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

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

Otherwise, they’re

protests, his

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

a lot

at me from her chair next to mine. “You know

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

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.

about laughter, and fun, and

a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my eyes as I chew. “This is so good, I can barely stand

laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow

murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take

he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms I let him, wanting to be alone. 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 connected in this

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

dark

murs to sing a hand to

murmurs

the stars and then turning her head to look at Roger, beaming

him.

as I watch

decide that that’s

up from my little camping chair

up at me, curious and I nod

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

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

stealthily as we can – which

the RV with a noisy platform – the three of us and the baby

leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a

about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs

curled in

out the window at Roger and Cora through the tinted

says, coming to

moment, rolls his way back to the bedroom, making

about wanting to watch some television, though we both know

mate and reaching for

I always want

murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and

his chin on my shoulder so that he too can

never cared as much about the details of

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

girlfriend drama -”

going stiff behind

ask, turning