Page 9 of Selkie AU: Beyond the Storm

Black seal-like eyes softened, the pupils shrinking into ones that almost looked human, surrounded by rings of silver. Beautiful.

He was a selkie.

I’d known he wasn’t human, but a selkie? I’d heard of them, but I’d have thought if they existed it would be in Scotland or Ireland. Though if Greenland had a lot of something, it was seals.

My eyes drifted to the seal coat as he picked it up again, slinging it back over his shoulders. My mind was swirling with information and questions.

“How… does it work?” I asked.

“My coat?”

I nodded.

Soft-looking pink lips tugged up in a smile. “I’ll show you.”

He grabbed the flippers, stretching the coat along his back, and as he knelt on the floorboards and covered himself with it, I watched with fascination as it consumed him, fur melding with skin until a harp seal was looking back at me.

“Shit,” I breathed.

He was… a seal. Just like any other I’d seen before, his coat mostly white like his hair with some gray spots. How many selkies had I actually seen before?

I took a cautious step closer. Another. He watched me with those familiar eyes.

Slowly, I sank to my knees in front of him. His nostrils flared as he huffed air at me then made a rumbling sound, somewhere between a purr and a bark as he turned onto his side. One of his flippers slapped against his stomach.

Did he want me to pet him there?

I raised my hand, moving slow enough that he could let me know if he didn’t want me to before my fingers touched his plush fur. So much softer than I’d expected. It also didn’t feel like anything other than a seal. Not a costume with something close to human hiding inside. I pulled away. He barked, slapping his belly again.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. But the smile disappeared as I heard his stomach grumble.

“Are you hungry?” I asked.

He rolled back onto his belly immediately and barked excitedly again.So cute. I cleared my throat and stood up. I wasn’t sure what selkies could eat, but I was sure I’d have something for him for now.

I nodded, turning away and marching to the kitchen on a mission. A moment later, Milo joined me, back in a more humanlike form, his seal coat draped over his shoulder.

I tried not to look at him, suddenly conscious of the fact that I’d justrubbedthis guy’s belly for fuck’s sake. None of this was normal.

Living alone meant I didn’t bother cooking anything more than basic meals for myself, and even then, I was running low on supplies.

Milo’s head pushed between my arm and the open door of the fridge. His hands snatching up the carton of milk and a bottle of sauce.

“Those aren’t food,” I told him as he retreated with them, dashing over to his stash of my stuff on the sofa.

He ignored me, picking up the sauce again and sniffing the glass bottle before chomping down on the lid. It popped open, and I watched with fascination and horror as his long tongue dipped directly inside to taste it. Well… it was a good thing it was mostly empty anyway.

With a sigh, I left him to it, pulling out what I needed to make something simple.

The smell of cooking cod and vegetables quickly lured him back to the kitchen.

“No.” I snatched his wrist as he reached for the pan. “It’s very hot. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Why are you making it hot?”

I sighed. “Tastes better that way.”

“Okay.” He smiled, satisfied with that explanation, it seemed, as he looked around, presumably for what else he found interesting enough to steal.