The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

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

a ! much faster than I thought

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

they’re not

his eyes still on

making us laugh. “If I’m making food,

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur

she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from her

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

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

about laughter, and

a smore that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I

laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow all over the baby

open my eyes as

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

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

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a

murmurs

the stars and then turning her head to

him.

crossing my face as I watch them. And

decide that that’s my

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

at me, curious and I nod my

who begin talking quietly. My mate

a hand

stealthily as we can – which

into the RV with a noisy platform – the three

alone by

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

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

out the window at Roger and Cora

little spy?” he says, coming

our own moment, rolls his way back to the

though we both know he

mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

I always want to

laughs. “Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and

his chin on my shoulder so that he too

as much about the details of my

still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has had lots of

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff

I ask, turning