The Mate I Never Chose
A river of black, glacial water surged through the center, cutting through the stone like a serrated blade.
"We follow the water," Arung decided, wading in without hesitation. The water reached their waists, numbing and fast. "It’ll wash away our scent, and the rushing sound will drown out any vibration we leak."
They trudged through the water for hours, the world narrowing down to the freezing current and the jagged walls of the gorge. Every time Rangga felt his strength flagging, he looked at Arung. The older man was holding on by a thread, his face pale, his breath hitching in his chest, yet he never slowed down. He was the anchor of their movement, the steel spine that kept them both upr