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

cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving

Otherwise, they’re not

his eyes still on

us laugh. “If I’m making

eat a lot of

me from her chair next to

us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the idea, and we both

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 all – and we all simultaneously decide to leave

just about laughter, and fun,

just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my eyes as I chew. “This

Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get

head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite – He won’t mind

with my s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe

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

at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by a tie as much as

dark

sing a hand to play with Cora

murmurs

stars and then turning her

him.

can’t help my own smile from crossing my face as

that that’s my

as I can, I stand up from my little camping

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

who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and

puts a hand on his back, leaning down

can – which is not

the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us

and Roger alone

I say to

in

window at Roger and Cora through

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

us our own moment, rolls his way back to the

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

reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

I

he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and pulling

warmly against hin, resting his chin on my

never cared as much about the details of my brother’s love life until

at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has had lots

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff

ask, turning