Isla
Beneath the moonlight, the ocean at Loch Togul turns silver, its surface a shimmering tapestry of light and shadow. The waves, gentle as whispers, unfurled onto the shore, each crest catching the moon’s glow and scattering it like handfuls of tiny, liquid stars. Beneath the rippling water, shadows danced, the deeper currents moving with a quiet, ancient rhythm as if drawn to the pull of the night sky.
The endless sea stretched out, a living mirror to the heavens, breathing softly against the sands. Pale foam traced the edges of each wave, lacy fringe dissolving into the shoreline like a secret surrender. All around, the air held the salt-sweet scent of seaweed and distant storms, mingling with the silken coolness of the night, as if Loch Togul itself caught its breath, captivated by the hush of moonlit solitude.
The loch held me, dark and cool, its arms both welcoming and wild, a quiet, deep embrace that lulled my mind until I felt weightless. I stretched my arms out to the sides, drifting on the night-dark sea as if it would swallow me whole. Above, the sky stretched on, dark blue spilling down until it met the glinting surface of the sea.
After another hot day’s work in the sun and wind off the North Atlantic it was impossible to forgo another twilight swim. This was going to become a habit very quickly.
The moonlight painted my skin with silver, my body floating on the black water, a part of it, my breaths matching the loch’s pulse. I could let go here—forget the edges and boundaries of myself, become something softer, swept away. The cold prickled over my skin, each wave lapping against me like a whisper, and a shiver of warmth stirred low in my belly. I closed my eyes and let my hands drift along my flesh, brushing the surface, imagining it was his hands.
My selkie lover’s hands.
It was so easy to imagine a touch—real, firm, steady—someone else’s hand grazing my arm, lingering on my shoulder, fingers trailing down along my neck. My pulse quickened at the thought, the ache of it unexpected and sweet. A secret desire bloomed deep inside. As I arched up, the night air touched my bare chest. I gasped, caught between the night’s chill and the heat rising in me, a longing that made my skin hum.
In that moment I knew that Gareth–not any man–would do.
I was caught in the thrall of the myth of Scotland’s magic.
In the shadows of my mind, he was there—a figure born of the night, something primal and powerful. I could almost feel him beside me, his warmth brushing against my cheek, his breath tickling my skin as if he’d been summoned by my silent invitation. My breath caught. My hands wandered over my collarbone and drifted down in the moonlight, imagining the rough texture of his fingertips guiding my own, stirring every inch of me to life.
Wrapping my hands around the mounds of my breasts, the warmth of skin against skin, I felt his hands there, pinching my nipples. Felt his lips brush against them, his teeth nip gently. The loch cradled me, its steady rhythm matching my own quickening pulse, its coolness licking at my skin, stirring a yearning I could neither shake nor fulfill.
Eyes closed, I let myself sink into the sensation, the rawness and sweetness of it all—the craving, the isolation, the fantasy of a love as fierce and consuming as the sea itself. It was as if I’d been waiting here, lost between reality and dream. A little piece of myself slipped away with each pulse of the loch, aching for something untamed and wild.
When I finally opened my eyes, the shore lay empty and quiet, the moon a steady, silent witness, casting its glow over the water like it understood the secrets I held.
But the water beside me was not empty…
Finn
The water shimmered around me, a silken embrace under the moonlight as I broke the surface beside her. She floated, the soft contours of her body rising and falling with the gentle lapping of the loch. My heart raced, each pulse echoing in my ears, a familiar thrum that pulsed with both exhilaration and trepidation. There was magic in this moment, a fragile thread connecting us as I took in her startled expression, wide eyes reflecting the silver glow of the moon.
I reached for her, my hand gliding across her arm. I marveled at the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips. The cool water embraced us. It wrapped around our bodies like a veil, but it was the closeness of her that captivated me when I drew her against the length of my body. How easily she fit against me, the curves of her form pressing softly into my chest. I could scarcely breathe, the weight of her vulnerability anchoring me in a way I had not felt in years.
