Charlotte quickly snapped out of her trance as she heard Teddy yelling at her. He charged towards the masculine man in the corridor to drag Charlotte out and beat her mercilessly.
However, Jack stood between Teddy and Charlotte, protecting her behind him. He demanded of his younger brother, "What's going on with you, Teddy? Is that how to welcome me on my return from abroad?"
Charlotte was shocked that the man who had just kissed her was now Teddy's brother, Jack Hudson. How did she not recognize him? That was because she had switched off the corridor light and controlled it with artificial intelligence that managed their mansion.
"Welcome, you? You dare to show up in my house unnoticed and not just that? You kissed my wife in my house and in my presence?" Teddy roared, staring at Jack with so much hostility in his eyes.
"Move away from Charlotte now! I'm going to deal with her today! I never knew that she was a horny bitch and slept around with men in my absence!" Teddy shouted as he reached Jack to attack Charlotte, who was shivering at the thought of being caught kissing her husband's elder brother, as it had slipped her mind that Jack Hudson was arriving today.
"Your wife? Stop the drama, Teddy, and stay calm!" Jack commanded, but Teddy didn't listen and approached Jack to shove him aside and angrily beat Charlotte.
Teddy was enraged at the sight of Jack and Charlotte kissing.
Charlotte hadn't kissed him like that before, and though he hadn't acknowledged Charlotte as his mate, neither did he want to consummate his marriage with her. But they had kissed in public, and she hadn't kissed him like that.
As Teddy neared Charlotte and wanted to beat her up, Jack held Teddy away with great force and tossed his younger brother aside, making Teddy stagger backward. He glared at his elder brother, who was shielding Charlotte from his reach.
"You dare to attack me in my own house, Jack? Get out and leave now! You're not welcome in my home, and stay away from my wife and my affairs!" Teddy shouted at Jack, pointing at the stairs for him to leave.
Jack was wearing a yellow shirt and black trousers. He wanted to speak and apologize to his younger brother, saying he didn't know Charlotte was his mate.
Jack hadn't attended the wedding of Teddy and Charlotte as he was abroad, and while he had seen their photos, the intoxicating scent he perceived around the mansion and in the living room when he entered had led him to go upstairs to find the sweet, alluring scent.
Although he noticed the lights were on when he climbed the stairs to find the owner of that sweet scent that was making his wolf charge within himself and making him hard and wanting to claim her, he hadn't thought that the owner of the sweet lemonade scent was his brother's wife and mate.
"I didn't know she was your wife, Teddy. I'm sorry for kissing her, but she's my mate!" Jack said, and Teddy's eyes narrowed as he looked at his older brother, whom he hadn't seen in ten years.
Not only had Jack changed and grown taller, but he also looked well-built, with a strong, masculine body. Jack looked more brutal and tough than Teddy.
Teddy had thought his brother would appear weak when he returned home and wouldn't be able to challenge him for the throne and ruling Alpha position, but was shocked to see that Jack was not.
With the small push that Jack had given Teddy, shielding Charlotte from Teddy's attack, Teddy could feel the amount of energy flowing in his brother's veins. He was an Alpha too and strong.
"Hmph... That's no excuse, whether you perceive Charlotte as your mate or not. She has to be punished for cheating on me and also for kissing you in my presence," Teddy said, as his anger continued to boil.
Meanwhile, Anne Robert had just finished getting dressed in the master's bedroom. She wondered why Teddy had run out with such speed after getting dressed. Teddy hadn't even explained to her where he was going, and Anne knew Charlotte was up to something again.
Several times that she and Teddy were meant to mate, Teddy usually stopped midway, leaving her hanging and demanding more, as he would withdraw and run home to Charlotte's aid.
"That witch! Why is she always stopping Teddy from discharging in me? How am I supposed to carry his pups if he keeps withdrawing from me like that?" Anne was annoyed, so she quickly put on her red dress to find out what was going on in the corridor, as she could hear the voices of two men arguing—Teddy's voice and another person's voice that she wasn't familiar with.
