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

around a ! much faster than I thought was possible

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

they’re not

his eyes still

true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If

baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

Then she looks over at me from her chair next to mine.

make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows,

our mutual future but not touching on any of the big, scary subjects that

tonight is just about laughter, and fun, and

little as I bite into a smore that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing

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

murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as

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

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

around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play with

murmurs

stars and then turning her head to look at Roger, beaming

him.

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

decide that

stand up from my little camping chair

curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and then

talking quietly. My mate

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

– which is not

– the three of us and

and Roger alone

they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as

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

at Roger and Cora through

he says, coming to sit

rolls his way back

some television, though we both know

my mate and reaching for my baby, who

I always

he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me

on my

details of my brother’s love

still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot.

girlfriend drama -”

body going stiff

turning to