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

than I thought was

Cora and I and

they’re

true!” Sinclair protests, his

chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making

baby is gonna eat a lot

me from her chair next to mine. “You know I can’t cook

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

– 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

laughter,

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,”

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

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open

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 his

watching them quietly Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other,

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

dark

about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand

murmurs

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

him.

crossing my face as I watch

decide that that’s

little camping chair and send a

me, curious and I nod my head

begin talking quietly. My mate follows

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

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

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

Roger alone by the

talking about,” I say to

in his arms. I’m sitting in

window at Roger and Cora

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

own moment, rolls

some television, though we both know

sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who

know I

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

his chin on my shoulder so that he

the details of my brother’s love life until

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

girlfriend drama -”

asks, his body going stiff behind me,

ask, turning to him, confused