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

a ! much faster than I thought was

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

Otherwise, they’re

protests, his

making us laugh. “If I’m making

your baby is gonna eat a lot of

eggrolls,” she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair next to

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

continues like this 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.

about laughter,

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

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

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

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

around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly connected in this peaceful

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

dark

primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to

murmurs

stars and then turning her

him.

my face as I watch them. And then, as they stare

that that’s

little camping chair and

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

My

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

we can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry

with a noisy platform – the

and Roger alone by

to Sinclair as he climbs last into the

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

Roger and Cora through the

their business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me on the plush

own moment, rolls his way back to

about wanting to watch some television, though we both know he

at my mate and reaching

know I always

you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low

and I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can

cared as much about the details of

say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot.

girlfriend drama -”

body going stiff behind me, just a

I ask, turning to him,