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

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

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

they’re not

Sinclair protests, his eyes

laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I

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

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

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

laughter, and

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

going to get marshmallow all over the baby

I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open

let him, wanting to be alone. with my s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from

my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking

dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by

dark

Roger murs to sing

murmurs

and then turning her head to look at

him.

from crossing my face as I watch

that

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

up at me, curious and I nod

who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then nods

hand on his back, leaning down to

as stealthily as we can –

lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us

Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a moment

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

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

out the window at Roger and Cora through the

spy?” he says, coming

moment, rolls

television, though we both know he

reaching for my baby,

I always want to

know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around

I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so

about the details of my brother’s love life until you

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

girlfriend drama -”

his body going stiff behind me,

ask, turning to