“Yeah, I get that,” he replied with understanding.
“I overheard Josiah talking on my first night. He wanted Stefan to marry me to secure his claim to the throne. He had no clue about werewolves. After that, I couldn’t trust him again. Then I found out Stefan wasn’t really on his side,” I added.
“I’m glad you had a friend around. Just a friend, right? Did you ever get involved with him?” Axel asked, his gaze focused elsewhere as he voiced the last question.
“No,” I answered flatly. I could feel the weight of his question hanging in the air; he needed to ask it for his own peace of mind. But I was hungry for answers, too.
“What about you?” I shot back.
“What do you mean?” he replied, looking a bit confused.
“I was gone for more than two months,” I clarified.
“Are you askin
