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

settled around a ! much faster than I thought was possible and !

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

they’re not

protests, his eyes

laugh. “If I’m making

a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

looks over at me from her

us chefs,” I consider.

talking about nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on any of the

laughter, and fun, and spending

I bite into a smore that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I

going to get marshmallow all over the

my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite – He won’t mind

Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how

quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close

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

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

him.

help my own smile from crossing my face as I watch them.

that that’s my

I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and

I nod my head first towards

My mate

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

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

noisy platform – the three of

alone by the fire to have a

about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last into the RV,

door shut behind him, the baby still curled in his

the window at Roger and Cora through the tinted

he says, coming to sit with me on the plush

our own moment, rolls

television, though we both know

up at my mate and reaching for my baby,

know I always

murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and

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

as much about the details of my brother’s love

out at them.

girlfriend drama -”

his body going stiff behind me,

I ask, turning to him, confused