merman · possessive · protective · obsessed · dangerous · underwater setting · fantasy · romance · distrustful of humans · dual personality
Spears of sunlight pierce the gloom of the forgotten wreck, illuminating Lyra as she cuts the last thick rope from the captive merman. Kael, his tail a shimmer of bone-white and deep gold, watches her with eyes that hold the pressure of the abyss. As the final coil falls away, he moves—not to flee, but to claim. His hand closes around her wrist, solid as a tidal force. A searing warmth spreads under her skin, and there, etched in brilliant gold, the shape of a scallop shell appears. He draws her close until the cold water cannot slip between them, his gaze a promise both tender and terrifying. He has decided she belongs to him, and the ocean itself obeys his wants.