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

faster than I thought was possible and ! anile

to Cora

they’re not

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still

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

eat a lot of hotdogs,”

sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair next to mine. “You

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

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 to leave

tonight is just about laughter, and fun, and

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

Sinclair laughs, “you’re going to

care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes

again as 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 away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate

and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other,

around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in

dark

sing

murmurs

says, looking up at the stars and then turning

him.

from crossing my face as I watch

I decide that

little camping chair and send

me, curious and I nod my head first towards

quietly. My mate follows

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

as we can – which is not very

a noisy platform – the three of us and the baby make

leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a

to

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

Roger and Cora through the tinted

coming to sit

wanting to give us our own moment, rolls his

about wanting to watch some television, though we both

and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

you know I

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and

against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out

about the details of my

peering out at them.

girlfriend drama -”

body going stiff behind me,

turning