As Anne stepped out and met Jack's shocked gaze, Jack's eyes shifted to look at Teddy as he asked his younger brother, "What's Anne doing here? Aren't you married to Charlotte?"
Charlotte was still hiding behind Jack's back, unable to speak in the presence of the two Alphas arguing. She felt embarrassed about how she had kissed Jack not long ago.
Charlotte knew she hadn't kissed Teddy like that before. He wasn't her mate, but she loved him and respected him as her husband. However, he disrespected her even on her birthday and their wedding anniversary night by bringing Anne Robert to their home, taking her to their bedroom—the room he had never shared with Charlotte—where he mated with Anne on their matrimonial bed.
"She's my assistant, Anne Robert," Teddy said, looking away from Jack as it was already midnight. The full moon was shining brightly above the sky.
"I know Anne was your friend and you used to admire her before I traveled abroad, but what's she doing here at this time and coming out of your room? Are you cheating on Charlotte with Anne?" Jack asked. Just then, he remembered seeing tears in Charlotte's blue eyes. Turning back to Charlotte, Jack noticed her face looked swollen, as if someone had hit her, and she had dark circles around her eyes.
Jack's anger boiled, and he turned to look back at Teddy. He charged at his younger brother with so much rage and started beating him up.
"STOP IT! Stop!" Charlotte rushed to separate the two men. Though she was weak and no match to withstand any of their strength, Jack obeyed Charlotte's command as he beat his younger brother into a stupor, not minding that he was in Teddy's house and that Teddy was the ruling Alpha of the Norfield pack."Charlotte..." Jack reached out to touch her, but Charlotte moved away from him and rushed to meet Teddy."Are you alright?" Charlotte asked Teddy as she crouched in front of him, and Teddy moved his hands away from Charlotte's touch.Anne quickly rushed to help Teddy stand on his feet. At the speed Jack had used to attack Teddy, both Anne and Charlotte were shocked. It was as if Jack had disappeared from where he was standing, and the next minute he was in front of Teddy, attacking him and dealing with him, not giving Teddy the chance to retaliate.Charlotte saw how Teddy pushed her hands away from helping him stand, but he accepted Anne's help. However, as Teddy stood up, staggering f
Charlotte didn't know what to say to Teddy. Truly, Jack was her mate. She perceived him as her mate the moment she inhaled that sweet smoky scent that was like coffee. She wanted to drink him and have him inside her, but he was her husband's elder brother. She couldn't boldly acknowledge the truth to Teddy. She was afraid of Teddy's reaction. He had been her husband for four years, and he would beat her mercilessly if she dared to tell him the truth: that Jack Hudson was her real mate.While Charlotte was still lost in her thoughts, contemplating what to tell Teddy, he moved away from the room window and approached her."Answer me! Is my brother, Jack Hudson, your mate? Did you feel the mating bond with him that you had to grip him closely and kiss him too?" Teddy demanded as he finally approached Charlotte, startling her out of her thoughts."No..." Charlotte responded in a shaking voice, but Teddy didn't believe her."What do you mean by no? And why is your voice shaking? Do you thi
With a heart full of ego, instead of Teddy apologizing to his wife, Charlotte, and pleading for her forgiveness for the years he had mistreated her and cheated on her with Anne Robert, he trailed his finger over the card and asked, "You set up all this here? Why didn't you say anything when you saw me arrive with Anne?"How could she tell him it was their anniversary night when he had stared at her with rage and had flogged her mercilessly? How could she have told him that it was her 22nd birthday and also their wedding anniversary night?Charlotte didn't reply, which annoyed Teddy, but he already knew the answer: it was because he had come home with Anne Robert in his arms.Anne had followed him to the neighboring pack function, and they had arrived at the Norfield pack gate late, so he had to take Anne home with him to rest before she returned to her father's house the following day.Teddy knew he was cheating on Charlotte with Anne, as Anne had been his mate since she was younger. H
