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 possible and

leaning over to Cora and I and giving us

they’re

his eyes still

Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled. Otherwise. I’m getting

gonna eat a lot

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

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

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

laughter,

just the way I like

“you’re going to get marshmallow all over the

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

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

Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to

says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d

dark

sing

murmurs

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

him.

smile from crossing my face as I watch

I decide that that’s my

stand up from my little camping chair and send a pulse

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

talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze

puts a hand on

can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry

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

house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire

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

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

out the window at Roger and Cora

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

own moment, rolls his way back to

to watch some television, though we both know he doesn’t

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

know I always

know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms

my shoulder so that he too can look out at

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

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

girlfriend drama -”

Sinclair asks, his body going

ask, turning