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 !

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

they’re not

his eyes still

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

your baby is gonna eat a lot of

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

us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows,

continues like this long into the night – the family gathered happily around the fire, talking 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

is just about laughter, and fun, and

just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur,

to get marshmallow all over

shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite –

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

his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but

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

dark

to sing a hand to play with Cora

murmurs

then turning her head to look at

him.

face as I watch

that that’s

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

and I nod

My mate

hand on his back, leaning

one, as stealthily as we can – which is

platform – the three of us and the baby make our

mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone

about,” I say to Sinclair as he

in his arms.

Roger and Cora

says, coming to sit with

own moment, rolls his way back

watch some television, though we both know

at my mate and reaching for my baby,

know I always want

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

I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out

never cared as much about the details of

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

girlfriend drama -”

going stiff

I ask, turning to him, confused