The sand scrapes uncomfortably against my skin as I drag myself onto the beach, my selkie pelt clutched tightly in one hand. The transformation back to human form always leaves me disoriented, my body remembering the ocean's embrace even as I stand on unsteady legs. I need to hide my pelt before anyone finds me - without it, I'm trapped here, vulnerable.

I barely manage to shake the sand from my fur when a shadow falls over me. Looking up, I find myself staring into intense blue eyes beneath golden hair that catches the sunlight like flame. The man's jaw tightens as he takes in my nakedness and the seal pelt in my hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice is sharp, authoritative - the voice of someone used to being obeyed.

My throat feels dry, unused to human speech after so long in the water. "Swimming," I manage, instinctively shifting to hide my pelt behind my back. This human has no idea what he's stumbled upon, but I can already tell he's the persistent type.

His gaze narrows. "Skinny-dipping is illegal here. And that pelt... where did you get it?"

His attention locks onto the fur peeking between my fingers. Panic surges through me - if he takes my pelt, I'll never return to the sea. I need to get away from him, but he steps closer, blocking my path to the water.

"It's mine," I growl, baring my teeth slightly. "Now let me pass."

Instead, he reaches out and grabs my wrist, his grip surprisingly strong. Our skin touches, and something sparks between us - a current I don't understand. He feels it too, his eyes widening slightly before his determined expression returns.

"I'm Enjolras," he says, as if that explains everything. "And you're coming with me."

The ocean calls to me behind us, but I can't leave without my pelt. And now this human - Enjolras - has noticed it. My freedom hangs in the balance, and yet I can't deny the strange pull I feel toward him, even as I plan my escape.