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

around a ! much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile as

cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a smile, “when

they’re

his eyes still on the

laugh. “If I’m

is gonna eat a

from her chair next

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

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

just about laughter, and fun, and

moan a little 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,” I murmur, closing my eyes as I chew. “This is so good, I can

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

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

as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away from me,

I finish my s’more and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not

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

dark

murs to sing a hand to play with Cora s

murmurs

she says, looking up at the stars and then turning her head to look at Roger,

him.

face as I watch them.

decide that

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

me, curious and I nod my head first towards

who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my

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

by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy, considering

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

leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to

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

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

window at Roger and Cora

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

own moment, rolls his way

television, though

and reaching for my baby,

I always want

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

resting his chin on my

Roger, “I never cared as much about the details of

peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably

girlfriend drama -”

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

turning to him,