Mack's words echoed in her mind. How could they not? Charlie's casual admission not only bolstered Mack's claim, but infuriated her. It wasn't just that Mack was human garbage, who had by all accounts taken advantage of Charlie who was blackout drunk and high at the time. Nor was it the fact that Mack had attempted to steal her alpha, even if it was from a time where they hadn't known each other. It was the fact that Mack had hurt Charlie on such a deep personal level.

For an alpha and omega, mating was a deeply intimate act, especially for an alpha. There was no other time that an alpha was that vulnerable, and so open to another person. Not only had Mack attempted to force a bond on an unwilling person, she had witnessed deeply personal events in Charlie's life, seen Charlie when she was at her most vulnerable, felt how Charlie must have felt and still chose to break the bond. It must have been traumatic, it was probably why it was the only thing Charlie remembered about that night, to be rejected so soundly when you were giving yourself to someone. It was no wonder Charlie had no interest in mating, Mack had fucking ruined it for her.

And for the first time in a long time she wasn't quite sure how to deal with the situation. She had been tempted to find Quinn and share her concerns, but Quinn and Charlie weren't talking at this moment. Charlie clearly didn't trust Quinn, she obviously didn't quite trust her father either. The only person that Charlie seemed to trust implicitly with her daughter was Judy.

Which was the only reason she had decided to take a personal day, and had asked to meet with Judy. Ever since Judy had figured out that she was Charlie's destined soulmate, Judy had welcomed her into the family quietly. Exchanging numbers sending her cute texts of Charlie as a baby and sharing humorous stories of her mate, before things had managed to fall off the tracks for Charlie. It was touching, she had assumed Judy hadn't liked her because she had managed to convince Quinn to dye her hair pink.

"Santana! Over here!" Judy called out waving at her from where she was seated on a park bench, her free hand firmly on the stroller. Walking with Harper had become one of her favorite pastimes, it was always so peaceful and Harper seemed to enjoy it. Her fever had subsided and they were back to their regular schedule.

Santana spots Judy and heads over, glad that she had decided to wear comfortable shoes so she could walk with her. She flicks her eyes over to Harper for a moment as she approaches and checks on her, smiling when Harper breaks out into a smile, she probably recognized her and she reaches and touches Harper's hand letting her grasp onto her finger. "Hey Mrs—"

"Judy, you're family Santana," Judy corrects, watching Santana's interaction with Harper. Quinn had stated that Santana hated babies, but it was clear that Harper was slowly winning her over. "How are things progressing with Charlie?" Judy asks, standing up so that they can begin their lap around the park.

Santana hesitated for a moment, it did feel like a betrayal to talk about this with Charlie's mother of all people, it would be harder in the future to keep Judy out of her business, but she needed some advice on this particular issue. "It's not, and I finally understand why Charlie is very—adamant, that she doesn't want to mate. I met Mack, Harper's birth-mother the other day."

Judy stopped suddenly and turned to look at Santana, Charlie had kept quiet on that front and it was difficult to protect both her daughter and her granddaughter without the right information. "And?"

Santana bit her lip, before sighing she was here for advice, and Judy really was the least offensive option at this point. "My understanding of the situation from what Charlie has mentioned, and from Mack's own words is that Mack rejected the bond."

Judy inhaled sharply, well that certainly explained why Charlie wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to mate with Santana. It was difficult keeping this to herself, she couldn't predict how Russell would react, and at this moment she didn't want to give Charlie any extra pressure. "They were in a relationship?"

"No, that's not what I got from my conversation with Mack, and my conversation with Charlie. I think Mack took advantage of Charlie while she was blackout drunk, all Charlie can remember from the night is Mack rejecting the bond. I don't think I've ever felt such a fury," Santana admits and swallows. "It was both possessive and just white hot fury that she hurt my mate. I've never felt like this before."

"Omega are just as possessive of their mates as alphas are, if not more so," Judy replies immediately, struggling to keep the emotion out of her voice. She fails as the anger seeps into her voice, she wasn't angry at Santana, how could she be, but Mack had not only hurt her daughter, but she had taken advantage of Charlie. She glances down at Harper who had drifted off. "Harper has been a gift to this family, I have my family back—even if things are rough right now. To think that she was conceived under such ugly circumstances, I can see why Charlie's protective."

Santana nodded, Judy's anger was palpable, and she almost wished that she could be as calm and collected as she was. "Mack also said something else, that made me think—Quinn never really talked about Charlie. I mean I knew she existed, and I knew from a few stories that she got kicked out, because of behavioral issues. And when I ask Charlie she's not exactly open about it, she answers me, but I don't think she's giving me the full story."

"I wish I could tell you why, the behavioral issues cropped up. One day she was fine, and the next she's being moody. Russell and I chalked it up to being a teenager, you know going through puberty. The talking back, the bursts of anger, started to get worse, and then the fighting started. It was usually beta's but if an alpha looked at her the wrong way she'd fight them too. Russell and I didn't know how to help her, Russell assumed that she'd outgrow it, that it was just a phase. I thought so as well, but then I noticed some Alpha supremacy material in her room while I was cleaning it. We most certainly never raised her to believe in that crap, but there was a bunch of material and when I confronted her she got angry and embarrassed and well she snapped at me, Russell was there and lost his temper. She was kicked out."

Santana stopped completely, this was new information that she hadn't known about her mate. "She's an Alpha supremacist?" There were various alpha supremacist groups, many believed that Alpha's should be allowed to do whatever it is that they wanted. Others flirted with various other forms of supremacy and nationalism.

Judy shook her head, hoping that it eases any of Santana's concerns. Her daughter wasn't a supremacist, of any sort. "I think she was flirting with it. I don't think she actually drank the kool-aid. You've seen how she treats Harper, she loves her. I think Charlie was looking for answers, and for a while she thought the answers lay with their literature."

"I don't think she stopped flirting with it, Mack is certain that Charlie's going to demand that I stay at home and watch Harper," Santana bit her lip and looked at Judy.

Judy rolled her eyes, "Santana, if Charlie asked would you?"

"Of course not. I might rip her a new one for such an asinine idea!" Santana insists immediately.

"Exactly. I have no idea why you're allowing Mack's words to hold weight." Judy chuckled at the idea of Charlie attempting to boss Santana around. Charlie treated Harper like she was a little princess, she could only imagine how Charlie would treat Santana.

"Because she called Charlie a gamma, she mocked it, said that was why she broke the bond," Santana explains, stopping when Judy stops completely. She turns to look at her, "Judy?"

"What?" But before Judy can press Santana for more information her phone rings and she glances at it, Russell never called her when he was at the office, she motions for Santana to pause for a moment and answers the phone.