Ivan stared at his phone, hopping Axel would say something, but instead he watched him push his phone in his pocket and stare right ahead.
The small motion made something tighten inside Ivan, because he had been waiting for a reaction.
"Are you close with Axel Gray?" Aria asked him, whispering just for the two of them.
The question found Ivan offgaurd. "No. Why?" He asked even though he didn't want to talk to her much, he didn't want to give her false hope, because all he wanted was Axel, and he was not going to change his mind about it.
Because if his father can force him to be with someone who wasn't his mate, why can't he decide on his own too to have someone who isn't his mate, and that would Axel, him and him alone, and it didn't matter if Axel was avoiding him now, either way he would get him back.
