Unbelievable (Sequel to Unexpected)

Done

Charlotte would be fine if she took her medication regularly. The pup should be if she took the prenatal medication and followed Dr. Ramon's instructions to hopefully form a bond with it. She was told to call and come back if anything was wrong. Nothing was said for the bond. Or Lana.

Both doctors had almost been adamant the bond would reject and fade if things didn't change between the two. To Charlotte it was almost like a way out. She could, in theory, have the pup and be done with all of this. It was an option she'd thought about before. Alternative options didn't seem plausible; she wasn't going to abort the pup, it wasn't it's fault it was conceived in a forced way (Charlotte wouldn't want that option taken away though for others or if the rejection happened sooner). Adoption definitely wasn't available as she was sure Lana would fight tooth and claw for custody. Leaving had been a fleeting thought. If the bond was gone, she could be too.

But she didn't think she could make herself leave. Lana wouldn't stop her. If anything, Charlotte mussed, the Alpha would probably be glad she was gone. Then at least they wouldn't be tip toeing around each other like they'd been for a few days. Though they did continue to occupy the same room time to time, they were still sleeping in separate rooms. Any time they were near each other it was almost hostile. Anything said between them was quick and short. Lana was openly upset and didn't hide it as she worked or cooked or did anything really. Charlotte on the other hand hid it with glares and short sentences; at night she'd nearly smother herself as she cried and hoped Lana couldn't hear or feel it.

The bond was as it was before; weak at best. Only now it was getting harder to sense each other unless they were in near proximity. Even one being in their room and the other across the house in the kitchen was difficult. It both scared and relived Charlotte. Lana was hurting.

She wouldn't push Charlotte, Lana repeated to herself daily. No matter how much she wanted to, she wouldn't. She was not like other Alphas, she wasn't like her father. If Charlotte didn't want to remain bonded and stay, she wouldn't have to. Lana resigned herself to brood and never bring it up. That only worked so much. Neither meant it to be, but the mood between them could go from civil to hostile in seconds. Charlotte would be doing something and something minor Lana was doing would make her snap. Lana would always have a harsh rebuttal and it would end with both of them slamming their doors shut.

Everything seemed to come to a peak one night, nearly two weeks after the hospital visit. Charlotte was entering her second trimester in the pregnancy and would be starting school soon. Though she wanted to be petty, Lana kept her promise on school. At that moment, Charlotte was sitting in her room going over course material. She'd have to catch up to the other students and wanted to be prepared. Charlotte couldn't focus on her work as her mind would wonder to other things.

Lana was in the kitchen cooking, like she did every other day. It was a mechanical process as she watched the chicken she was making fry. Her mind was elsewhere. Like most days, it was focused on hurting and hating. Hurting over Charlotte and hating everyone in the world. Especially hating Luke and her father. Her mind then wandered to why she hadn't heard from either of them. It'd been over three months since that night and she hadn't heard a word. She'd expected either or both of them to get back to her with sarcastic and crude comments. Lana was so lost in her mind she hadn't been paying attention to the hot pan. The grease had started popping and before she realized what happened, she was burnt and had dropped the pan to the ground. Her hand seared with pain and it took her right back to reality. "Oh crap!" She yelled and kicked the sizzling pan aside as she rushed to the sink. Her hand was red and looked like it had been slightly fried. And god did it hurt. The physical pain distracted her from her emotional; she focused on running her hand under cold water and trying not to make a sound. Surely Charlotte had heard, but that didn't mean she wanted to talk to her.