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

all settled around a ! much faster than I thought was

whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

they’re not

Sinclair protests, his eyes still on

true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled.

is gonna eat a

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 the idea, and we

mutual future but not touching on any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the conversation. We all know that

just about laughter, and

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

to get marshmallow all over the

my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another

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 him, dismissing him

Henry watches 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

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a

murmurs

says, looking up at the stars and then turning her head to

him.

crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as they stare at

that

from my little camping

nod my head first towards the RV and

My

to his father and puts a hand

– which is not

platform – the three of us and the

leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a

they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last into the RV,

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

at Roger and Cora

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

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

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

up at my mate and reaching

I always want to

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

his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out at

“I never cared as much about the details of

say, still peering out at them.

girlfriend drama -”

hot?” Sinclair asks, his body going stiff

turning to him,