Page 25 of Fae-King It (Mystical Matchmakers #5)
EPILOGUE
Three months later
Aksel parked his truck in front of the non-descript brick office. Gold lettering in a scrolling font on the front window labeled it as Mystical Matchmakers .
His hands clenched around the steering wheel, making it groan, and he released the leather with a curse when a sliver of ice danced across the back of his hand and down his index finger. He’d waited to come here as long as he could, but he could put it off no longer.
He had to find a match, and soon, or his heart would turn to solid ice. While he didn’t want a mate, he also didn’t want to live the rest of his long life with no emotions. When a Frostgiant went without a mate for too long, their magic would consume their heart, making them stronger, more durable, but utterly cold. They became nothing but a shell, expendable warriors for future battles. They were hard to kill, but unable to reproduce.
It would be a long, lonely existence if he succumbed to his ice.
Aksel took a deep breath, ignoring the plume of frigid vapor that escaped his lips when he blew it out. He’d sensed the process lurking on the edges of his magic for the past few years. He’d even tried to date a few times but found himself unable to connect with any of the females he met.
Unlike most Frostgiants, Aksel wanted a female who could make him laugh. Who made him feel warm inside with her mere presence. And that was a tall order considering his natural state was arctic.
He didn’t just want a sexual mate. He wanted a companion. Someone he could talk to and never grow bored of. Someone who understood him and loved him exactly as he was.
He’d tried for years on his own. Now, it was time to trust a professional.
Taking another deep breath, Aksel exited his truck and walked toward the front door of Mystical Matchmakers. When he entered, he immediately saw the three women standing next to the desk in the front area. One of them being Dominique, the owner.
At the sight of him, she smiled, her aquamarine eyes lighting up. “Aksel! How are you?”
She came forward and gave him a short, friendly hug. He fought back the ice threatening to trail down his arms and hands, not wanting to hurt her.
“I’m okay,” he answered honestly. “But I was hoping you could help me.”
Dominique’s smile widened further. “Are you finally ready for me to find you a match?”
“Yes, I am. But we have a bit of a deadline.”
Aksel couldn’t control his ice any longer. Tendrils shot down his forearm and curled around each of his fingers. They cracked when he made a fist, drawing Dominique’s attention to his hands. When her eyes lifted back to his, he knew that she understood what he meant.
“How long?” she asked, her voice low.
“Six months at most. But probably less.”
Her mouth firmed as she stared up at him. “Then we should get started right now.”
He nodded.
As she studied him, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Actually, I think I know who you should talk to first. I won’t know until you complete the intake questionnaires, but my magic is insisting that she would be a good match for you.”
Something inside him relaxed, just a bit. “I can’t wait to meet her, then.”
Dominique shook her head. “Actually, that’s going to be a problem. Due to her magic, she can’t go on face-to-face dates until she knows if she clicks with a match or not. Mostly, she communicates through texts, emails, and phone communication for the first handful of interactions.”
Considering how awkward he was with females in person, which sounded like a good idea to Aksel.
“Then, I can’t wait to talk to her,” he said.
Dominique laid a hand on his bicep. She didn’t flinch even though he knew that the chill of his skin had to radiate through the sleeve of his shirt. He appreciated her restraint.
“It will all work out, Aksel,” she said. “I promise.”