Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.

“Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my

baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on

steady ground again.”

“Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinclair murmurs, coming down the stairs behind me.

If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”

“Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out

into the cool evening air, clasping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that

I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the accommodations

weren’t as nice.

“What about this?” Sinclair murmurs as he steps down the final step and comes to stand behind

me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean back against his chest. “Is the forest

an improvement?”

I look around our isolated campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light of the day. I

smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of the fireflies that float lazily

through the space.

“Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”

“Good,” Sinclair replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing me and moving to a luggage compartment low on the RV. I watch as he opens it and begins pulling out camping gear – chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra snacks and bug spray.

“Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burned-out ring where a

fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”

“Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him. When he reaches. the ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little elevator. “We’re always ready to go

glamping in this family.”

I laugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinclair waves me towards, smiling down at the baby “What do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him “Do you like glamping?” He gives a happy little coo in response and I laugh, grinning up at his father. “I think that’s a yes

“Kid has taste,” Sinclair says, winking at me as he continues his work

all settled around a ! much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile as

whispers, leaning over to Cora

they’re not

Sinclair protests, his

laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled. Otherwise. I’m

a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

from her chair next to mine. “You know I

make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the idea, and we both

happily around the fire, talking about nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the conversation. We all know that they’re there, after all

is just about laughter,

crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my eyes as I chew. “This is

going to get marshmallow all

open my

be alone. with my s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is I wave a hand at him, dismissing him and his words,

and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger

Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by a

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play with

murmurs

says, looking up at the stars and then turning her

him.

can’t help my own smile from crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as

I decide that that’s

quiet as I can, I stand up from my little camping

looks up at me, curious and I nod my head first towards the

quietly. My mate follows my gaze and

He walks to his father and puts a hand on his back, leaning down to speak

one by one, as stealthily as we can – which

the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us and the baby make

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have

say to Sinclair as he climbs last into the

still curled in his arms. I’m sitting

window at Roger and Cora through the

he says, coming to sit

moment, rolls his way back to the

some television, though we both know he doesn’t watch

mate and reaching for

know I always want

he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and

hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too

Roger, “I never cared as much about the details of my brother’s

say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going

turning to him,