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

than I

Cora and I

Otherwise, they’re not

Sinclair protests, his eyes still on

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

baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,”

eggrolls,” she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair next to mine.

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

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

is just about laughter,

just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur,

to get

my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take

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

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

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

dark

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to

murmurs

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

him.

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

I decide that that’s

from my little camping chair

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

talking quietly. My mate follows

puts a hand on his back, leaning down to speak

one, as stealthily as we can – which is

the three of us and the baby make our way

leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to

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

curled in

Roger and Cora

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

own moment, rolls his way back to

wanting to watch some television, though we

I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who

know I

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

hin, resting his chin on my

as much about the details of my brother’s love life until

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

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going

ask, turning to him, confused