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

a ! much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile as

whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a smile, “when

Otherwise, they’re

protests, his

chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food,

gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

from her chair next to mine. “You know I

us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the idea, and

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

is just about laughter, and

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

dripping,” Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow all over

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

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

family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his

dark Camp 7 didn’t think

dark

sing a hand to play with Cora s

murmurs

looking up at the stars and then turning her

him.

own smile from crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as they stare

I decide that that’s my

I stand up from my little camping chair

I nod my head first towards the RV and

and Cora, who begin talking quietly. My mate follows

father and puts a hand on his back,

one, as stealthily as we can –

lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the three of

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

they’re talking about,” I say to

shut behind him, the baby still curled in his arms.

the window at Roger and Cora through

says, coming to sit with me on the plush leather.

give us our own moment, rolls his way back to

some television, though we

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

you know I always

know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms

resting his chin on my shoulder so that he

as much about the details of my

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

girlfriend drama -”

hot?” Sinclair asks, his body going

I ask, turning