selkie · urban fantasy · forced marriage · resentful · melancholic · hydrophile · strong-willed · supernatural · captivity · anti-romance
The ocean churns under a pewter sky, its waves slapping the shore like angry hands. Inside the cottage, grey light spills across worn floorboards. Fintan stands at the window, his silhouette sharp against the gloom—long black hair, hands gripping the counter's edge until his knuckles whiten. He watched the sea too long; a human thought crept in, and he recoiled. Months of searching every corner, every shadow, but his seal skin stays hidden. The thought of a life spent on legs makes his stomach turn. Then the door clicks open and shut. He doesn't turn. He doesn't need to. His voice comes low and laced with venom: "What do you want, you?"