Page 129 of The Wildcard

No, he only saw what Ray truly was.

Saw their new, anddeadlymediator.

* *

Ray knew what it meant to wear the dress she was wearing. Knew that it meant she’d sealed her fate and had handed it over to the Lions. To the Ravens.

Little did they know. Did theyall know.

That she’d given up a million fates to build a new one.

She saw it now. With Angel looking back at her. With him in the middle of a crowd that was watching theireverymove. She saw what it would look like totearthem all down. What it would do to her relationship with him. And ached at the small part that raged, that begged for her to spare him.

It wasn’t like she was going to kill him,a better part of her reasoned, and in reality Ray smiled back at Angel. Waved at him and started walking in his direction like the perfect host,but she was going to take everything else from him.

Her smile didn’t waver when she neared him. But it threatened to… Becausetherehe was, with his crooked silver boutonniere and his black suit hugging every lean inch of his lean body, and he might be the best thing she’d seen in the entire crowd.

His amber eyes simmered as he stared back, his lips lifting in a half

smirk as he tipped his chin and his hair fell over his head,

“Hi.”

Ray let lose a huff of laughter, “Hi.” She responded softly, knowing there were a million eyes on her at that moment.

“Are you ready to do this?” he asked and smiled but his dimples didn’t show. They never did when he wasn’t alone. Ray made a show of stepping back, just a minor step to make some distance between them. To diffuse any rumors that might arise. And made sure to show that apology in her eyes as she grinned back,

“Born ready.”

His chin tipped upwards again and she saw his eyes move. Ray didn’t have to follow the direction of his gaze to know he was looking at Alessandro and Maya, who were standing a few paces behind Ray. Her back straightened as his eyes flashed at whatever he saw in her expression. But before he could act on it, Ray felt the warmth ofherpeople on both her sides.

A sour taste entered her mouth as Kyle and Verana stepped ahead beside her. She saw with a subdued smile, Christina, Jack, Luke and Mia, all take their position right next to Angel as well. Martin had arrived a while back with Alessandro, but people weren’t waiting forhisentrance. They’d been awaitingthis.

Their show.

And Ray would give it to them.

It washerwho took the first step.Herwho tipped her chin to stare back at Angel ruefully as Kyle stepped ahead beside her and placed a steady hand against her lower back. She fought a chill as the crowd around them silenced, all their eyes on them as Kyle started speaking in that low tone of his.

“Welcome, Angel De Santos.” He said. Ray bristled as the hungry crowd shifted closer.

As the wind whistled with the silence. The voice, the way Kyle wielded his words, seemed to remind everyone that he too was a Larsen. That he too, knew the ways of this world. Those green eyes glinted as he reveled in that attention,

“It seems the entire crowd was waiting for us to meet.” He said mischievously and turned his head sideways to look at the people around them. Ray saw the laughs that cracked the silence at his words and smiled at the way he’d broken the crowd. Angel huffed as well, and extended his hand for Kyle to shake,

“Then let’s give them what they asked for.” He said and grinned wider as Kyle shook his hand enthusiastically, his green eyes shining with excitement,

“And some more.” He said and turned to face Ray, focusingallthe attention on her. Ray breathed out, shaking her head as she looked out into the crowd and at the number of people staring at her now. If she paid enough attention she could almost hear their whispers.

Who is she? Why does Kyle Larsen hold her in such high regards? Why is she here?

Ray’s chin tipped at those questions, her hair spilling over her back as she grinned wide and a bitwolfishas she looked at Kyle, “And some more, indeed.”

And with that, the entire crowd parted with a heaved breath. They knew something was coming. Something new, something that hadhername etched on its surface.

And all of them knew better than to underestimate it.

Ray let out a relieved breath at their scattered attention and moved so she was facing Angel, who was eyeing her with a secretive glint in his eyes. She placed her hands on her hips, her gaze hardening,

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