I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it slowly left my lungs.

“But we aren’t brothers anymore. He’s exiled from the camp—as well as my life.”

He was quiet for the rest of the night.

Our lovemaking wasn’t the same.

He wasn’t present.

It was quick and to the point, getting us both off so he could move on, just like in the mornings.

He lay on his side of the bed, his eyes on the open window, his arm underneath his head.

“You want to talk about it?”

He was still as stone, like he didn’t hear the question. “No.”

I propped myself up on my elbow beside him, my fingers gliding over his chest. I hoped this was the precursor to change, that his brother’s bold move would force him to alter his business practices. There would be resistance, but it would fade.

“Magnus humiliated me in front of my men.” He said he didn’t want to talk, but yet, he spoke.

I was silent, not wanting to impede his momentum.

“He called my bluff. Exiling him was the only option I had to spare my dignity and spare his life.”

My fingers traced his muscles, hoping for more.

Nothing came.

“He’s just trying to do the right thing, Fender. You know that.” It was a stupid thing to say, a perfect way to provoke his rage.

But he remained subdued. As if he knew. He’d always known. “Our bond is more important than the blood of innocent people. I’d assumed he felt the same way. Guess not.”

“No reason you can’t have both.”

His empty eyes remained on the window, looking into the darkness. “He betrayed me. I forgave him. Then he does this…”

“He chose to do the right thing over you. But if you want to preserve your relationship, you need to choose the right thing, too. Then there is no betrayal. There’s nothing more important than family. I know how much you love your brother.”

He remained lifeless.

“You can’t be angry with him for doing what should have been done a long time ago.” It didn’t make sense, and Fender was too intelligent not to understand that. “So, what is the real reason you would cut him out of your life?”

He remained quiet.

I kept my silence, hoping he just needed more time to form his thoughts.

“The last time I dropped my guard, my father butchered my family. If my brother is standing behind me, I never look because I don’t need to. He has my back—through and through. With my brother, I’m never anything short of honest, sharing every thought that comes into my mind. My guard has never been raised. And then he does all these things…and now my guard is up. It’s a shitty feeling.”