25. What just happened?

Ihave never thrown myself quite so far.

The impact of hitting the tree in front of Ginger's house dislocates my shoulder. An annoyance, but easily fixable. I move to do just that when I am tossed against the house across the street. Thankfully my instinct is to seek cover, and I dive into a thick set of bushes mere seconds before a blinding light covers everything.

Even on the brightest summer days, the sun would never compare to the magnitude of this light.

My body is still completely naked, a fact that becomes glaringly clear when my skin begins to feel as if it's burning. If the smell is anything to go by, it most likely is. I hear the scream that sounds so much like Ginger, and yet…

This isn't Snap magick. This isn't even witch magick. I've never seen anything like this at all. I've never even heard of anything like this before.

And that terrifies me.

The screaming finally subsides and a ghostly humming noise replaces it. The sky is still bright, but my flesh no longer feels like I'm being roasted. I glance down and wince at the sight.

If the blackened tint is anything to go by, my entire body is covered in third-degree burns. The pain is excruciating, but I manage to pull myself out of the wretched foliage. Ducking behind a nearby car to shield my eyes, I catch a glimpse of myself and wince. At least Ginger is not able to see me right now. I look like a naked and hairless, over-baked demon. Or a pig at a luau left over the fire for just a bit too long.

I'll stick with the demon analogy. That sounds sexier.

When I peek through the side window of the car, I see a feminine-shaped light show moving in the opposite direction. Right through the middle of town.

You know… right where all the humans live.

As much as I want to follow Ginger, I don't think it's the smartest move right now. Especially given the fact that getting too close could be deadly. No, I shift my focus and begin moving through the small bits of shadow I can find. It's slow going, but I need to get to the dire wolf compound.

Finding Ginger's best friend may be the key to all of this. To finding my family. To finding who is behind this. And most importantly, to finding what in the ever-loving fuck has happened to my mate.

I just hope the Gods are watching over Ginger as she works her way through a small town that is about to do a whole lot of waking up, really fast.

Although, with the magnitude of her power, it's most likely the Gods sent Ginger themselves.

It's not every day that a guy can claim his mate may actually be a Goddess.

That thought has me pulling up fast. Mates are supposed to balance one another. One's weaknesses are the other"s strengths and vice versa. But my abilities pale in comparison to Ginger's… whatever this is.

So where does that leave me?

Can I even truly be Ginger's mate?