alpha of Full Moon Pack. He is a prince to me, for sure."

"Do you think you need to worry about midnight with him? Is it possible the carriage turns back into a pumpkin?"

"Not with Nathan," I said confidently, "He's the kind of prince who doesn't look at the clock. He's the same any time of day or night. I'm very lucky to have been able to experience love for the first time with him. We were high school sweethearts."

I could tell from the look on the host's face he was about to bring up the rumors regarding my supposed secret life as a mistress. I wanted nothing more than to ask him to be quiet, give me some grace, forget about the ugliness and go back to talking about the beauty of the music.

Rumors sold more records than wishful thinking though so I tried to keep my smile in place as the questions I dreaded started to come.

"You didn't stay together after high school though, did you? We've all heard a lot of things about you. I've heard you're a secret lover for a married man. I've heard he's a wolf who kept you a secret from his fated mate. I've even heard he was your fated mate and his family didn't approve of the match. Is that what happened? Tell us the truth, Rachel. The world wants to know!"

I wanted to say the world could go fly a kite, but my baby needed me to be charming and charitable. I had to sway public opinion back to my side of the divide before my reputation was irreparably damaged.

In a few months, I would be a mother and then my main focus would have to be my child.

Right now was the time I had to focus on the music alone. I couldn't squander a single second.

"I found my fated mate after a one-night stand. It wasn't the same as love at first sight---we were pulled together by instinct. I don't regret giving in to my instincts and having a mating with my fated mate. The Moon Goddess is said to give all wolves the one best suited for them."

I held my hand out and presented my scarred palm for the camera. I held still while a cameraman moved in to get a close-up of the damage. I was proud I wasn't shaking. Somehow I'd expected to feel horribly exposed showing the mark of my rejection, but, instead, I found I felt emboldened.

I was more than my fated mate!

"I spent three years with my fated mate. We tried to make our relationship work for the sake of our heritage. Things outside both of our control made us a bad match despite our chemistry."

"What's this scar from, Rachel? Is that from your mate? Were you abused?"

"No," I shook my head, giving a rueful chuckle, "I wasn't abused physically. The scar is from the official rejection ceremony which severed our mate bond. We are both free to find another mate if we are lucky enough to be granted a second chance mate by the Moon Goddess or to develop a relationship without the mate bond present. Wolves can and do fall in love the way humans do."

Fated mates were as much a fairytale for our kind as they were for humans. Humans were the ones who thought all wolves were guaranteed their fated mate in their lifetime when the likelihood of finding the one true mate for each wolf was very low.

"So are you and Nathan Lewis back on? Is that what we're hearing?"

I laughed as Nathan stood up to clap enthusiastically, causing the whole audience to burst into spontaneous applause with him. It seemed they believed in love! Second chance sweethearts sounded better to me than rumors of being a kept mistress or a homewrecker.

"We are exploring our futures together," I allowed.

Nathan didn't owe me a relationship. He didn't deserve to be strung along for a second round of romance with me. I wanted him to have the fairytale even if it hadn't worked out for me.

"He seems to be pretty excited about the exploration! Nathan Lewis is here in the house, everyone! Can we get a camera on Nathan?"

The host didn't surprise me too much by pointing out Nathan to the camera operators. I knew he would be placed on display. Nathan had known he was going to be subject to public scrutiny if he gave me permission to name him on the show.

I wasn't surprised by the host. I was surprised by how happy Nathan appeared to wave at the camera as he stood there for me.

Nathan was proud to be standing up---for me.

"He's a heartbreaker, right? I'm a lucky woman!"

I started the applause then and even yelled out myself when the women catcalled him as a hunk. Why shouldn't I celebrate Nathan? If he could be proud to stand for me, I could be proud to stand with him.

Fate had forced Tyler Wright to want me. A force greater than our will had shoved us together and neither of us had benefited from the arrangement.

"Let's talk about your music some more! I bet this guy has you singing lots of love songs, right? Is that what we have to expect from you coming forward, Rachel? More love songs?"

I followed the cues of the host and finished the interview on a much happier note than it had begun. I could tell the audience was happy for me. They clapped and yelled enthusiastically as I answered questions about my recording contract, my upcoming song releases, and the public appearances I had already scheduled.

"Well, I think we'll let Rachel get back to Nathan and bring our next guest out. Thanks so much! Give a hand for Rachel Flores, everyone!"

I waved as I exited the stage and watched as Nathan was being ushered back to me. I was so focused on getting back to Nathan, I didn't notice when a man came up beside me in the wings.

I didn't have a chance to scream before the man grabbed my arm and dragged me into a green room backstage. Who was he? What was happening? Should I scream?

I was still trying to come to grips with what had happened when the man spoke.

"What do you think you're doing, Rachel?"

"Tyler!"

How had Tyler Wright managed to get backstage at the Late Late Show!? What was going on here?