The Mate I Never Chose
He hit the ground hard, but he was already scrambling to his feet, his weapon raised.
"What are you?" the hunter gasped, his mechanical voice glitching.
"I'm the mountain's response to your infection," Rangga said, stepping forward. His skin was burning, the bioluminescence reaching a fever pitch that threatened to consume his very flesh. He felt his veins turning into conduits of molten light.
Arung leveled his rifle at the hunter’s head. "Drop the blade, or I turn your helmet into a birdhouse."
The hunter’s visor flickered. He looked from Arung to the glowing, terrifying figure of Rangga, then to the chasm where his squad had vanished. He didn't drop the blade. Instead, he reached for a de