Ocean's Surrender (5 page)

For there lurked an even deeper, totally unacknowledged part of River that wanted to believe.

Her mother and father had been lousy parents, but exceptional storytellers. They’d told her the folktales of Europe and Louisiana, and she’d believed so fiercely when she was a child, in fairies and magic and mysterious forces that would try to hurt a body for no obvious reason, and even more mysterious forces that would rescue someone, just because they could.

Those stories had always ended well, something River rarely saw reflected in her own young life.

The truth was that, hidden deep inside, there lurked a part of River that was still a lonely girl wanting to believe in love and life and magic. But after so many experiences ranging from the banal to the truly terrible, that innocent part was deeply hidden. Which meant River wasn’t ready to admit any other reason for seeing Fen than to put the fear of God into him.

“I’m going because I’m getting to the bottom of that man’s story. And if he’s lying, I’m going to make sure he never comes back to hurt you, Jason.”

“And if he’s telling the truth?”

“Then I’m going to tell him to stay far away from the both of us. We don’t need his kind of help.”

Jason sighed, obviously disappointed in her. River picked up the shotgun and headed for the sliding doors at the back of the house.

“If I’m not back in a few hours, call the police.”

Jason just stared at his sister with a long-suffering, patient look, as if she were the one who was a little slow.

“Yeah, sure, River,” he said. “I’m going downstairs to watch a movie. Have fun with Fen.”

And that’s just what he proceeded to do.

He’s not going to call the police
, River realized.
I could be out all night and he wouldn’t do it. He really does trust this guy.

And that’s what really pissed River off.

She knew she was being ridiculous, but River slammed the glass door shut behind her when she left.

Should I call Leo, since Jason isn’t going to be any kind of backup?

It was tempting, especially knowing her brother had lost his mind over Fen.

Leo will know what to do…

No
, she thought fiercely, shaking her head as if she could shake off whatever need was clouding her judgment.
I’m taking care of this by myself. I won’t have anyone else handling my problems for me, ever again.

With a determined stride, River walked through her backyard and towards the sea. Pine needles crunched under her feet as she crossed the little wooded threshold separating her property from the beach.

As soon as her feet hit sand, River took a Rambo stance, shotgun at the ready.

Only there was no one there. The beach was empty, the descending sun making an idyllic scene of the lonely stretch of beach she’d planned on making her battle ground.

Feeling part boob, part secret agent, River crept forward peering around her carefully.

“Hello?” she called. “Anybody there?”

Silence. She decided bravado was the answer.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

A bird called from the trees behind her, but other than that, nothing.

He’s not even here. He’s just some punk kid fucking with Jason, and he got me too.

The shotgun suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

Why the hell am I carrying this thing? And when did I become someone who even owns a shotgun, let alone plans on using it?

Disgusted with herself, River sat down on the sand, staring down at the gun lying across her lap.

She took a deep breath, then released it slowly, trying to get her thoughts back in order.

Her beach was the place she retreated to so she could relax, be alone and finally feel at peace. It felt different now, knowing that Fen had been here, poisoning her brother with his lies.

It felt like she’d lost one more place to feel safe, as if one more thing had been spoiled.

That’s when the shape came out of the water.

Springing to her feet like a ninja, River pointed the shotgun squarely at the intruder.

Only to realize she was threatening deadly violence on a seal.

It blinked its huge black eyes at her, its golden coat catching the last dregs of sunshine lighting the sky.

Now River really felt like an idiot. She lowered her weapon.

“Er, sorry, Mr. Seal. I’m not really going to shoot you.”

The seal nodded at her, as if it understood her. Meanwhile, the adrenaline was still coursing through River’s system, with nowhere else to go but out of her mouth, in a stream of nervous babble.

“You’re a strange fellow. What’re you doing here, all alone?”

The seal’s only response was to come closer to her. Alarmed, she took a step back. It stopped its forward motion as she did so.

Do seals attack humans?
She frantically tried to remember her seal lore.

It shook its head side to side, and then flopped down off its front flippers, staring up at her with its wide, innocent eyes.

She suddenly really wanted to touch it.

Despite herself, she took a step forward. It only watched her, so she took another. Only when she took a third did it finally move, rolling over on its back like a dog, still looking up at her in clear invitation.

“Really?” she marveled. “Do you really want me to pet you?”

She couldn’t imagine this was normal behavior, but for some reason it felt right. When she thought about touching the seal, she knew it wanted her to do just that.

Taking a few more cautious steps forward, River edged around to approach the seal from the side. She figured if it was really a rabid seal intent on attacking her, she’d be able to get out of its way before it managed to regain its feet. Er, flippers.

She crept forward two more paces and it snorted gently, reproachfully eyeballing the shotgun still clutched in her left hand.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” River said, setting the shotgun behind her on the sand. She’d have to clean it when this was over, but she really didn’t think she was going to need it.

The seal not only acted friendly, but also felt friendly.

And the animal was so beautiful River didn’t want to question a notion that would have seemed crazy at any other time.

So River kept inching forward, her hands clenched at her sides, until she was looming over it.

That close, the animal was huge. Much larger than she’d imagined the seals she’d seen cavorting on the small islands dotting Maine’s coast to be. They’d converge in droves, rolling around each other sensually, their days seeming to consist of nothing more than playing, hunting and basking.

More than once, River had wished she could be a seal, if only for a short time.

