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 ! anile as

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

they’re

protests, his eyes still on

“If I’m

is gonna eat a lot of

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

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

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

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

laughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow all over the

my head and refusing to open my eyes as I

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 his mother is I

Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly connected in this peaceful

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

dark

Roger murs to sing a hand to play with

murmurs

stars and then turning her head to look at Roger, beaming

him.

my face as I

that

my little camping chair and send a pulse down

looks up at me, curious and I nod my head first towards

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

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

– which is not very stealthy, considering Henry

RV with a noisy platform – the three

house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have

about,” I say to Sinclair as

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

window at Roger and Cora through

their business, little spy?” he says, coming

wanting to give us our own moment, rolls his way

watch some television, though we both know

and reaching for my baby, who Sinclair passes into my

I always want

he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me

chin on my shoulder so that he

as much about the details of my brother’s

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

girlfriend drama -”

Sinclair asks, his body going stiff

I ask, turning