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 ! anile as I

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

Otherwise, they’re

his eyes still on

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

gonna eat a lot

adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair next to mine. “You know I can’t cook

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

what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching on any of the big, scary

just about laughter, and fun,

to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing

Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get

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

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

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 in this

here Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7

dark

Roger murs to sing a hand to play with Cora

murmurs

says, looking up at the stars and then turning her

him.

smile from crossing my face as I watch them. And

decide that that’s

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

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

and Cora, who begin talking quietly. My mate follows

walks to his father and puts a hand on his back, leaning

by one, as stealthily as we can – which is

– the three of us and the

Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a moment

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

behind him, the baby still curled in his arms.

the window at Roger and Cora through

coming to sit with me

to give us our own moment, rolls his way

watch some television, though we both know

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

know I always want to

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

I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my

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

them. “Roger’s hot.

girlfriend drama -”

his body going stiff behind me, just a

turning to him,