“You’re beautiful,” she murmured, squatting down to sit on her heels, an arm’s length from the animal.

It blinked at her as if accepting her compliment, snuffling in a seal chuckle.

And then it held out its right flipper, as if inviting her in.

Next thing she knew, her own arm was extended, her fingers brushing against the warm, soft fur of its front flipper. She noticed with surprise that the seal had nails.

Who knew?
she thought.
And I wonder how the seals cut them?

When the seal didn’t move at her touch, her fingers grew bolder, stroking further along its flipper. Stock still, it only snuffled gently as she scooted forward on the balls of her feet. When it still didn’t move, she touched the warm soft fur of its flank.

It made a noise like a sigh, and closed its eyes happily.

River couldn’t help it. She laughed with delight, a low sound of genuine pleasure, the sort she hadn’t made in a very long time.

“You do like being petted, don’t you?” she asked the seal, rhetorically. “You are a silly thing. Like a puppy. Maybe you were raised by humans?”

Unable to understand why a wild animal would behave this way, but too enchanted by the moment to want to ruin it, River scooted forward a little more. Now she was close enough that she could run her hand, palm down, over the creature’s flank. The feel of its fur under her hand was utterly delicious.

“No wonder they made you into coats,” she murmured, unable to resist. One of the seal’s eyes snapped open, glaring at her in approbation. She chuckled; figuring it was upset she’d stopped petting.

“Sorry,” she said, moving even closer so she could use both hands. She stroked over the creature’s huge, muscular shape with happy alacrity, enjoying its evident pleasure. Petting the seal was like stroking a horse, it was so large and sleek, but its reactions were more like that of a clever dog.

She realized at some point that she was giggling and cooing like a little girl with a doll, talking to the huge animal in baby talk. She couldn’t help it. Its faith in her made something in her heart twist, and she wanted it to know she would never betray that trust.

The seal’s eyes opened, locking on hers. A wave of emotion swept over her, but they weren’t River’s own. And yet she could feel, as clearly as daylight on her face, that something wanted her to know she could trust, that she was safe and that she was cared for.

Tears sprang to her eyes as something deep inside of her—a voice she would never let speak under normal circumstances—answered with a resounding yes. It wanted to be safe and to trust too.

Before she could take back such mutinous thoughts, the seal’s form began to shimmer.

Unable to look away or to remove her hands, River’s body was engulfed in the warm glow emanating from the body in front of her. The seal’s flippers moved down, extending into hands that parted the fur from beneath her palms. Her flesh now rested on warm human skin, and when the shimmering stopped the seal had disappeared.

Her hands now rested on Fen’s muscular belly, but the eyes that looked up at her were still the seal’s.

There was a thud as her butt hit the sand behind her, her brain unable to process what it had just experienced.

And then Fen began to speak.

Chapter Six

“Hello there, River,” the selkie said, smiling down at River’s hands on his stomach.

River snatched them back, but her still-shocked body didn’t move away.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Fen sat up, his inhuman black eyes inches away from River’s.

I should be panicking
, River realized.
Whatever this man is, he’s not human. I should be reaching for my shotgun.

But instead, River’s surprise was being replaced by a warm calm that she knew came from Fen, but that she also knew was honest. She really shouldn’t fear him. He had no intention to hurt her.

In fact, he clearly intended the opposite.

River blushed, feeling an answering surge of lust rise in her own belly to meet the selkie’s. Her eyes flicked down, to where that smooth golden belly tapered down to strong, narrow hips and groin.

Blushing furiously, her eyes popped back up to meet Fen’s.

“What are you?” she whispered.

“I’m a selkie,” Fen said, in the same voice one might say, “I’m from Milwaukee.”

“Isn’t that…?”

“A seal shapeshifter, yes.”

River had only recently seen
Ondine
, and remembered her disappointment at the film’s ending. She’d wanted the girl to be magic, not something sordid and all-too-human.

“What does that mean?” River asked, her emotions roiling. Fen felt trepidation–a natural reaction for a human faced with an alteration of their worldview. But he also felt excitement, interest, and a touch of joy, as if some deep-seated prayer of River’s had been granted to her.

“If you mean how I work, I have this sealskin.” Fen reached up to where a sealskin did, indeed, lie underneath him. “If I don this, I’m a seal. If I take it off, I’m a man.” Fen’s hand moved from his skin to her face, only to playfully flick the tip of her nose with his thumb. River felt an answering shiver in her spine.

“But what does it mean?” she repeated, at a loss for words.

Fen studied the woman before him, and her emotions.

“Ah,” he said. “You mean why am I here, and what do I want with you, and what will my being here mean for you and Jason?”

River nodded, mutely.

“What do you think it means, lass?” Fen asked, shifting forward ever so slowly so that his firm, lush lips were just inches from River’s own.

“It means magic is real?” River asked first, and Fen smiled, desperately wanting to kiss her but wanting her to want it, as well.

“You’ve always hoped it to be real, haven’t you?” he asked of her.

She nodded, her eyes moving to his mouth.

“Well, you were right, sweet girl. Magic is real.”

“Are you all that’s out there?”

“No. There are other selkies. And many other creatures.”

“Are they all like…you?”

“What do you mean, like me?”

“I mean, you seem…good. I feel…safe. Are you making me feel this way?” At that question, River backed away a few inches, and Fen felt her searching for those barriers his revelation had finally burst through.