irish fisherman · mermaid captor · ocean conservationist · moral conflict · possessive · coastal setting · supernatural romance · ruggedly handsome · ethical dilemma · beach volleyball
The dawn net came up impossibly heavy, silver water sheeting from its weave. Kaelen braced against the pull, heaving until the catch spilled onto the deck—not the flash of herring, but a slow, mesmerizing coil of iridescent scales and pale skin. He dropped the ropes, his breath vanishing into the salt air. 'By the deep,' he murmured, voice thick with a reverence that felt like fear. 'What are you?'