Questions danced through my mind, each one sharper than the last. Did she somehow know? Did she sense the seal in the man before her? As my fingers traced the delicate line of her shoulder, I marveled at the softness of her skin and the strength that lay within her. She was unguarded, open, unafraid. Her hands wrapped around the back of my neck and her eyes drifted half-shut, as if she were entranced by my myth.
Yet the weight of my own past threatened to crash down around us. I had loved once, a long time ago, a love that had left me broken and wary. Could I allow myself to feel that again, to risk the pain of losing her as I had lost Moira, the girl who once captivated my heart?
With every heartbeat, the moon hung high above us, casting a soft glow over the water that painted our skin. I studied her, the way her hair floated around her like a dark halo, and the faint tremor in her breath as I moved closer. The moonlight caught the shimmering droplets on her skin. In that moment, I realized just how much I longed to keep her safe, to protect this fragile connection we were forging.
“What should I call you, mermaid?” I asked, tracing her lips with a finger.
“I… Isla,” she whispered as if in a dream.
Maybe we both were dreaming.
“Isla,” I breathed, the name spilling from my lips like a prayer. “Do you know what you’re doing to me?”
Her response was a soft, shaky laugh that danced on the cool night air. “I could say the same to you,” she murmured, her voice low and inviting, a melody that wrapped around my heart. “Are you… are you a selkie, or a man?”
The warmth of her breath sent shivers through me, igniting a fire that coursed through my veins, a flame that had long been dormant. Did she recognize what I was, or was she still caught in a dream?
As I leaned closer, capturing her gaze, I could see the unguarded curiosity in her eyes. They sparkled, reflecting the light above as if she were the embodiment of the very sea—wild, beautiful, and full of secrets. I cupped her face with my hands, fingers trembling slightly as I traced the contours of her cheeks, memorizing the warmth of her skin beneath my touch.
“What is it you want me to be?” I asked, my voice a low rumble, thick with desire and uncertainty.
“A selkie,” she replied, a playful glint in her eye. “A seal-man, come to sweep me away beneath the sea. To make me feel alive.”
Alive. The word resonated deeply within me. I had been so focused on my past, my regrets, and the weight of my decisions that I had forgotten what it felt like to simply exist in the moment. To embrace life and all its unpredictable beauty.
As if sensing my thoughts, she leaned in closer, and the world around us faded into obscurity. There was only the water, the moon, and the two of us suspended in time. I captured her lips with mine, the kiss igniting a spark that sent waves of electricity through my body. Her taste was intoxicating, a mix of salt and sweetness that left me craving more. I held her against me, deepening the kiss as our bodies melded into one, the water swirling around us like a dance, pulling us deeper into its embrace.
She melted against me, her body soft and pliant, and I felt my resolve shatter like glass. Every doubt I harbored slipped away, lost in the cadence of our connection. I was alive in this moment—more alive than I had been in years—and as I held her, I knew I was willing to risk everything.
Her hands found their way to my hair, fingers tangling in the damp strands as she pulled me closer. I reveled in the warmth of her touch, the way her body responded to mine, each movement sparking fire beneath the surface of the water. My heart raced as I caressed her waist, fingers tracing the curves of her body, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat against my chest.
Time seemed to stretch, each heartbeat echoing in my ears, amplifying the sensations swirling between us. I could feel the strength in her limbs as she floated closer, the way her body danced with the gentle currents of the loch. I wondered how long I could hold her without fear of the past creeping in and fear of what tomorrow might bring. Yet I was unwilling to let go of this moment.
The world around us was still, the air heavy with unspoken promises and desires. I could feel the pulse of the earth beneath us, the thrum of life teeming in the depths of the loch. And as I lost myself in her kiss, I wondered if this moment could truly last. Was it merely a fleeting dream that would fade with the dawn?
As we finally broke apart, our breaths mingling in the cool night air, I searched her eyes for answers. “Isla, if you only knew—”
She silenced me with a finger pressed gently against my lips, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Let’s not think about tomorrow. Just now. Just us.”
Her words were a balm to my soul, a soothing reminder that perhaps, just perhaps, I could allow myself to feel again. In this moonlit world, we were free—two souls intertwined beneath the stars, dancing on the edge of the water, lost in the magic of the night.