"What??" Anne screamed as Charlotte carefully stood up to bolt out of the mansion. She could not bear any pups for Teddy. For four years, he had lied to his family, claiming she was barren, while he hadn’t tried hard to make her conceive."Teddy? You cannot do this to me!" Anne cried, while Charlotte carried the tray of food and walked to the kitchen. She said to them calmly, "The food is not enough, so I want to get some extra. Would you care to join us, Anne?" Charlotte asked with a playful smirk on her lips while Anne glared at her."Sweetheart, you cannot mate with her! I cannot withstand the pain if you do that to me!" Anne cried in Teddy's hold, ignoring Charlotte, who left them and went into the kitchen. Quickly, Charlotte dropped the tray of food there and bolted out of the house through the kitchen back door. She wouldn’t be used as Teddy's baby-making machine. She fled the residence, not caring if there were ongoing rogue attacks.She ran back to her father's mansion, which w
Charlotte sat on one of the couches in the parlor, admiring the small house. Not until Jack walked out of his room with only a white towel wrapped around his waist did she break her focus. Jack was holding another short towel in his right hand, which he ran through his short black wavy hair."Jack, are you sure I shouldn't start going back home now to my parents' house? I'm sure the guards searching for me would have gone farther away or gone back to report to Teddy that they couldn't find me," Charlotte said, quickly looking away from Jack's masculine dark chest.The white towel was wrapped only around Jack's waist, and Charlotte could feel her heart palpitating, beating loudly in her chest.Jack didn't respond to Charlotte as he stood in front of his room door, admiring her. It was late at night, past 1 a.m., and here he was with Charlotte, talking as if it were daybreak."Why do you want to go back home? Knowing that your parents do not have a say in the Alpha's family?" Jack questi
In Alpha Teddy's villa, Teddy moved Anne away from his arms as she prevented him from going after Charlotte. "Anne, you have to try to understand. If I allow Charlotte to go, especially now that she perceives Jack as her mate, it would put me at greater risk and enable Jack to take the pack away from me, which I cannot allow to happen." Teddy's eyes darkened as he said this, and Anne burst into tears in his arms."No, Teddy. I cannot withstand the pain. Please," Anne begged, and Teddy remained silent for a while until one of the guards rushed in."Alpha! Sorry to disturb you at this hour, but Luna Charlotte has left this residence, and our men couldn't seem to find her. Also, there are reports of some suspected rogues captured at the pack's border," the guard relayed, and Teddy felt all the hair on his body stand up in fear."Go now! Find her and ensure that you bring her back. Failure to do so, and you all shall be punished!" Teddy ordered, and the guard replied, "Understood, Alpha."
Charlotte was eager to have Jack in her warmth. She had dreamt of this day arriving, the day she would finally consummate her marriage. However, she was consummating it tonight with her husband's brother.What would her pack members think of her? Charlotte didn't care. There had been rumors about her being barren, and she thought this was the only right way to prove to her pack members that she wasn't barren but had been deprived of her marital rights. She endured Teddy's torture daily, hoping and yearning for his love, believing that he would one day change. But with each passing day and night, Teddy only ended up becoming worse."Are you ready?" Jack's hoarse voice questioned Charlotte as he prepared himself to enter her warmth.With her eyes closed, Charlotte replied, "Yes, mate."Jack smiled, although a part of him wanted to withdraw. No, this is not right, the part of him said. But Jack's wolf wiggled within him and said it was right. Let's claim our mate.With a gentle push, Jack
"What's wrong with you?" Jack inquired. Never in his life did he imagine he would have to comfort a woman one day."Stay away from me. You lied to me last night just to mate with me. How am I supposed to know that you're really my mate?" Charlotte accused Jack, her blue eyes reddened with tears.Jack's eyes darkened with desire, although he frowned. How could he explain to the crying woman that he wanted to dip his fangs into her neck and leave his marks on her?"Is that why you're crying? If anyone were to hear your voice now, they would think I'm a wife-beater like my brother. Shush, the guards are still searching for you," Jack said, and Charlotte calmed.It was already morning, and the sunlight peeked into the room as it was high in the sky. Charlotte knew that Teddy would soon tear down the entire pack in search of her. If there was one thing she was sure about Teddy, it was the fact that he cared for her in public and wouldn't want the other pack members to see that she was sad.