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

faster than I thought

to Cora and I and giving us

Otherwise, they’re

Sinclair protests, his eyes still on

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

gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

over at me from

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

the fire, talking about nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching

about laughter, and fun, and spending time

the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh

going to get marshmallow all over the

I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite – He won’t mind

as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is I wave

watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly connected in this peaceful

at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think

dark

to sing a

murmurs

looking up at the stars and then turning her head

him.

my face as I watch them. And then, as

I decide that that’s my

as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send a

I nod my head

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

walks to his father and puts a hand on his back, leaning

as we can – which is not very

the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us and the baby make our way back

and Roger alone by the fire to have

think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs

baby still curled in his arms. I’m sitting

the window at Roger and

says, coming to sit with

give us our own moment, rolls his way

about wanting to watch some television, though we

up at my mate and reaching for my baby,

you know I always want to

know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around

chin on my shoulder so that

cared as much about the details of my brother’s love

still peering out at them. “Roger’s

girlfriend drama -”

Sinclair asks, his body going stiff behind me, just a little

ask, turning