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

whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

Otherwise, they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes

us laugh. “If I’m

a lot of hotdogs,”

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

I consider. She raises

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

just about laughter, and fun,

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

going to get marshmallow all over the baby

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I

be alone. with my s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing

my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly

our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by

dark

pantele Roger murs to sing a hand

murmurs

and then turning her head to look

him.

own smile from crossing my face as

that that’s

up from my little camping chair and send

up at me, curious and I nod my head first

begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then nods

hand on his back,

one by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very

the three of us and the

Roger alone by the

say to Sinclair as

in his arms. I’m sitting

window at Roger and Cora through

business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on the plush

give us our own moment, rolls his way back to

though

reaching for

I always

you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms

I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look

details of my brother’s love

them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has had lots

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going

ask, turning to him, confused