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

faster than I

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

they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the

making us laugh. “If I’m

baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I

at me from her chair

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

and everything, chatting lightly 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. We all know that they’re there, after all – and we all simultaneously decide to leave them

is just about laughter, and

into a smore that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh

“you’re going to

my head and refusing to open my eyes as I

to be alone. with my s’more anyway Cora, 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 a hand at him, dismissing

Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close

arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like

dark

pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to play

murmurs

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

him.

smile from crossing my face as I watch them.

that

can, I stand up from my little camping chair and

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

quietly. My mate follows my gaze and

to 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,

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

leaving Cora and Roger alone

think they’re talking about,” I say to

shut behind him, the baby still curled in

window at Roger and Cora through

little spy?” he says, coming to sit with

give us our own moment, rolls his way

television, though we both know he

and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into

I

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

my shoulder so that he

as much about the details of my brother’s love

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

girlfriend drama -”

going stiff behind me, just a little

I ask, turning to him,