Page 211 of Salt Between the Wolves

Garrick remained standing with his arms folded, watching him with the same steady attention he always seemed to possess. Soren was beginning to dislike it.

"What do you want?"

Neither of them answered immediately, which by itself was unusual. Normally, one of them would have already started arguing.

Eventually, Kael spoke.

"We're worried."

The directness caught Soren off guard, though he was careful not to show it.

"Worried."

"Yes."

The answer came from Garrick this time, delivered with a simplicity and steadiness that somehow made it even more irritating.

Soren looked back toward the map.

"I survived."

"That's not what we're talking about."

Of course it wasn't.

The silence stretched between them until Garrick finally stepped closer. He did so not as a captain addressing his alpha and not as a subordinate speaking to his leader, but as someone who had known Soren for most of his life. That made what came next considerably harder to dismiss.

"You can't keep doing this alone."

There it was at last—the real reason for the conversation neither man had wanted to start and the conversation Soren had no interest in having.

His jaw tightened.

"I don't remember asking for help."

"No," Kael replied, leaning back slightly. "You usually don't."

The irritation arrived immediately, sharp, predictable, and almost comfortingly familiar.

"I appreciate the observation."

"We aren't criticizing you."

The words came from Garrick.

Soren let out a short, humorless laugh.

"Really."

"No."

The captain's expression never changed.

"We're trying to stop you from destroying yourself."

The room became very still.

For a moment, nobody spoke.