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

than I thought was

only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

they’re not

his eyes still on

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

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur

she looks over at me from her

consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the idea, and we

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.

just about laughter, and fun, and spending time

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

“you’re going to get marshmallow all over the

open my eyes as I take another bite – He won’t mind

Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a

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

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 tie as

dark

Roger murs to sing a hand to play with Cora

murmurs

and then turning her head to

him.

from crossing my face as I watch them. And then,

that that’s

my little camping

and I nod my head

My mate

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

by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry has

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

Roger alone by the fire to

talking about,” I say to Sinclair as

door shut behind him, the baby still curled in his

at Roger and Cora through the

coming

rolls his way back to the bedroom,

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

up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who

you know I always want to

know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me

and I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my

much about the details of

not,” I say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He

girlfriend drama -”

going stiff behind

I ask, turning to