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

! much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile

whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

they’re not

protests, his

chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

a

looks over at me from her chair next to mine. “You know I

shrug. “Maybe we can make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows,

the family gathered 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

about laughter, and fun,

the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like

laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow all over

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my

I let him, wanting to 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

my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each

ruce out here 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

pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play with

murmurs

and then turning

him.

face as I watch them. And then, as they stare at

that that’s

can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send a pulse down

nod my head first towards

talking quietly. My mate

hand on his back, leaning down to

– which is not

noisy platform – the three

alone by the fire to have a

talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs

the baby still curled in

at Roger

their business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on the plush leather.

rolls his way back to

though we both

I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes

you know I always

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around

I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out at

as much about the details

them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has had lots

girlfriend drama -”

his body going stiff behind me, just

ask, turning to