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

Otherwise, they’re not

his

laugh. “If I’m

eat a lot

from

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

long 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 conversation. We all know that they’re there, after all – and we all simultaneously decide

tonight is just about laughter, and fun, and

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

dripping,” Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to get

shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another

Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks

and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild

Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a

murmurs

stars and then turning her

him.

my own smile from crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as

decide that that’s my

can, I stand up from my little camping

at me, curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and then

who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and

his father and puts a hand on his

as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry has

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

mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone

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

curled in his arms. I’m sitting in the little

window at Roger and

little spy?” he says, coming

to give us our own moment, rolls his

watch some television, though we both

sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching

know I always

murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and

chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out at

Roger, “I never cared as much about the details of my brother’s love

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

girlfriend drama -”

Sinclair asks, his body going stiff behind me, just a

ask, turning