Page 187 of Wolf Roulette

I didn’t answer.

The delta crossed her arms. “You want Sascha.”

“Took you a while to catch on.”

“Took you a while to admit it.”

“And still, I’m unsure why it’s any of your business.”

Mandy shrugged a shoulder. “I’m a delta.”

“And you crave recognition, right?” My reply was soft.

She coloured.

There was a tinge of defiance in her scent.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” I watched her closely. “Sascha’s top wolves are chosen because they’ve essentially mastered the shortcoming of their status.”

Mandy tensed. “What are you saying?”

“By deciding that you knew better than Sascha or me, you disrupted the harmony of the pack. That’s unacceptable in any pack Luther, more so in one meant to be a role model. What did you hope to achieve, Mandy? And was that worth our entire community?”

She sighed and sat. “I fucked up, okay.”

“I’m glad you’re aware of that.”

The delta stared at her hands. “Sascha put me on probation after I punched you in the grid. I’ve never seen him so angry.” She raised her gaze to mine. “Or you.”

I’d never hurt someone the way I hurt Mandy that night. “You nearly killed him.”

She nodded. “I let my ambition to see him happy become something else. I realised that as soon as you fell. But when you hit me, I realised something else… You love him.”

Honestly, it was none of her business either way, but she could smell my agreement.

Her eyes glittered. “I watched you at the ball. It confirmed my suspicion.”

“I’m so happy for you,” I said drily.

“You deserve him.”

“And you’re missing the point. It was never your job to decide whether we deserved or loved each other. By involving yourself, you disrespected the person you profess to care about. You disrespected me too.”

“I know. That’s why I figured I’d interfere one last time—since I’d already made a mess of things.” Mandy jerked a thumb at the boxes. “There are twenty-seven other boxes like it in my trailer.”

I glanced at them. “And they are?”

“All the research ever done on you. Every fear, wish, and hope.”

“The boxes from his wardrobe? I thought that was just capture-meet stuff.”

“Male Luthers keep records from the moment they meet their mate until the end of the call.”

I frowned. “You just took them without his permission?”

“They belong to you.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Last night, Sascha told the pack that he severed communication with you after hearing you’d divulged pack secrets. I can guess how that may be affecting you.”

Ouch.He did?