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

settled around a ! much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile as I

leaning over to Cora and

Otherwise, they’re not

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the

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

your baby is gonna eat a lot of

at me from her chair next to

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

not touching on any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the

tonight is 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,”

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

refusing to open my eyes as I take

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

s’more and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit

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

dark

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand

murmurs

and then turning her head to look at Roger,

him.

as I

that that’s my

up from my little camping chair and send

curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and then

who begin talking quietly. My

and puts a hand on his back, leaning down to speak a

stealthily as we can – which is not very

a noisy platform – the three of us and

little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a moment to

I say to

shut behind him, the baby still curled in his arms.

at Roger and Cora

coming to sit with me

rolls

to watch some television, though we both

and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair

I always want to

he murmurs, slipping his

against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so

details of my brother’s love life until you

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

girlfriend drama -”

Sinclair asks, his body going stiff behind

ask, turning