I Was His Fated Mate!

••• Arabella’s POV ••• I circled my arms around his waist and held him back. “Max, I was… I saw you and Abigail… And you looked like…” I couldn't finish my sentences and didn't know how to tell him what I saw without sounding like I was blaming him again. In the end, I could only apologize again, “I’m so sorry…” I felt so bad that I had strongly accused him of doing something he didn't do. I even thought he was disgusting. “I shouldn't have jumped to a conclusion without asking you about it first,” I added in a small voice. He placed his lips against my forehead and spoke in a muffled voice, “Don’t be, Arra. I might have done worse things than you if it were me.” Worse thing? “You will kill me if you saw what I saw?” I buried my face on his shoulder, still not daring to look at him because of my guilt. He chuckled, pulled back slightly, pinching my chin, and tilted my head. “How could I have the heart to kill you? How many times must I tell you that I trust you unconditionally, my sweet Luna?” he smiled tenderly at me. “There must be a reason if it happened to you, and I will kill the man who dares to touch you instead of harming you.” There were those words again - I trust you unconditionally. I couldn't help myself from getting teary again. Even though I blamed him, even though I didn't trust him as much as he trusted me, he didn't get angry with me. “You are so nice to me…” I said softly as I looked into his gentle eyes. He leaned down and grazed my lips with his, whispering, “Don't ever doubt me again, Arra. I’ll tell you this again: You are my first and last woman. I have no interest in or desire other women. I won't do anything with other women. You are my mate, my Luna, and I won't betray you as long as I still have my breath in me or even in death.” My heart skipped a beat before it raced, and I moved my hands from his waist up to his neck, pulling him close, kissing him with everything I had. He was too sweet… This was the man I had begun to depend on, and it seemed it wasn't wrong for me to do so. We kissed like there was no one else around us, and somehow, I felt like we were fated mates. It was like we were pouring out our love for each other through the kiss, making me think… Had I fallen in love with him? I didn't know how long our kiss lasted until I heard someone cough, and I snapped back from our sweet moment. I quickly pushed Max away, stepped out of his embrace with Max not letting go of my hand, and blushed as I saw Rosa winking mischievously at us. As for Shawn, he stood off to the side with a grimace on his face, looking at Max like he was an enemy but afraid to approach because he was fearful of Max's more powerful aura. “I know you guys are passionate, but can you wait to cuddle and kiss until everything is settled?” Rosa teased us. My cheeks heated up when more. How could I have forgotten where we were and that there was an audience around us??! Argggh… This was so embarrassing! Suddenly, we heard a groan from behind us, saving me from my embarrassment, and we became alerted; all spun swiftly to see the source of the sound. It turned out Lina, who had been sprawled out on the table unconscious, had begun to wake up. I tensed up, and Max stepped in front of me, shielding me from the enemy’s eyeline. Rosa frowned and said, “I sense a darkness from her. Stay still and vigilant.” She confidently strode over to the table while mocking Lina, “You have useless black magic. Only knew how to trick people but nothing else.” I nearly giggled because of how right Rosa was. All this time, Lina had used her magic to trick me - tricked me into being kidnapped, tricked me into thinking Max had had sex with her daughter, and maybe tricked the Battleclaw Banes Pack members into letting her use their dungeons to imprison me. Lina glared at Rosa and me with hatred, saying, “My master will not spare you!” My eyebrows shot up as I heard her words. Her master? It seemed there was someone more powerful behind her. Rosa ignored her nonsense, gracefully lifting her arm and shooting a ray of red light at Lina, who once again collapsed motionless on the table. Wow! I nearly clapped my hands, seeing how powerful Rosa was. It was the first time I saw her using attack magic, and it looked so cool when the red light came out from her hand. Suddenly, Iris screamed happily, “Mate!” My body froze like a statue. Mate? Now? Where? Who? A faint, soothing smell of the rainforest hit my nostrils, but I couldn't pinpoint who it came from. I looked around to see if anyone was coming, and my gaze landed on Max. For a second, the only thought that ran through my mind was, what if my mate wasn't Max? I actually felt bad about this. He has been saying he wanted us to be chosen mates. He was very clear about his intention. And I had always been the one afraid of him finding his fated mate, but now I was the one who found mine? The next second, Max pulled me into his embrace and hugged me tightly, his voice low and urgent, and he said, “Mate... my mate. You are my mate, Arra.” I was stunned as I looked at him. I couldn’t put into words how I felt. I felt my eyes getting teary for Goddess knew how many times today and didn't even bother to stop them from running down my cheeks. My tears gushed out in large drops, and Max gently wiped them away with his lips. “My mate…” he whispered as he kissed my tears away. “Max…” I threw my arms around him and buried my face on his shoulder, feeling relieved as though a burden in my mind, heart, and body had been swept away. My fear of having to leave and lose him had been unfounded. He was my mate! I was his fated mate! “A moment ago, I could smell Max’s wolf’s scent! The scent of mate!” Iris was still howling excitedly. Rosa looked at us in surprise, and then she smiled. “I’m happy for you guys! Turns out you guys are fated mates! This can't get any better!” As for Shawn, who had been silently observing us, he leaned back against the wall with a place face as if he'd been hit hard and mumbled, “This can't be happening…” I looked at him but didn't feel anything. No sadness for him, or guilt, or anything else. It must be because we had rejected each other and severed our matebond, leaving me with no feelings whatsoever for him. Max glared and growled at Shawn. I could feel his killing intent toward my ex-mate, but I tightened my hold around his muscular body. “Max, we need to get out of here as fast as possible,” I told him and emphasized, “All of us.” He kept glaring at Shawn, so I had to add another sentence. “Max, no matter what, he protected me and tried to save me…” I said in a soft voice. Although reluctant, finally, he nodded, agreeing to my words. He knew I was right and that I didn't want him to kill or hurt Shawn because of what he did for me. At least not now… If later he created trouble for me again, then what happened today would not even save him from Max’s wrath. “Hey you,” Rosa addressed Shawn without his title or name since she knew Shawn had betrayed and used me while we were still mates. “Help me move this useless fake witch,” she said to Shawn. “This could be a chance for you to atone for the sins you’ve done to Ari.” I rolled my eyes at Rosa, thinking that she was so bold to say those words and decide for herself how Shawn should atone for his sins. But then, in helping with this matter, he indirectly showed that he was on my side and didn't take sides with the evil, even if that evil was his mother-in-law. So Rosa’s choice of atonement for Shawn was really not bad. Although it would take more than that for me to fully forgive him. Not that I didn't forgive him. I was indifferent to him now, but… I still couldn't forget how much he had hurt me. Shawn seemed to snap out of his disbelief that Max and I were truly fated mates, and he moved toward Lina together with Rosa. The moment the two of them touched Lina, her body suddenly turned into a black mist and… POOF! What… Did she just disappear into thin air? We watched what had happened to Lina with dumbfounded amazement. I turned to Rosa, thinking this must be some kind of magic because only magic could make a person disappear in the blink of an eye! Rosa had a thoughtful expression for a moment with her brows slightly furrowed, and then she turned to survey Max and me. “I have a guess on what happened with the two of you and that fake witch,” she said slowly.