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

over to Cora and I and giving us a

Otherwise, they’re

Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the

laugh. “If I’m making food,

gonna eat a lot

from her chair next to

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

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

way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing

to get

to open my eyes as I take

laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is I

watches Sinclair and his grandchild

and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by a tie

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play

murmurs

up at the stars and then turning her head to look at

him.

my face as I watch them.

that that’s my

can, I stand up from my little camping chair

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

and Cora, who begin talking quietly. My mate follows

He walks to his father and puts a hand on his

by one, as stealthily as we can – which is

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

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the

you think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last into the RV,

him, the baby still curled in his arms. I’m sitting

at Roger

their business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with

our own moment, rolls his way

wanting to watch some television, though

I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my

know I always want

murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and pulling

on my shoulder so that he too

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

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

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff behind me, just

ask, turning