Chapter 4

Charlotte quickly snapped out of her trance as she heard Teddy yelling at her. He charged toward the man in the corridor to drag Charlotte out and beat her mercilessly.

However, Jack stood between Teddy and Charlotte, protecting her behind him, and demanded of his younger brother, "What's going on with you, Teddy? Is this how you welcome me on my return from abroad?"

Charlotte was shocked to realize that the man who had just kissed her was Teddy's brother, Jack Hudson. How did she not recognize him? It was because she had switched off the corridor light, controlling it with the artificial intelligence system that managed their mansion.

"Welcome you? You dare to show up in my house unannounced and kiss my wife in my presence?" Teddy roared, staring at Jack with hostility.

"Move away from Charlotte now! I'm going to deal with her today. I never knew she was a disloyal woman who would sleep around in my absence!" Teddy shouted as he tried to reach Jack to attack Charlotte, who was shivering, caught kissing her husband's elder brother. It had slipped her mind too 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 beat Charlotte angrily.

Teddy was enraged by the way he saw Jack and Charlotte kissing. Charlotte had never kissed him like that before, and though he hadn't acknowledged Charlotte as his mate, nor did he want to consummate his marriage with her, they had kissed in public, and she hadn't kissed him like that.

However, 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 me!" Teddy shouted at Jack, pointing at the stairs for Jack to leave.

Jack was wearing a yellow shirt and black trousers. He wanted to speak and apologize to his younger brother, explaining that he didn't know Charlotte was his mate.

Jack hadn't attended the wedding of Teddy and Charlotte as he was abroad, and he hadn't seen their photos. When he arrived at the mansion, the intoxicating scent he perceived around the mansion and in the living room led him upstairs to find the source of the sweet, alluring scent.

Although Jack saw the lights were on when he climbed the stairs to find the owner of that sweet scent, which made his wolf stir within him, 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.

"Teddy, I didn't know she was your wife. I'm sorry about 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 masculine body. Jack looked more brutal and tough than Teddy, who 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's position. Teddy was shocked to see that Jack was strong.

With the small push that Jack had used to shield Charlotte from Teddy's attack, Teddy could feel the 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 kissing you in my presence," Teddy said, his anger still boiling.

Meanwhile, Anne Robert had just finished putting her clothes back on in the master bedroom. She wondered why Teddy had run out with such speed after dressing. Teddy hadn't even explained where he was going, and Anne knew Charlotte was up to something again.

Several times when Anne and Teddy were together, Teddy would stop 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 finishing with me? How am I supposed to carry his pups if he keeps withdrawing 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 she wasn't familiar with.

As Anne stepped out and met eyes with Jack, who was looking at her in shock. Jack's eyes shifted to look at Teddy, and he asked his younger brother, "What's Anne doing here if you're married to Charlotte?"

Charlotte was still hiding behind Jack's back, unable to bring herself to speak in the presence of the two Alphas arguing. She was still embarrassed by how she had kissed Jack not too long ago.

Charlotte knew she hadn't kissed Teddy like that before. He wasn't her true mate, but she loved him and respected him as her husband. But then, he disrespected her even on her birthday and their wedding anniversary night by bringing Anne Robert to their home, taking Anne to their bedroom, which he had never shared with her, and mating 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 out, shining brightly in the sky as it was past midnight.

"I know Anne was your friend, and you used to admire her before I traveled. But what's she doing here at this time, and why is she 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 to look back at Charlotte, who was watching them, Jack saw that 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, charging at his younger brother with rage. He attacked Teddy and started beating him up.