Then Ciel felt the typical heaviness of an alpha using their pheromones to warn someone. With Grayson's impeccable control, only Ciel could feel it; Neville could briefly smell it, but that's it.
Ciel quickly snapped his gaze back to the table so fast his neck cracked.
"Right," he said to no one, rubbing his shoulders for comfort. "Side bets. Great. Love them."
Lilianna's lips curved. Then she placed her fingers on the shoe and began to deal.
The cards whispered across the felt.
Card by card, until each player received their two cards face-up.
Then Lilianna placed her own face-down card.
Lilianna's face-up card was the King of Spades.
Bryan looked at his cards. Then his chair scraped back as he half-stood, whipped around.
He grabbed Iris by the waist and kissed her—hard, fast, in excitement.
"I KNEW IT!"
Iris made a muffled noise of protest against his mouth.
Bryan pulled back just enough to brandish his cards at the table.
