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

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

they’re

protests, his eyes still

laugh. “If I’m

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I

she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair

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

lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on any of the big,

is just about laughter, and fun,

that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I

Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow

my head and refusing to open my

Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his

my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild

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

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play with Cora s

murmurs

she says, looking up at the stars and then turning her head to look at Roger,

him.

my own smile from crossing my face as

decide that

up from my little camping chair and send a pulse down my

looks up at me, curious and I nod

begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and

hand on his back, leaning down to speak a

stealthily as we can – which

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

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone

I say to Sinclair as he climbs

the baby still curled in his arms. I’m

the window at Roger and Cora through the tinted

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

rolls his way back to

watch some television, though we

my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes

I always

know,” he murmurs, slipping

hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so

cared as much about the details of my brother’s love life until you came

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

girlfriend drama -”

hot?” Sinclair asks, his body going stiff behind me,

ask, turning