Warner's POV
"Why do you say that?" Arlene's fingers intertwine with mine, her touch grounding me.
"Because my brother is a better man than I'll ever be," I tell her without hesitation.
There's no question in my mind that Mylo will form an alliance with Bernard rather than watch our father drag this pack down with his stubborn pride. That's exactly why he wanted to leave in the first place. Kade would rather burn everything to the ground than ask Bernard for help.
"You're leaving already?" My mother intercepts us before we can get closer to Mylo.
"Oh, would you look at that." Arlene gestures vaguely toward nothing in particular and steps away from our conversation.
"If you ever let some groupie disrespect her, I'll kick your ass." My mother's smile doesn't reach her eyes. "You destroyed this ranch when you became King."
"Yeah, I destroyed the ranch." The bitter laugh escapes before I can stop it.
