Page 6 of Selkie AU: Beyond the Storm

One step closer. Another. His head tilted slightly. I inhaled a deep breath and held it in. Then those eyes finally left mine to find the seal skin again.

Fingers brushed through the fur as he picked it up, a soft sigh of relief escaping him.

“Did you do this?” a soft but masculine voice asked as gray fingertips traced over my dodgy stitchwork.

I cleared my throat. “Uhh… yes. It was umm… bleeding?” I answered and questioned at the same time.

He nodded, taking in the damage a moment longer before he tossed the skin over his shoulder, covering half his back and chest rather than his… whatever he had, and turned to face me. A wide grin split his pretty face, revealing those sharp canines again. “Thanks. I was in real trouble back there.”

Before I could question him on what he was doing out there alone, his attention had already moved on. He strolled over to the fireplace, snatching up the wooden bear ornament on the mantle. “Did you make this?”

“Uhh… no.”

“Who made it?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“What about this?” He tucked the bear under his arm and picked up the ceramic vase that had been beside it, tipping it upside down. The long-dead flowers tumbled to the floor as he inspected the vase.

“No.”

“You found it?”

“I bought it.”

His head tilted. “Bought it. Like a trade?”

My head spun. Did he not know what money was? “I guess—”

“Ooh…” He tucked the vase under his arm as well and snatched up a picture frame. “Wow. Is this a painting?”

“It’s a photograph.”

“What’s a photograph?”

“It’s… well… that.”

Under the arm it went. Then he brushed his fingertips over the wooden surface, collecting dust and rubbing it between his fingers. I flushed, suddenly regretting the fact that I hadn’t been bothered to clean it lately. He said nothing about it and simply moved to the next surface to start touching things.

Exasperated, I left him to it, slouching back in my chair as he went through all my belongings, until his arms were full and he returned to the sofa to lay out what he’d found on the blanket, carefully arranging them in a way only he seemed to understand. Then he continued searching for more.

I sighed as he opened the door to my bedroom and didn’t hesitate to stroll right in. Clearly, wherever he came from, personal space and privacy weren’t common. Wasn’t like I had anything worth hiding or stealing anyway. Unless he went rifling through the nightstand drawer… and he probably would.

I grunted as I pushed to my feet to follow him.

I’d barely walked through the open bedroom door before my eyes fell on a perfectly rounded ass pointed directly at me as he knelt on the bed, his arm reaching for the items on the nightstand.

“Sorry!” I exclaimed, turning around.

“For what?” he questioned distractedly.

Behind me, I heard clinking and rattling as he roughed up my alarm clock.

“Can you just… cover up a bit?”

“Cover what?”

“Everything,” I grumbled, marching over to my dresser and pulling the top drawer open with more force than was necessary.I yanked out a knitted sweater and some sweatpants. “Here.” I held them out to him, looking away from him to hide how heated my face felt.