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

! much faster than I thought was possible and

to Cora and I and giving

Otherwise, they’re

his

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

gonna eat a lot of

Then she looks over at me from her chair

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

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

tonight is just about laughter, and fun,

a smore that Sinclair hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my

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

care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite – He won’t

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 him and his words, knowing that he’s kidding

and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close

dark Camp 7 didn’t

dark

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a

murmurs

looking up at the stars and then turning her head to look

him.

my face as I watch

that that’s

as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair

curious and I nod my head first towards

quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then nods

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

one by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy,

lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us and the baby make our way back

Cora and Roger alone by the

to Sinclair

baby still curled in his arms.

out the window at Roger and Cora

business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit

give us our own moment, rolls his way back to the bedroom, making

television, though

and reaching for

I always

murmurs, slipping his arms low around

chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out

much about the details of my brother’s love

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

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going

I ask, turning to him, confused