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

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

over to Cora

they’re

his eyes still

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

is gonna eat a lot of

from her chair next to mine.

hire us chefs,” I consider.

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

laughter,

smore that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh

Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get

murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my

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

them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each

Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink

dark

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing

murmurs

the stars and then

him.

crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as

that

little camping chair and send

He looks up at me, curious and I nod

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

and puts a hand on

by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry has

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

mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the

about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs

curled in his arms. I’m sitting

Roger and Cora through

coming to

us our own moment, rolls his way back to the bedroom, making

some television, though we both know he doesn’t

up at my mate and reaching for

you know I always

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

on my shoulder so that he too can look out at

never cared as much about the details

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

girlfriend drama -”

body going

turning