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 was possible and !

leaning over to Cora and I and

Otherwise, they’re not

protests, his

making us laugh. “If I’m

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I

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

them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at

nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on any of

tonight is just about laughter, and fun,

moan a little as I bite into a 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

“you’re going to get

care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my

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

I finish my s’more and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly connected

out here 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

dark

to sing a hand to play with Cora s

murmurs

up at the stars and then turning her head to look

him.

my own smile from crossing my face as I watch

I decide that

I stand up from my little camping chair and send

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

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

and puts a hand on his back,

– which is not very stealthy, considering Henry

– the three of us and

Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a

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

curled in his arms. I’m

out the window at Roger and Cora

that their business, little spy?” he says, coming to

our own moment, rolls

about wanting to watch some television, though

at my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair

I always want to

murmurs, slipping his arms

I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that

details of my

at them. “Roger’s

girlfriend drama -”

hot?” Sinclair asks, his body going stiff behind

turning to him, confused