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

I thought was

Cora and

Otherwise, they’re not

Sinclair protests, his

true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food,

gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I

she looks over at me from her chair

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

like this long into the night – the family gathered happily around the fire, talking about nothing 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

is just about laughter, and fun,

moan a 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 my eyes as I chew. “This is

going to

murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite –

as he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms I let him, wanting 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 him and his words, knowing that

Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild

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

dark

pantele Roger murs to sing

murmurs

and then turning

him.

my face as I watch them. And then, as they stare at

that that’s my

up from my little camping chair and

and I nod my head first

talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then

puts a hand on his back, leaning

one by one, as stealthily as we can –

noisy platform – the three of

alone by the fire to have a

I say to

baby still curled in his arms. I’m

Roger and Cora through the tinted

little spy?” he says, coming to

own moment, rolls his way

television, though we both know

reaching for my baby,

I always want

he murmurs, slipping his

chin on my shoulder so that he

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

not,” I say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff behind me, just

I ask, turning