The silence in the kitchen stretched until the air felt brittle enough to snap.
Dean’s hands remained pressed flat against Kellan’s dark shirt, feeling the slow, heavy thud of the older man’s heartbeat beneath his palms. He was pinned against the cold steel of the refrigerator, completely trapped by Kellan’s massive frame. He knew what the safe, sane answer was. He should say let me go. He should take the exit Kellan was offering, retreat to his room, and pretend his life was normal.
But looking up into Kellan’s dark, unblinking eyes—seeing the absolute authority resting there—the lie burned out in Dean’s throat.
"I don't want you to let me go," Dean whispered, his voice trembling so hard it barely carried. "I want to yield."
A terrible, dark heat flared in Kellan’s eyes. His broad han
