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

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

they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still

laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled. Otherwise. I’m getting

your baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I

me from

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

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 decide to leave

just about laughter, and fun,

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

laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow

open

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

Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other,

smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting

dark

murs to sing a hand

murmurs

the stars and then turning her head to look at Roger,

him.

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

decide that that’s my

my little camping chair and send

nod my head first towards the RV and

Cora, who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze

walks to his father and puts a hand

– which is

a noisy platform – the

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to

I say to Sinclair as he climbs last into

the baby still curled in his arms. I’m sitting in

Roger and

spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on the plush leather.

us our own moment, rolls his way back

about wanting to watch some television, though we

my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

I always want

he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me

against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder

“I never cared as much about the details of my brother’s love life until you came

them. “Roger’s hot.

girlfriend drama -”

his body going stiff behind me,

turning to him,