I Can Lift My Hand to Kill You Easily

••• Arabella’s POV ••• “Are you hurt, Arra?” Those words uttered from Max’s thin lips in a gentle voice froze me in my seat for a few moments. He didn’t ask me about what happened, nor did he blame me for it. However, the first thing he expressed was his concern for my well-being, whether I was hurt or not. “Arra?” he asked as I stared at him in a daze, and I felt his large hands patting my body like he was searching for any wounds. “Let’s get you to the hospital. We need to check for any wounds,” he said, wanting to pick me up in his arms, and his action snapped me back to my senses. “No, Max. I’m not hurt. I don't need to go to the hospital,” I quickly stopped him from carrying me. “Are you sure, Arra? You don't seem fine,” he said with doubt. “I’m sure. I have no wounds at all,” I told him. “It’s just… I was just shaken after what happened. Abigail came, and I lost control, and I… I nearly killed her, and I might have killed her baby.” Max was silent, and his brows were furrowed as he listened and looked deeply into my eyes. Did he not believe me? I panicked and quickly explained, “But I never meant to hurt her or her baby!” Max looked puzzled by my outburst but pulled me into his arms and said softly, “I know, Arra. I never doubted you. I was just listening to your story and afraid you were hurt. Never think I will blame you, Arra. I trust you unconditionally.” My heart skipped a beat as he told me those words. He trusted me conditionally… And just like that, all my worries and fears vanished, and I melted in his arms. “He’s so good to you…” Iris sighed in relief and contentment as she felt the warmth of our mate’s body enveloping me. “Princess Arabella,” Marie knocked on my office door. I pushed Max away gently since I was still too shy to flaunt any public display of affection with Max. Max let me go but pulled a chair and sat down next to me, circling his arms around my shoulder. “Max, I’m going to ask my secretary to come in,” I told him. “Then let her in,” he said calmly, making me speechless. “Let him hold you, Ari,” Iris said. “This will show everyone that your mate is on your side.” “Max, you will be implicated,” I said in a small voice to him and Iris at the same time. “You are my Luna. Should I not be implicated? Should I become a coward and not protect you?” his voice had a hint of anger in it. “I just don’t want to trouble you,” I sighed. Max growled low, and the anger behind it was enough to scare me. He pulled me toward him and kissed me hard, biting my lips as if to punish me. “I don’t want you to ever say things like that again,” he growled once he pulled back. “I’m your mate. I’ll be damned if I’m not involved in your affairs or try to help you.” “But- Ouch!” I glared at him for biting my bottom lip again. “Try saying it again,” he growled, and I opened my mouth but quickly closed it when I saw his handsome face approaching again. Then he pecked my lips and rubbed it gently with his thumb. “Please include me in your life, Arra,” he said softly, the intensity of his gaze and gentle voice made me feel like I was hypnotized and I felt myself nod in agreement. “Princess Arabella?” Marie’s voice sounded again, and this time, I let Max hold me when I asked her to enter my office. “Princess, Arabella, there’s a woman requesting to meet you,” Marie said with respect. A woman? “Let her in,” Max mindlinked me, and I was kind of glad he didn’t order Marie. He still let me be in charge of my own company. “Let her in,” I told Marie, and she let a stranger in. “Bella,” the woman greeted me, and my eyebrows shot up at how rude she was addressing me. “Princess or Luna Arabella,” Max growled out. The woman’s eyes flashed with fear for a second before she smiled and greeted me again, “Princess Arabella. I’m Lina, Abi’s mother.” I was shocked to hear her introduction. Abigail’s mom? Wasn't she an orphan? As far as I knew, she had been living in an orphanage before she joined our pack. “Abi’s father died in an accident before she was born,” Lina started explaining about herself and why she left Abigail in the orphanage. “At that time, I was poor, and what's worse, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had no choice but to leave Abi on the doorstep of an orphanage.” “Over the years, I managed to earn money and recuperated,” she continued. “Recently, I knew about Abi’s condition, and then just now, I was notified that she was beaten to miscarriage…” “I sympathize with you and your daughter’s situations and conditions, but watch your language,” Max said coldly before I could defend myself. “Your daughter hadn’t been beaten to miscarriage by my mate. The truth is still yet to be known,” he continued, still with the same coldness in his tone. “We could get the surveillance video to find the truth,” Lina said flatly. “It’s not your place to talk about this,” Max countered scornfully. I glanced at Max and was glad he came to my defense, as I didn't really know how to prove my innocence. Even if we all watched the surveillance tape, it would only show me shoving Abigail to the wall with my hand, choking her, and then she fell to the ground when I released her. No matter what, it would show that I had indeed harmed her... Lina smiled slightly and said to me, “I know it would be bad for you and your family if this matter is to be reported. However, I have a condition to make. If you could work with Shawn’s company, then we could all pretend this matter never happened.” Hearing her so-called ‘condition’, the corners of my lips lifted into a cold smile. She was threatening, wasn't she? Max’s expression was also gloomy. He stood up and straightened his body, showing his full height, towering above Lina, and slowly spoke in a low and dangerous tone, “No one has ever dared to threaten and challenge me and my mate so much in front of me. Remember, if I am willing to, I can lift my hand to kill you easily and destroy your corpse. And no one will know what has befallen you.” Lina took a step back, clearly intimidated by the murderous aura Max was exuding. Not to mention her, even I was actually a little bit intimidated by him as well. After living with him for a while and seeing how good he was to his pack members and how sweet he was to me, I had almost forgotten how he was seen as a cold and ruthless Alpha to outsiders. Lina pretended to be calm as she said, “In that case, I will seek justice for my daughter through the law.” Then she looked at me and said, “Bel-” Max’s growl was so low that it nearly sounded like a ferocious snarl, especially with his mouth slightly open, showing the tips of his canines. Lina swallowed in nervousness and fear and corrected her words hurriedly, “Princess Arabella, I hope you will think about my offer carefully. I do not wish for you, my daughter's best friend, to go to jail for attempted murder.” And then she exited my office so fast it was like she was fleeing for her life, afraid that Max would kill her right then and there. I turned my attention to Max, who was still snarling lowly with dark and terrible eyes fixed at the door. “Max…” I quickly caressed his cheeks and called out his name, which thankfully brought him back to his senses. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His menacing aura was nowhere to be felt when he opened them, and the look in his eyes had returned to normal. He then took my hands and yanked me into his embrace, hugging me so tightly it almost hurt. “Arra…” I heard him say my name in a hoarse but firm voice. “No one could ever take you away from me. No one. You are mine, Arra. You are mine, and your place is next to me. I won't allow anyone to take you away,” he continued, making my heart skip a beat before it raced. He then lowered his head and kissed me on my lips domineeringly as if he wanted to fend off his thoughts of someone taking me away from him. As if he wanted to make sure that I wouldn't disappear from his side…