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

settled around a ! much faster than I thought was possible and

cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I

Otherwise, they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes

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

eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to

at me from her chair next to

chefs,” I consider. She

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 –

about laughter, and fun, and

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 the

my head and refusing to open my

Roger, and Henry laugh as well as Sinclair walks Rafe away

I finish my s’more and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while

out here Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7 didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by a

dark

sing a hand

murmurs

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

him.

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

I decide that that’s

my little camping chair and

He looks up at me, curious and I nod my head

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

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

stealthily as we can –

the RV with a noisy platform – the

alone by the fire to have a moment to

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

baby still curled in

the window at Roger and Cora through

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

us our own moment, rolls his way back to

to watch some television, though

mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

know I

you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms

my shoulder so that

details of my brother’s love life

not,” I say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff behind me, just

ask, turning to